Analyzing Blockchain/Web3 as an open distributed database

CS4391.01
Course System Home Terms Spring 2026 Analyzing Blockchain/Web3 as an open distributed database

Course Description

Summary

Following up on the fall course on web3, this course helps students learn to track transactions and actions across blockchains, which are large distributed censorship resistant databases. The course starts by exploring the fundamental nature of the blockchain: how data is stored, accessed, and traversed. It then introduces common patterns and software used for blockchain analytics. Using these tools, the students then learn to identify transactions en masse, using famous and well-documented examples of the many hacks, frauds, and rug-pulls that have been documented in the space. FInally, students will learn how to build analyses that explore and monitor ongoing projects in the space.

The course is suitable for anyone with a basic understanding of web3/blockchain and having taken at least one statistics class. All work is done via the web.

Learning Outcomes

  • Be able to measure activity on a public blockchain
  • Create compelling dashboards about web3
  • Navigate simple analytics web frontends.

Prerequisites

At least one course in statistics. Either a course in web3 or sufficient knowledge of the space.

Please contact the faculty member : michaelcorey@bennington.edu

Instructor

  • Michael Corey

Day and Time

TH 3:40pm-5:30pm

Delivery Method

Fully in-person

Length of Course

Full Term

Academic Term

Spring 2026

Area of Study

Credits

2

Course Level

4000

Maximum Enrollment

16

Course Frequency

Every 2-3 years