Course Overview
This course provides a business-oriented examination of blockchain technology and its application with an introductory understanding of decentralized digital tokens, such as bitcoin. The course will:
1. survey the theory and principles by which digital tokens operate;
2. provide practical examples of basic transactions and operations of blockchain or distributed ledger-based systems;
3. explore the current and future interaction of digital tokens with banking, financial, legal and regulatory systems;
4. help target audience understand the disruptive potential of blockchain and how this ecosystem can be perceived as an innovation;
5. discuss the newest developments in the space (for example, tokenization, DeFi and CBDCs), explore the synergies between blockchain and other disruptive technologies (such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things) and provide a vision and thesis for a decentralized future.
Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of the course, the participant will
1. Understand the basics of blockchain technology, i.e. cryptographic functions (hashes), the process of mining and issuance of new tokens, various consensus mechanisms including the ‘Proof-of-Work’ and the ‘Proof-of-Stake‘ used in Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains,
2. Distinguish among various types and properties of centralized, decentralized and hybrid blockchains and ascertain which of them is suitable for what purposes,
3. Understand how blockchain technology creates trust among untrusted parties and immutable entries, by binding blocks of information together (thus the concept of ‘blockchain’),
4. Learn how to transact and store tokens, look-up and dissect real transactions in open blockchain networks,
5. Identify some of the industries that may be disrupted by this technology, such as financial institutions, health, real estate, supply chain, academia, and others, as well as describe blockchain related use cases,
6. Understand more advanced uses of the blockchain such as escrow services, asset registration, attestation, smart contracts, digital assets, tokenization, CBDCs, DeFi and others,
7. Identify some of the legal, regulatory and taxation challenges.
Course Content
Transversal concepts
Innovation & development: How blockchain technology can be viewed through innovation frameworks and what possibilities exist for further developments, including new blockchain uses (tokenization, decentralized finance [DeFi], central bank digital currencies [CBDCs], etc.) and convergence of blockchain with other technologies (most notably artificial intelligence and the internet of things) toward a decentralized future. Continuous assessment.
Core content
Theoretical introduction to digital tokens: This will include the history of digital tokens, the invention of decentralized consensus through proof-of-work, and a technical overview of digital tokens such as bitcoin, as well as alternative/advanced uses of the blockchain.
Banking, financial, and regulatory implications: Overview of how blockchain technology could revolutionize the existing monetary and banking system and possible approaches to regulation and
development. Continuous assessment.
Expert content
Practical introduction to digital tokens: This will include practical, introductory exercises in utilizing and constructing digital tokens transactions. Wallets, crypto ATM’s, CEX and DEX cryptoexchanges. Coldstorage. Mining and staking. Continuous assessment.
Challenge-based learning module CBL
Enterprise blockchain applications and use cases across various sectors of the economy: A groupwork in which participants from different SME’s will identify a potential use cases of blockchain technology in their company and will develop an innovative application based on the knowledge gained in the course. Participants will be clustered in teams and the work will be monitored by lecturers of the course and continuous feedback will be provided throughout its different stages. Participants can gain a more comprehensive understanding of how blockchain can be leveraged in diverse context and understand cost-benefit side of the technology. Continuous assessment.
Instructional Method
Total 42 hours per course split between onsite hours (including lectures, seminars, group and individual consultations) and autonomous groupwork or self study.
Required Course Materials
Recommended readings:
1. AMMOUS, S. 2018. The Bitcoin standard. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, 286 p. ISBN 978-1-119-47386-2.
2. AZHAR, A. 2021. Exponential. London : Cornerstone, 384 p. ISBN 978-184794291
3. HOSP, J. 2017. Cryptocurrencies Simply Explained: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Blockchain, ICOs, Decentralization, Mining & Co. Julian Hosp Coaching LTD. ISBN 978-9881485083.
4. HARARI, Y., N. 2018. Money. London : Vintage Books, 133 p. ISBN 978-1-78487-402-5.
5. HAYEK, F. A. 1976. Denationalisation of Money: The Argument Refined. London: Institute of Economic Affairs. ISBN: 978-0255361150.
6. KRAVCHENKO, P., SKRIABIN, B., DUBININA, O. 2019. Blockchain And Decentralized
Systems. Київ, Ukraine: Distibuted Lab.
7. NAKAMOTO, S. 2008. Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. Retrieved from
https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf
8. NARAYANAN, A., BONNEAU, J., FELTEN, E., MILLER, A., GOLDFELDER, S. 2016.
Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies: A Comprehensive Introduction. Princeton, NJ:
Princeton University Press.
9. SHRIER, D., L. 2020. Basic blockchain. London : Robinson, 182 p. ISBN 978-1-4721-4483-6.
10. TAPSCOTT, D., TAPSCOTT, A. 2018. Blockchain revolution. New York : Portfolio/Penguin,
358 p. ISBN 978-0-241-23786-1.
Assessment
Final guided reflection and assessment
Learning outcome showcase: Presentation of blockchain application proposals created in CBL clusters. A guided self-reflection of participants related to their learning experience. A (self-) assessment will be carried out through group discussion session and a questionnaire filled out by each course participant etc.