Dominik Gronkieicz (NCAC, Warsaw)
Stefan Dziembowski (Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics, and Mechanics, Warsaw University)
The cryptographic currencies (also dubbed the cryptocurrencies) are a fascinating recent concept whose popularity exploded in the last 6-7 years. The most prominent of them is Bitcoin, introduced in 2008 by an anonymous developer using a pseudonym "Satoshi Nakamoto". These currencies quickly gained noticeable attention among the general public, and their economic importance is rapidly growing - the current capitalization of Bitcoin is over 250 billion USD, and the average number of transactions per day is well above 200,000. The goal of this talk is to provide a research-oriented introduction to the technological aspects of cryptocurrencies. We will start with a description of Bitcoin and its main design principles. We will then discuss some of the weaknesses of Bitcoin, and ideas for alternative cryptocurrencies. Note: this talk will not contain any advice on investing in cryptocurrencies.
Rodolfo Smiljanic (NCAC, Warsaw)
