Concept Taxonomy

Categories

FOUND — Foundation Concepts

Core prerequisite concepts that underpin the entire course: trust, networks, basic security, and architecture fundamentals. These are the starting points for all learning paths.

CRYPT — Cryptography Essentials

Encryption, hashing, keys, digital signatures, and related cryptographic building blocks that students need before understanding trust technologies.

PKI — Public Key Infrastructure

Certificate authorities, X.509 certificates, certificate chains, and the centralized trust model based on public key infrastructure.

DLT — Distributed Ledger Technology

Distributed systems, distributed ledgers, blockchain structure, blocks, transactions, and the core mechanics of how blockchains work.

CONS — Consensus and Mining

Consensus mechanisms (PoW, PoS, BFT), mining, forks, finality, and how distributed agreement is achieved across untrusted nodes.

SCALE — Scalability and Networks

Scalability challenges, Layer 1/Layer 2 solutions, network performance, throughput, latency, and on-chain vs off-chain tradeoffs.

ECOSS — Blockchain Ecosystem

Smart contracts, tokens, wallets, blockchain types (public/private/consortium), specific platforms (Ethereum, Bitcoin, Hyperledger), and governance.

COST — Cost and Economics

Computational costs, energy consumption, transaction costs, total cost of ownership, cost modeling, cost-benefit analysis, and financial projections.

ATAM — Architecture Tradeoff Analysis

ATAM methodology, quality attributes, utility trees, risk identification, sensitivity/tradeoff points, scenarios, and stakeholder analysis.

BIAS — Cognitive Bias and Thinking

Cognitive biases (confirmation, sunk cost, bandwagon, etc.), debiasing techniques, critical thinking, evidence-based evaluation, and the hype cycle.

CASE — Case Studies and Use Cases

Industry case studies (supply chain, healthcare, finance, retail, e-commerce), success/failure analysis, and blockchain limitations.

EMRG — Emerging Technologies

Zero-knowledge proofs, verifiable credentials, decentralized identifiers, self-sovereign identity, privacy, and post-blockchain trust technologies.

DECIDE — Decision and Implementation

Decision frameworks, technology evaluation, vendor assessment, proof of concept, pilot programs, implementation roadmaps, architecture reports, recommendations, and the capstone project.