Applied Cryptography for Decentralized Systems is a master's lecture at TUM from the Chair of Network Architectures and Services, organized in collaboration with the TUM Blockchain Club. It aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to advanced cryptographic primitives and information theoretic models with a specific focus on topics most relevant for research and development in blockchain and distributed systems.

A significant portion of the course will focus on zero-knowledge proofs, while also touching on other essential techniques like secure multi-party computation, homomorphic encryption, and trusted execution environments, offering a comprehensive overview of the field. Designed as an advanced master-level course, it necessitates a foundational understanding of algebraic structures and probability theory. The curriculum will cover the following topics:

• Fundamentals of Cryptography
  • Security Definitions
  • Complexity and Hardness Assumptions
  • Boolean- and Arithmetic Circuits
  • Commitment Schemes
• Threshold and Pairing-Based Cryptography
• Zero Knowledge Proofs
  • Interactive PCPs and Complexity Classes
  • Schnorr’s Protocol
  • Sigma Protocols and Fiat-Shamir-Heuristic
• Secure Multi-Party Computation
  • Oblivious Transfer
  • Garbling
• Commitment Schemes
  • Commitment Schemes to Function Classes
  • Reed-Solomon Codes
  • Polynomial Commitments
  • KZG
• SNARKs
  • Plonkisch Arithmetization
  • PlonK IOP and Protocol
  • Recursion and Proof Aggregation
• SNARK Applications
  • Validity Rollups
  • ZCash
  • zk-VMs
• Trusted Execution Environments
  • Process and VM based solutions
  • Used building blocks
  • Performance and use-cases
• Fully Homomorphic Encryption
  • Lattices
  • Multi-Party Computation

The lecture is supplemented by regular tutorials and homework assignments prepared by members of the TUM Blockchain Club. This is to help students with questions regarding the lecture contents and assignments while also engaging students through active discussions. The long-term objectives of this course are to equip students with a) the practical skills to apply the concepts discussed and b) the necessary theoretical foundation for entering a research-oriented career in the field.

For more information about the course and registration details, visit the website from the Chair of Network Architectures and Services: https://net.in.tum.de/teaching/ss25/acds.html.