Capstone Project Proposal

Name of student: Nickolay Makarenko Date: May 9th 2023

Teacher: _______Mrs.Browne______________ Block: B

The Capstone strand I have chosen is Project

Proposed title for my Project Proposal: (write the proposed title for your Capstone Project in one clear

sentence): Blockchain. Decentralied Economy for everyone

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What is your inquiry question that interests you for further research? It should be a question that
connects with a purpose, passion or personalized area of interest for you. This is a question that you
cannot just google an answer for. Please see examples from your Capstone booklet.
My inquiry question is:

Can we really trust our banking system? How to create fully decentralized economy and benefit
from it? Why Blockchain is our future? Why do you need to know what blockchain is?

These are interesting questions, but is there something that can be a bit more accessible within
your project? Such as: Does providing everyday people more access to information about
alternative banking processes, does it increase financial competencies? Etc.

Rationale/context: Detail your reasons for choosing this inquiry question. Explain WHY you are
choosing to investigate this topic as a major area of focus. How does this area of inquiry connect to
your passion(s), purpose? Why is it of personal interest to you?

I don’t trust banking systems, after the beginning of the war in my country. I’ve seen how people’s
assets were frozen on their banking accounts. I want to investigate how we can implement fully
decentralized economy to our modern world. So, people from all around the world would be able to
get access to different banking tools. Cryptocurrencies can grant people absolute financial
freedom.
All cryptocurrencies based on the blockchains. This technology is a great combination of both IT
and Economy. Those spheres for me are the most exciting ones and that’s the main reason why
I’m so passionate about this project. Also, I like to investigate the ways how you can invest your

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 money (it’s some sort of hobby for my). So, my personal interest is to enhance knowledge I
already have and to extend my own understandings of the blockchain.

Background: What background knowledge/connections/prior learning do you have in this area of

inquiry?

I have experience with software engineering so I can implement a blockchain just by myself. Also, I
have been working with finances since 2020. By combining my knowledge from both IT and
Finances, I can create a guide for beginners on how to start working with cryptocurrencies from
scratch, protect your wallet data and make a proper research of every project you are interested in.
As a good backup I have read a lot of financial books which are not related to crypto. So I am
always comparing risks and profits.

What experience in software engineering? What specifically? What IT knowledge? What Finances
Knowledge?

Career connections: What is your intended career area at this point in time? What connections
does this inquiry question have to your life, academic and/ or career goals?

I want to be a DevOps. Extra knowledge about cryptography and decentralized network

management won’t be superfluous. Also, it has straight connection to my life, because I want to
control my finances completely without 3rd party interruption and cryptocurrencies and blockchain in
total give such opportunities. In addition, I will create website for this project. In that way, I’ll
improve my coding skills and gain new experience in web-development field.

What about transferable skills? What kind of skills are you learning and developing that will help
you in any avenue of your future?

Interdisciplinary and core competencies connections: What subject areas and core
competencies will be connected with your project? Outline and explain the connections. (Must
include reference to ALL 6 Core competencies).

Interdisciplinary connections:
The connections between these subject areas and core competencies are essential for developing
a comprehensive understanding of blockchain and DeFi. For example, a basic understanding of
blockchain technology is necessary to comprehend the underlying architecture of cryptocurrencies
and smart contracts, which are critical components of DeFi. Similarly, investment strategies and
risk management are essential for anyone looking to invest in blockchain and DeFi assets. Finally,
effective communication skills are necessary for explaining complex concepts to a broader
audience, making it easier for people to understand and adopt these new technologies. By
connecting these subject areas, my project can provide a comprehensive and accessible resource
for anyone looking to learn about these exciting new technologies both economist.s and engineers.
Core compentencies connections:

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  Personal awareness & responsibility
In the guides I will explain basic principles of the DeFi safety because you are
always taking PERSONAL responsibility for every transaction you are making in the
network. There are no warranties and banks in DeFi world. It means that you must take
responsibilities for each action you are making in the network.
 Social responsibility
I think that knowledge in financial grammar is crucial. It might help people to
prevent distinct types of fraud. I can tell with certainty that in the future that knowledge will
help to adapt to the new era of the economy more quickly. Also, people would interact with
blockchain everyday so it will be their responsibility to have a basic understanding of how it
works.
 Critical thinking
Critical thinking is an essential skill for evaluating the potential benefits and
drawbacks of any new technology, including blockchain. This compentency will help you
with preliminary analysis and personal strategy development.
 Creative thinking
Your creative thinking can help you to reach high achievements. Blockchains give a lot of
options for creative people. For example, entire NFT technology was created to help artist with
copyrights.

 Communication
Blockchain technology can transform communication by providing secure,
decentralized, and transparent ways for individuals to interact with each other. It enables
decentralized communication without the need for intermediaries, which can enhance
privacy, security, and transparency. It can also enable the development of decentralized
social media platforms, where users have greater control over their data and content, and
micropayments for communication services, which can provide a new revenue stream for
service providers and users alike.
 Personal & Cultural Identity
Overall, blockchain technology offers several potential benefits for personal and
cultural identities, including decentralization, privacy, tokenization, and transparency.
These benefits can help to empower individuals and communities to control their own
identities and cultural assets in a way that is more aligned with their values and needs.

In terms of the core competencies, I am not asking how Blockchain fits into these core
competencies. I am asking what process in this capstone did you use these competencies. I don’t
need a description of blockchain- I want to know what YOU are learning

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Capstone Presentation medium: select one or more project mediums you wish to use to present
your project. Outline and give details about how you will present your project once completed. You
may use a combination of mediums.
o Electronic portfolio: Prezi or o Website
PPT o imovie presentation
o Physical portfolio o YouTube channel

For the beginning, I have decided that I will make an introduction explaining most of the
vulnerabilities of current banking system backing up everything with real examples (USA and
Russia). This introduction will give me possiblity to introduce blockchain as a particial solution for
those problems. After that, I can slide into project I have created. On that point presantation in PPT
will be finished and I will show my website and explain how it would help beginners to start working
with decentralized finances.

Once again, your entire focus isnt on the product (while you do need to show what you have
created), but rather I need to know what your journey was like. What you personally learnt, how
your grew in the progress, etc.

Description of my Capstone project. Specific Project Details of the Capstone Project: what will
you research, create, study, produce, solve, investigate? What product will be produced at the end
of this project for evaluation. Write a one-page description outlining your proposal.
The goal of this project is to create a website with React that provides step-by-step guides for
newcomers to the world of cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (DeFi). The website will serve
as a comprehensive resource for those who are interested in learning about the basics of
blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and DeFi, but have limited knowledge of these technologies.
The project will involve extensive research into the subject areas of blockchain, cryptocurrencies,
and DeFi, in order to create in-depth guides that are both informative and accessible to beginners.
The research will involve studying existing resources, such as whitepapers, articles, and other
educational materials, as well as conducting interviews with experts in the field.
Based on the research, a series of step-by-step guides will be produced, covering topics such as
how to buy, store, and trade cryptocurrencies, as well as how to use DeFi protocols and platforms.
The guides will be designed to be user-friendly and accessible, providing clear explanations of
complex concepts and using simple language and examples to make the information easy to
understand.
To ensure the quality of the guides, a process of review and evaluation will be implemented. The
guides will be reviewed by experts in the field to ensure accuracy and clarity, and user feedback
will be collected to identify areas where improvements can be made.
Working with React to create this website will provide me with a valuable opportunity to develop
my skills in this popular and in-demand web development framework. By working on this project, I
will gain experience in developing user-friendly, responsive, and efficient web applications using
React. This experience will be invaluable as I pursue my career as a web developer, as React is
widely used by companies and organizations around the world.
In addition to providing me with valuable technical skills, this project will also give me the

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 opportunity to learn more about the world of cryptocurrency and DeFi. These technologies are
rapidly growing and changing, and being able to stay up-to-date with the latest developments and
trends will be a valuable asset in my career. Furthermore, by helping to make these technologies
more accessible to a wider audience, I will be contributing to the growth and adoption of
cryptocurrency and DeFi, which have the potential to revolutionize the way we think about money
and finance.
The end product of this project will be a comprehensive website that provides accessible and
informative guides for newcomers to the world of cryptocurrency and DeFi. The website will be
evaluated based on its usability, accuracy, and effectiveness in helping beginners learn about
these exciting new technologies. By providing an accessible and comprehensive resource for
beginners, this project aims to help promote the adoption of cryptocurrency and DeFi, and to make
these technologies more accessible to a broader audience.

Resources/ Technology/Skills: Make an assessment of the resources, technology and skills you
will need to be able to complete this project. What is your plan to be able to access/learn all of the
resources necessary to achieve completion of this project? Detail your plans.

In terms of skills, I will need to be proficient in React, which includes understanding the core
concepts such as components, state, and props, as well as knowing how to use React Router and
Redux for managing the application's state. I will also need to be familiar with web development
technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as APIs and JSON.
To access the necessary resources and learn the skills required for this project, I plan to use a
variety of online resources such as documentation, tutorials, videos, and forums. For example, I will
use the official React documentation to learn about the core concepts and how to use the library
effectively.
Also, I will read books and articles to extend my understandings of the current financial situation
and banking system to explain its disadvantages in the future. It’s also required to understand
which gaps should decentralized networks solve and which problems it should prevent.

Mentors/Community Connections: What types of mentor(s)/community connections will you

need to help you complete your capstone project? How will your mentor(s) help you? What is your
plan to access the mentorship/community connections necessary for this project?

I contacted my friend who is working in USA as a frontend developer. He was helping me along all
project. If I had any questions I was asking him and we have been solving those issues together.
To investigate blockchain I bough online courses for 500$ and obtained an acsess to Discord
server with experienced people who were answering my questions and helping my to open my

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mind towards blockchain.
To enhance my knowledge about economy I was using YouTube. If I will have any questions about
economic systems I would ask people in the comments.
Also, I talked to finacial advisors and asked for their opinion about blockchaind and
cryptocurrencies in general. Their replies motivated me to work further and investigate blockchain
even more

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Project limitations: What are some project limitations and potential obstacles that you foresee that
might affect progress with your Capstone Project?

The biggest obstacle is lack of budget. For every transaction on the blockchain you have to pay
fees and I have to make a lot of transactions for the video guides. Also, it is very complicated to find
a good hosting domain for free. Second obstacle is lack of experience working with React and JS in
total. That’s the reason why I need mentor.

Other considerations: List and detail any other related information/ considerations about your
project that you feel should be included in your project proposal.

Timeline: It is important to include a timeline for the project with clear milestones and deadlines.
This will help keep the project on track and ensure that it is completed on time.
Budget: The project budget should be estimated and included in the proposal. This should include
any costs associated with resources, such as software licenses or hosting fees.
User testing: It is important to include a plan for user testing the website to ensure that it is user-
friendly and easy to navigate. This can include beta testing with a small group of users and
incorporating feedback into the final version of the website.
Accessibility: The website should be accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This
can include incorporating features such as alt text for images and ensuring that the website is
navigable using only a keyboard.
Scalability: As the website grows in popularity, it may be necessary to scale up the infrastructure
to handle increased traffic. It is important to include a plan for scaling up the website if necessary.
Continuous development: The crypto and DeFi space is constantly evolving, and it is important to
include a plan for continuous development of the website to keep it up to date with the latest trends
and technologies. This can include regular content updates and new feature releases.

References: Provide reference list of a minimum of 8 PEER REVIEWED ACADEMIC references:

research, videos, etc. Your list should be written using correct APA formatting.

Brownworth, A. (n.d.). Blockchain Demo. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from

https://andersbrownworth.com/blockchain/
Cryptocurrency prices, charts and market capitalizations. CoinMarketCap. (n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2023, from
https://coinmarketcap.com/
Salikov, D. (n.d.). US Banking system explanation and FED predictions. YouTube. Retrieved June 13, 2021, from
https://www.youtube.com/@Trader8020
Walke, J. (n.d.). React docs. React. Retrieved May 29, 2013, from https://reactjs.org/docs/getting-started.html

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Maupin, J. (2017). Blockchains and the G20: Building an Inclusive, Transparent and Accountable Digital
Economy. Centre for International Governance Innovation. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep05191
Chou, S.-Y. (2018). THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: DIGITAL FUSION WITH INTERNET OF
THINGS. Journal of International Affairs, 72(1), 107–120. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26588346
Stuit, A., Brockington, D., & Corbera, E. (2022). Smart, Commodified and Encoded: Blockchain Technology for
Environmental Sustainability and Nature Conservation. Conservation & Society, 20(1), 12–23.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/27100578
Dow, S. C. (1996). Why the Banking System Should be Regulated. The Economic Journal, 106(436),
698–707. https://doi.org/10.2307/2235578