Cryptography and Cryptocurrency (Massarotto)
Faculty
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| Giovanna Massarotto CTIC Fellow gmassa@law.upenn.edu |
Additional Information
Skills Training
Oral Presentations
Team Projects
Expository Writing
Grading
30% Participation,
70% Paper,
Other (Other (A group assignment with a class presentation, graded as part of participation.))
With Permission of Instructor
Class meets in person.
Course Continuity
Students are encouraged to stay home if you are ill or experience flu-like symptoms. If you miss a class for any reason, it is still your responsibility to make up the work missed.
I offer the following to students who miss class due to illness:
- Class sessions are regularly recorded. If you are absent due to illness or some other unavoidable circumstance, email me and I can send you an email with instructions for accessing the recording for the class session(s) you missed.
- I will make PowerPoint slides or other class materials routinely available on the course site to everyone in the class.
- Please make an appointment to meet with me and I will review/answer questions about what you missed.
Meeting Times/Location
W 4:30PM - 6:30PM
Tanenbaum Hall 112
Category
Seminar
Credits
3.0
This course explores the intersection of cryptography and law, with a particular focus on cryptocurrencies. It begins by tracing the evolution of cryptography, from its role as a critical tool in World War II to its development through the work of mathematicians, philosophers, and activists who championed privacy as essential to human and economic freedom. This movement, known as the cypherpunk movement, ultimately led to the creation of Bitcoin—a groundbreaking digital payment system.
Students will critically examine cryptography and its applications, including cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, to understand their impact on society and the complex legal challenges they present. The course will emphasize the evolving role of privacy in an increasingly digital world and its significance for economic freedom through payments.
Each class will be highly interactive, requiring active learning, active listening, and the ability to both respond to and formulate questions. Guest speakers with direct experience in the topics covered will be invited to enrich class discussions.
Course Objectives.
By the end of the course, participants should expect to: i. Understand the foundations of cryptography and its legal foundations; ii. Evaluate the role of cryptography in protecting privacy and free speech critically; iii. Analyze different cryptographic applications via case studies; iv. Gain a deeper understanding of cryptocurrency and the main legal issues involved; v. Recognize the impact that these technologies have on society, with a concentration on the financial sector; vi. Examine the evolving role of cryptography in law and explore its future implications.
Attendance is required. Please do not come to class, if you are sick. Email me and we will speak about how you can keep up with the material and class discussion.
Evaluation will be based upon participation and a written assignment, which will consist of a paper.
International Corporate and Trade Law
Intellectual Property and Technology Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of intellectual property law; Perform legal analysis in the context of intellectual property law; Communicate effectively on topics related to intellectual property; Demonstrate an understanding of the interconnection between technology and intellectual property, and how they affect other areas of law and society.
Perspectives on the Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate an understanding of how the law affects, and is affected by, the individual course topic; Perform legal analysis in the context of the individual course topic; Communicate effectively on the legal and other aspects of the individual course topic; Demonstrate the ability to use other disciplines to analyze legal issues relevant to the individual course topic, including economics, philosophy, and sociology, as appropriate.
Administrative and Regulatory Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of administrative and regulatory law and the administrative process, including the role of statutory authorization and work of administrative agencies; Perform legal analysis in the context of administrative and regulatory law; Communicate effectively on topics related to administrative and regulatory law; Demonstrate an understanding of the role administrative and regulatory law play in our legal system and in society as a whole.