Course Code: blockchaintech1
Duration: 35 hours
Prerequisites:

This program is designed for professionals seeking a deeper knowledge of the impact and applications of blockchain technologies in an economic environment. Whether you’re an entrepreneur looking to integrate blockchain into your business plan, or you’re in an industry such as retail or fnance and wanting to understand the current and future developments of this new technology, this program will be relevant to you. If you’re working directly within the strategic, operational, or managerial function, this program will equip you with the knowledge necessary to discover opportunities for effciency and innovation using blockchain technology.

Overview:

The program draws parallels between blockchain technology and other general purpose technologies, highlighting its capacity to enable widespread, transformational change. You’ll examine how blockchain technology can cheaply verify, under certain conditions, the attributes of a transaction. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the cost of networking, and learn how blockchain technology can bootstrap and facilitate a marketplace without traditional intermediaries. Using an engaging mix of resources, you’ll be guided to explore the effects of blockchain technology on market power in digital platforms, privacy, and trust. The program looks toward the future of blockchain technology, exploring its longer-term implications for business and its relationship with other emerging technologies, including AI and IoT. You’ll be offered the opportunity to apply your learnings to your own context, walking away with a proposal for a blockchain-based solution to a problem within your current or future organization

Course Outline:

Module 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

Learn how to think about problems that may require a blockchain

by dispelling some common misconceptions about the technology

and comparing it to other general purpose technologies.

Module 2: BITCOIN AND THE CURSE OF THE DOUBLE-SPENDING PROBLEM

Evaluate Bitcoin as a specific application of blockchain

technology that solves a meaningful problem. Analyze this

cryptocurrency as a store of value, medium of exchange,

and unit of account.

Module 3: COSTLESS VERIFICATION: BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY AND THE LAST MILE PROBLEM

 Discover how blockchain technology lowers the cost of verification. Consider how blockchain and suitable, complementary technology can be used to solve the last mile problem.

Module 4: BOOTSTRAPPING NETWORK EFFECTS THROUGH BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY AND CRYPTOECONOMICS

Learn about how blockchain technology reduces the cost of networking. Recognize the implications this has for market structure and how it changes the nature of intermediation.

Module 5: USING TOKENS TO DESIGN NEW TYPES OF DIGITAL PLATFORMS

Discover how businesses have been using tokens and crypto assets to raise funding and launch new types of digital platforms.

Module 6: THE FUTURE OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY, AI AND DIGITAL PRIVACY

Consider how blockchain technology may interact with broader

changes in digital platforms, AI, and IoT. Explore the implications

of blockchain technology for digital privacy.