Blockchain and FinTech: Basics, Applications, and Limitations
Course Features
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Lectures6
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Duration20 Hours
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LevelBeginner
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DeliveryOnline
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AudienceEveryone
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University
This is an introductory, non-technical course presenting, explaining the basic concepts and functionalities of blockchains. The highlight of the course - many interviews with the industry practitioners predominently operating in Asia.
The course is for absolute beginners interested in new blockchain solutions and how they are applied in practice to solve business needs primarily in Asia.
No previous blockchain experience is required for this course.
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Content
The course is structured as concepts - blockchain platforms - applications and regulations. Each part is introduced by the course instructor followed by many interviews, presentations by the blockchain industry practitioners.
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Technology
The course aims to introduce the key blockchains concepts and components without covering too many technical details. Throughout the course mostly Ethereum and Hyperledger implementations are discussed.
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Applications
The blockchain applications are mainly presented by the industry practitioners sharing real world use cases in many enterprises primarily in Asia including: trade finance, supply chain financing, cross-border connectivity, capital markets and government services.
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Delivery
The learning material is primarily presented as video and text based lessons with the possibility to test the knowledge by solving short quizzes. The learners have a possibility to connect and discuss new concepts, ideas in the online discussion forums. Probably the half of the course time is devoted to the interviews with the industry practitioners even thought there is little new information presented in some of those interviews. Each learning chapter has an external reading list and the certificate-related exercises are available just in the paid version.
Blockchain is a core technology in FinTech. The original design of blockchain focused on the cryptocurrency "Bitcoin". Due to its specific characteristics, many companies and users now find blockchain very useful for applications in many areas, not limited to cybercurrencies, including finance, logistics, insurance, medicine and even music. However, the design of blockchain involves cryptographic technology, which cannot be easily understood by those who are not professionals in the area of IT and security.
In order to better understand what kinds of applications best fit blockchain and other forms of distributed ledger technology and the potentials of these emerging technologies, it is important to understand the design rationale, the basic technology, the underlying cryptographic fundamentals, and its limitations. This 6-week online coursewill walk you through the following:
* The design rationale behind blockchain and the issues for such decentralized ledger (transaction) systems.
* The underlying technology (e.g. how the fundamental algorithms - the cryptographic primitives - work together) behind and how it makes blockchain works and safe.
* The differences of the various existing blockchain platforms and what these platforms can provide (e.g. pros and cons of the major platforms).
* What kinds of applications (both traditional and emerging) best fit the blockchain technology and how blockchain technology can benefit these applications.
* Blockchain does have its limitations. We will uncover the problems and the limitations of blockchain technology to enable developers and researchers to think about how to enhance the existing blockchain technology and practitioners to better address the issues when using blockchains in their applications.
* This course will also briefly discuss the downside of blockchain with respect to the protection of criminal activities (e.g. why ransomware always ask for bitcoins as ransom, and the money laundering problem).
The course aims at targeting a wide audience: This course will provide learners a good understanding of the technological, applicability, limitations and "illegal" usage of the blockchain technology.
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