FI 8460 – Introduction to FinTech

Course Syllabus
Spring Semester 2018

NOTE: This course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be
necessary.

Instructor: Baozhong Yang, Ph.D.

Contact: 404-413-7350, [email protected]
Office: RCB 1243, 35 Broad St.
Office Hours: TBD
Course Section Number: TBD
Meeting Time and Location: TBD

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites:
Prerequisites: None.
Corequisites: FI 8090 (Financial Data Analytics) or MBA 8040 (Data Driven Decision Making); it is
recommended that FI 8090, MBA 8040, or a similar course on data analytics, be taken
simultaneously with or prior to FI 8460.

Course Description:

Financial technology (FinTech) is revolutionary and rapidly changing the financial services industries.
This graduate course provides an introduction to FinTech such as blockchain, cryptocurrencies (e.g.,
Bitcoin and Ethereum), alternative lending, machine learning, and robo-advising. Students are expected
to develop a broad understanding of the recent FinTech development and its impact in the financial
industries. Students will also have hands-on and problem solving experiences that can be useful in
FinTech applications and innovation. Topics may include but are not limited to: blockchain and
cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Altcoins, smart contracts, decentralized applications, markets for
smart contracts, applications of blockchain technologies in various finance areas, alternative and P2P
lending and crowdfunding, machine learning and its applications in FinTech such as robo-advising.

After successfully completing this course, students will be able to

 Understand recent FinTech developments and analyze their impact on the financial services
industries
 Describe the technologies underlying cryptocurrencies and blockchains
 Design smart contracts and decentralized applications
 Understand alternative lending, P2P technologies, and assess their impact on traditional banking
and payment industries
 Apply machine learning in robo-advising and FinTech

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  Engage in the process of FinTech innovation

Recommended Textbooks:
(Note: We will depend heavily on class slides, notes, and reading materials, but the following
textbooks are recommended.)

Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies: A Comprehensive Introduction

by Arvind Narayanan, Joseph Bonneau, Edward Felten, Andrew Miller, Steven Goldfeder, Princeton
University Press, ISBN-13: 978-0691171692.

Ethereum: Blockchains, Digital Assets, Smart Contracts, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations

by Henning Diedrich, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, ISBN-13: 978-1523930470.

Blockchain Applications: A Hands-on Approach. by Arshdeep Bahga and Vijay Madisetti, Vpt, ISBN-
13: 978-0996025560.

An Introduction to Statistical Learning: with Applications in R (Springer Texts in Statistics)

by Gareth James , Daniela Witten , Trevor Hastie , Robert Tibshirani, Springer, ISBN-13: 978-
1461471370.

COURSE SECTION POLICIES

Attendance Policy:
Each student is expected to attend all scheduled class meetings for the entire duration of the class
meeting. An attendance sign-up sheet will be circulated each class period. Students who do not sign the
sign-up sheet will be considered absent. Students arriving late may be permitted to sign the sheet only at
the discretion of the instructor.

Any student who is absent from more than the equivalent of three class meetings (based on the 14-week
full-mester schedule) will be dropped from the course by the instructor. Absences include the first week
of class regardless of when a student registered for the course. The last day to withdraw and receive a
“W“ is the midpoint of the grading period (per GSU’s academic calendar). If a student is withdrawn for
excessive absences after the midpoint of the grading period, a final grade of WF will be assigned
automatically.

Late or Make-up Work

No late or make-up projects or assignments will be allowed. Please hand in your
projects/assignments before the due date.

iCollege:
Course materials, including slides, reading materials, problem sets, and solutions to quizzes or exams will
be posted on the iCollege website of the course. The students are expected to check the iCollege website
regularly and download the requisite materials.

Communication:
The students’ GSU e-mail addresses (as shown in GoSOLAR) will be used as the primary means of
communication. Students should therefore check their GSU e-mail accounts regularly. The instructor

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cannot reply to iCollege emails from their GSU email account.

ASSIGNMENTS AND EVALUATION CRITERIA

Grade Weights:
FinTech Lab projects 45%
Problem sets and quizzes 30%
Final group assignment 25%

FinTech Lab Projects

A major component of the course consists of projects that will be completed at the FinTech Lab housed at
the Institute for Insight at the Buckhead Center. Students are expected to spend substantial time on the
projects, including but are not limited to
 Learning about the lab environment
 Carrying out trades in cryptocurrencies
 Designing and implementing smart contracts
 Interacting with other students on markets for smart contracts
 Writing reports based on the results of the projects.
It is expected that there will be Finance PhD students acting as assistants for the lab work.

Problem Sets and Quizzes, etc.:

Problem sets and quizzes will be given throughout the semester. Your instructor will explain this
component of your grade in detail during the first week of class.

Final Group Assignment:

The final group assignment asks groups of students to submit a paper that describes an innovative
FinTech idea and provide plans to implement the idea. The students will also have the chance to present
their paper at the last class. Grades will be assigned according to the idea, execution, writing, and
presentation of the paper.

Grading Policy - Department of Finance:

In accordance with Departmental policy, for masters level courses (MBA and FI prefixed), it is expected
that no more than 35 percent of the students in a given class section will receive a grade of A+, A, or
A-. The majority of the remaining students are expected to receive grades of B+, B, or B-. Those students
demonstrating significantly lagging performance shall earn grades at the C-level or lower as appropriate.
The finance department employs the +/- grading system. A grade of “C-“ is considered a passing grade
for this course and a “C-“ is considered passing for prerequisite purposes for this course as well as for all
finance electives. Refer to the University catalog for information concerning +/- grading and quality
points for GPA calculations.

Academic Honesty:
The Department of Finance adheres strictly to the University's policy on academic honesty as contained
in the Academic Regulations section of the University catalog. Any student found copying during
exams or quizzes, signing someone else's name to the attendance list, using stored formulas in
programmable calculators, using non-authorized formula sheets or other notes during exams,
collaborating on and/or copying any in-class or take-home assignments, or the like will receive an F for
the course and possibly be subject to additional University disciplinary action.

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In general all university and college regulations concerning academic honesty shall apply. Students are
expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The university
assumes as a minimum standard of conduct in academic matters that students be honest and that they
submit for credit only the products of their own efforts.
It is particularly important that students read and understand the portions of the University Policy on
Academic Honesty that relate to plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple
submissions. As mentioned before, the University Policy on Academic Honesty is explained in detail in
the Student Handbook (available online at http://studenthandbook.gsu.edu ) and the Student Code of
Conduct (available online at http://codeofconduct.gsu.edu ). This Policy represents a core value of the
University. All members of the University community are responsible for knowing and abiding by its
tenets. Students are expected to carefully review the online Policy prior to undertaking any research or
other assignments.
Students are encouraged to discuss freely with faculty any questions they may have pertaining to the
provisions of the Policy on Academic Honesty prior to submitting assignments. Lack of knowledge of
the contents of the University Policy on Academic Honesty is not an acceptable defense to any charge
of academic dishonesty.

Disabilities or Special Needs:

Students who wish to request accommodation for a disability may do so by registering with the Office of
Disability Services. Students may only be accommodated upon issuance by the Office of Disability
Services of a signed Accommodation Plan and are responsible for providing a copy of that plan to
instructors of all classes in which accommodations are sought. Please let your instructor know if you have
a disability or special need that requires accommodation.

Miscellaneous Policies:
 Students are expected to be punctual for class –- being tardy means missing important course
announcements and disrupting the learning process for others. Students who arrive late are expected
to enter and take a seat quietly
 There will be 10-minute breaks during most classes. It will occur at regular intervals or based on the
flow of the material.
 Beepers, cell phones and similar devices should be turned off or put in vibration mode at the
beginning of the class. E-communication devices should not be used during class, and must not be
used during examinations.
 A computer/iPad or other digital devices should only be used during class to access course materials
and to work on relevant course content
 All students are to conduct themselves consistent with University policies concerning behavior in the
classroom and toward others in the University community. Students should consult the student
handbook (available online at http://studenthandbook.gsu.edu ) for details on these policies.

Student Assessment:
Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in shaping education at Georgia
State and helping to improve this course for future students. Upon completing the course, please take
time to fill out the online course evaluation.

FI 8460 – Course Syllabus - page 4 – Spring 2018

Course Schedule
The follow schedule offers a tentative 14-week plan. Deviations and revisions may be made at any time.

Class Topics
Class 1 Introduction to FinTech
Recent developments, Major areas in FinTech,
Future prospects and potential issues with FinTech

Class 2 Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Technologies:

Introduction to FinTech, Cryptographic Hash
Functions, Merkle Tree, Digital Signature, Public and
Private Keys, Blockchains, Proof of Work, Mining

Class 3 Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies I:

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Other Altcoins, Wallets,
Exchange Markets, Payments
Class 4 Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies II:
Transaction Fees, Anonymity, Mining, Ecosystem,
Politics, Regulation
Class 5 Ethereum and Smart Contracts I:
Ethereum platform and Smart Contracts,
Decentralized Applications, DAOs

Class 6 Ethereum Programming I:

Solidity Language, Lab Time
Class 7 Ethereum Programming II:
Geth Language, Lab Time
Class 8 Smart Contracts and Blockchain Applications I:
Design of smart contracts and applications, Lab Time

Class 9 Smart Contracts and Blockchain Applications II:

Description of blockchain projects, Lab Time

Class 10 Smart Contracts and Blockchain Applications III:

Further examples of smart contracts and blockchain
applications, Lab Time

Class 11 Alternative Lending, Crowdfunding, and P2P

Technology
Guest speaker from SunTrust on Alternative Lending
and Crowdfunding, P2P payment and financing
Class 12 Machine Learning and Applications:
LASSO, Decision-Tree Analysis, and other
paradigms of machine learning; Applications of
Machine Learning in FinTech
Class 13 Machine Learning, Robo-advising, and Final
Presentations
Further topics in machine learning and robo-advising
Class 14 Presentations of Final Projects

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