N1621 Blockchains and Crypto Assets: PRJ A1
Your mark on this project represents 70% of your final grade
There are TWO items to be submitted using canvas online:
1. A 2-min video in standard .mp4 or other universal video file format [50 marks]
2. A 1000-word report, submitted in Word or PDF [50 marks]
In this document you will find a complete description of the deliverables for each part following by its marking scheme. There are four pages in total.
PART 1
Use video software of your choice to make a 2-minute video in standard format such as .mp4, which can be read using any universal software.
General guidelines
1. Zero marks for the video will be awarded in any of these cases:
• The marker cannot see or cannot hear the video
• You use a computer-generated voice, or any voice other than your own. You must use your own voice
• You fail to verify your ID by starting a record of your face while speaking your full name and candidate number
• Your video is shorter than 100 seconds or longer than 150 seconds
2. The video can be 2 mins +/- 10% namely between 108 and 132 seconds, without time penalty. There is a 5% time penalty for submissions between 100 and 108 seconds or between 132 and 150 seconds. And you must speak at a speed where it is possible to understand what you say.
3. Some past year students used software to speed up the voice, but the marker couldn’t understand their voice.
Those submissions were severely downgraded and some even failed.
The contents of your video must correspond to ONE of the following topics:
1. Explain what the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) is and how it works. Discuss the benefits and limitations of the EVM.
2. Compare and contrast the processes of an initial token offering (ICO) with an initial public offering (IPO). Use a cryptoasset example to explain the key stages of a token offering.
You should use a strategic narrative, contain specific examples and exhibit good storytelling skills. Minimize the full sentences displayed in the video and please do not simply readout words exactly as written on slides. Here are some hints to making the video (see also the marking scheme below):
• Start by listing the points you want to cover, in a logical order
• Then then draft a script. in a few of you own words (I know when you are simply reading out something copied from the internet)
• Now test the timing by reading your script. aloud and adjusting as necessary to keep within the allotted time
• Next, assemble lots of images to illustrate your dialogue – this is where you can be most creative, especially if you choose to use software more advanced than Zoom. The marking scheme takes account of the sophistication of the software used
• Choose your own title to accurately reflect the contents
• Start your video by showing its title, your name and candidate number, and include a video of your face while reading these things aloud (so that we know you made the video yourself!).
PART 2
Write a report.
General guidelines
The final product can be 1000 +/1 10% words, namely between 900 and 1100 words, not counting illustrations, tables, footnotes or references, without penalty. 5% penalty for word counts between 800 and 900, or 1100 and 1200. 10% penalty for counts below 800 or above 1200.
The contents of your report must correspond to ONE of the following topics:
Write a report about one Defi lending platform, either Aave or Compound. It should contain:
• A title page, with an overview of contents summarised in a very short abstract (max. 100 words)
• An introduction which gives an overview of the Defi lending-borrowing platform. (max. 200 words)
• Describe in detail how the interest rate for lenders and borrowers is determined (max.400 words)
• Explain the risks that lenders and borrowers may encounter, and how the protocol(s) mitigate these risks (max. 300 words)
• Conclude with a short discussion of the future developments in this platform. (max 200 words).
Write a report about consensus mechanisms in blockchains (e.g., Proof of Work, Proof of Stake, etc). It should contain:
• A title page, with an overview of contents summarised in a very short abstract (max. 100 words)
• An introduction that provides an overview of blockchains consensus mechanisms and their importance in decentralized networks (max. 200 words)
• A detailed explanation of how consensus is achieved in one specific mechanism (e.g., Proof of Work or Proof of Stake), focusing on the process and participants' roles (max. 400 words)
• Discuss the potential risks and challenges associated with the selected consensus mechanism and how blockchains protocols address these challenges (max. 300 words).
• Conclude with a short discussion on developments in consensus mechanisms (max 200 words).
You may use any website information that you can find. In each case, use a footnote to cite the URL of the source. If any journal or book publications are drawn upon, these can be listed as references at the end of the report.