Bitcoin – The Grand Experiment

Bitcoin is a disruptive new crypto-currency based on a decentralized open-source protocol which is gradually gaining popularity. Invented by an unknown creator, Bitcoin has recently been the center of a media frenzy with promises of easy money that can be magically created on your computer, tales of lost fortunes, and of alleged mega-criminals who built their drug empires using only their laptop. Looking past the scandals, I will discuss the basics of the protocol, its roots in computer science, and the technical challenges that it faces. In particular, I will try to convince you that regardless of its eventual success or failure, Bitcoin is in fact the most daring social and economic experiment of our time.

Speaker Details

Aviv Zohar is a faculty member at the School of Engineering and Computer Science at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Prior to joining the Hebrew U, he did his postdoc at Microsoft Research in Silicon Valley. He was recently placed on IEEE Intelligent Systems’ list of “AI’s 10 to watch”.

His interests lie in the study of multi-agent systems including topics on the border of economics and computer science, social networks and the analysis of incentives in communication protocols.

Date:
Speakers:
Aviv Zohar
Affiliation:
The Hebrew University

    • Portrait of Aviv Zohar

      Aviv Zohar

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      Jeff Running