What is Aleo?
Aleo is a Layer-1 blockchain that supports privacy-preserving applications using zero-knowledge technology. Aleo’s zero-knowledge programming language, Leo, makes it simple to write applications that are private by default by compiling circuits into low-level Aleo instructions. It provides a powerful blockchain-native syntax and robust error handling, giving developers the perfect combination of performance, reliability, and security.
What will you learn?
You’ll master the techniques of building zero-knowledge applications on Aleo through this three-week course, designed to provide you with the necessary knowledge and guidance to transition from traditional development or advance your Web3 skills. Through immersive hands-on exercises and projects, you’ll learn how to design, develop, test, and scale applications using Leo. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with other players who are passionate about blockchain technology and zero-knowledge innovation. With the expertise and connections gained through this bootcamp, you will be equipped with the ability to build private and secure applications on the Aleo Layer-1 blockchain, and even eventually pursue a promising career as a blockchain developer or entrepreneur .
Preethi Kasireddy
Preethi began her cryptocurrency career as a software engineer at Coinbase and helped bring Ethereum to the Coinbase platform. During the 2017 ICO boom, she taught herself Ethereum Dapp development and built smart contracts for various cryptocurrency projects before deciding to start her own cryptocurrency company, TruStory. At TruStory, she and her team built their own blockchain on Cosmos. Before joining Coinbase and TruStory, Preethi was a partner at Andreessen Horowitz and worked on projects such as Buzzfeed, Stackoverflow, Envoy, and SmartCar. Prior to that, she was an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs. Her extensive experience as a founder, engineer, investor, and banker gives her a unique perspective on the world of cryptocurrency and finance. She is good at teaching, and many of her courses and blogs have gone viral.
Rajesh Muppalla
Rajesh is the lead instructor at DappCamp and ZKCamp. He covers practical topics, as well as advanced topics like security. He has over 20 years of experience in the technology industry and has deep knowledge in areas such as blockchain, machine learning and big data. Prior to DappCamp, Rajesh co-founded Indix, a company in the artificial intelligence/machine learning space that was later acquired by Avalara. He also organized several bootcamps at his startup and previous companies to help onboard new employees. You can find more of his work on github.
Why choose this course?
Actively learn rather than passively watch
Lectures are designed to keep you active. You’ll be tested on everything you learn and earn badges to recognize your achievements! You also have access to an active Discord channel, where your peers ask and answer questions about the lecture content.
Study with peers
You’ll meet friends and potential partners with whom you can build your future. Imagine a hackathon where you learn a lot in a short period of time and make incredible friends.
Responsibility and feedback
The biggest benefits of peer-based classes are accountability and peer support. By being established in a team environment, you will be constantly surrounded by constructive feedback and motivational energy. Additionally, Preethi and the coaches will be highly involved, providing individual feedback to each student.
Study a comprehensive course
Pre-reading and assignments (self-paced)
We will prepare materials for you to read in advance. These resources are designed to give you a basic understanding of the Aleo blockchain and zkSNARKs. Pre-reading content includes an exploration of zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), covering topics such as what ZKPs are, mathematical and cryptographic primitives, polynomials, modular mathematics, and information theory. Before you begin, you need to set up…
Introduction and ZKP Basics (October 7)
We will begin hosting meet-and-greets, which will provide you with an opportunity to introduce yourself to other ZKCampers and share your goals for the camp. We will also discuss program expectations and set the tone for the week ahead. Next, we’ll dive into the basics of ZKP to lay the necessary foundation for the rest of the course.
Aleo Basics (October 8)
We will dive into the basics of the Aleo blockchain. You’ll learn about Aleo’s core features, its focus on privacy, and its use of zkSNARKs. We will explore the application of zero-knowledge proofs within Aleo and examine the architecture of the platform. In addition, we will compare Aleo with other blockchain platforms in terms of privacy, scalability, and development workflow.
zkSNARKs (October 11, 14, 18)
Focus on zkSNARKs, the building blocks of the Aleo blockchain. Over the next three days of the course, we will cover various aspects of zkSNARKs. The first day will focus on mathematical and cryptographic primitives, and the second day will delve into arithmetic techniques (R1CS) and Polynomial Commitment Schemes (PCS). On day three, we will explore the MARLIN E2E protocol.
Leo goes deep (October 21)
We will take a deep dive into Leo, the programming language used to write programs on the Aleo blockchain. Through a series of short programs, we will cover the basic concepts of the language.
Building programs on Aleo (October 22, 25)
To develop private and decentralized applications on Aleo, you will also need knowledge of the Leo programming language. In this module, we will guide you through the process of setting up the project, using the Aleo CLI for program compilation and deployment, and integrating the program with the front-end interface. By studying this module, you will have the necessary skills to write and deploy programs on Aleo.
Advanced Aleo (October 27)
In the final module, we will explore advanced topics related to the Aleo blockchain. We’ll introduce the Aleo directive, diving into its complexity and capabilities. In addition, we will discuss security considerations when developing programs on Aleo, ensuring you have a thorough understanding of how to build robust and secure applications.
Demo Day (October 29th)
You will work with fellow members to work on projects on the Aleo blockchain. This includes conceptualizing an innovative application idea, writing a white paper outlining the project, implementing the application using Aleo’s programming language and tools, and preparing a 5-minute presentation to present your final project to peers.
