Introduction to web3, Crypto & ReFi

Now running for the 7th time due to popular demand!

Join Stephen Reid, celebrated teacher and technologist and creator of the dandelion.earth platform, for a four-week deep dive into the world of web3, blockchain, cryptocurrency, decentralised finance and its regenerative promise 🌱

The course is suitable for enthusiastic beginners but will also be of interest to those with some expertise in the area seeking to connect with likeminded others. It will take place 4pm-6pm UK time (UTC+1) via Zoom on:

• Wednesday 4th May 2022
• Wednesday 11th May 2022
• Wednesday 18th May 2022
• Wednesday 25th May 2022

You will be sent pre-reading/watching a few days before each session (allow 1 hour), and homework at the end of each session (allow 1 hour). To get the most out of the course you should also set aside at least 2 hours per session to go back through the notes, read some of the links provided and make sure you understand everything we've covered. So that's a minimum of 6 hours per session for maximum benefit (2 hours live, 1 hour pre-reading/watching, 2 hours revision, 1 hour homework). If you are an absolute beginner it is particularly important to do all the above.

Sessions will be recorded and shared (so you can catch up if you're late/miss one), and every participant will be offered a 10-minute private consultation during the course.

Feedback from the last course in February

“I thoroughly enjoyed this course with Stephen. I was pleasantly surprised by the practical homework which gave some valuable hands on experience at the cutting edge of the crypto world. It was also really good to hear about some of the ways crypto is being used for good in the world. A very well rounded course and I feel I've come away with a really good foundation to grow my knowledge and experience in crypto.”

"This course gave me a solid foundation to the world of web3, crypto and DeFi. I loved the "learning by doing" approach."

“Perfect if you're looking for a crash course on web3, blockchain, and crypto. This is a fast moving industry so I appreciated what we covered was up to date and relevant.”

“Quite an amazing voyage. When I registered for the course, I did not imagine that I'd get so much out of it. Stephen is a very good teacher, on point and flexible to the class needs and interests yet keeping a very well-structured course. I am very happy I took this course. I highly recommend it.”

Course schedule

The schedule is subject to change to ensure maximal relevance in this fast-changing space.

Session 1: Introduction to Crypto

• 10,000 foot view: what is Bitcoin?
  • Censorship resistance
• Cryptography
• Hashing
• Public key (asymmetric) cryptography
• Blockchains
• The simplest possible blockchain
• Proof-of-Work
• Ledgers
• Distributed ledgers
• Bitcoin: the first cryptocurrency
  • Nakamoto Consensus
  • 51% attacks
• Ethereum: the world computer
  • Smart contracts

Session 2: web3 & the EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine)

• What is web3?
• History of DeFi (Decentralised Finance)
• DeFi basics
• CeFi v DeFi ( v TradFi)
• DeFi newsletters, channels & podcasts
• Information sources
• ERC-20 and WETH
• EVM-compatible chains: Layer 1s and Layer 2s
  • Layer 1s
  • CeDeFi(!) and Binance Smart Chain
  • Layer 2s (rollups)
• Cross chain bridges
• Fiat-backed Stablecoins: USDT & USDC
• Wrapped Bitcoin
• Maker and DAI
  • Why DAI?
  • Price stability mechanisms
• Decentralised exchanges (DEXs) / Automated Market Makers (AMMs)
  • Slippage (price impact/loss rate)
  • Buy-And-Hold vs. Constant-Mix (aka impermanent loss or divergence loss)
  • Aggregators
• Money markets: Aave and Compound
  • Decentralised short selling
• Yield farming (liquidity mining)
  • Parallels with platform co-operativism
  • What about 'effort/contribution mining'?
• Automated farming/Yield aggregators
• DeFi composability: Money legos with FURUCOMBO
• DeFi indices and funds
• Self-repaying loans: Alchemix

Session 3: Beyond the EVM: The Cosmoverse, Solana and THORChain

• Proof-of-Stake
  • Basics
  • Delegated Proof-of-Stake
  • Ethereum's transition to Proof-of-Stake
  • Proof-of-Work vs Proof-of-Stake
  • Economics of Proof-of-Stake
  • Proof-of-Stake critiques
• The Cosmoverse/Cosmosphere/Interchain
  • IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication)
  • Terra
    • UST & LUNA tokenomics
    • Anchor
    • 'TeFi'
• Solana
  • Proof-of-History
• THORchain

Session 4: NFTs and ReFi (Regenerative Finance)

• NFTs
  • NFT marketplaces
  • Ethereum Name Service
  • NFTX
• Regenerative Finance 'ReFi'
  • Regen Network
  • Proof of Humanity UBI
  • Celo
  • KlimaDAO
  • Panvala
  • Gitcoin
  • Giveth
• Investing v trading
• Taxes
• That's a wrap!

About Stephen

Stephen Reid is a teacher and technologist devoted to the flourishing of Life on Earth who has trained in the fields of complexity science, physics, software development, meditation, psychotherapy, plant medicine, conscious sexuality and political activism. He is currently teacher of the How to DAO, Tools for the Regenerative Renaissance, The Promise of Decentralisation & Introduction to web3 courses, and a member of the not-for-profit worker co-operative Dandelion Collective, where he leads the development of the Dandelion platform for ticketed events and co-created gatherings.

Previously, he was the youngest ever board member of Greenpeace UK and consulted for organisations including the New Economics Foundation, the Living Wage Foundation and 350.org. Stephen has an MPhys in Physics from the University of Oxford, where he specialised in quantum field theory, and an MRes in Complexity Sciences from the University of Bristol.

Please note that the purpose of this course is education and nothing in the course constitutes financial advice.

REFUNDS POLICY: Please note, we do not arrange refunds or exchanges. When possible we encourage reselling on Ticketswap.

ACCESS:  We do our best to include everyone in our events, regardless of health circumstances. If you have access requirements please email the event organiser directly to discuss. Many facilitators are able to offer reduced ticket prices for those truly unable to afford the ticket price. If this applies to you, do please get in touch with the event organiser.

For PSYCHEDELIC KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES please check out the Psychedelic Society website. 

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