2.0

Average Course Rating

This course introduces students to one of the most exciting financial technological innovation in modern time -- the Blockchain. Students will gain a strong understanding of how blocks are created and linked together by cryptography. Within this decentralized peer-to-peer ledger system, students will examine in detail its construction, immutability, and security with a keen focus on the potential benefits and weaknesses of its fundamental structure as applied to businesses and organizations. Moreover, students will learn how companies are applying blockchain technologies in practice. We will review the first use-case of the blockchain – Bitcoins. Additionally, the course will chart the evolution of Bitcoins to Ethereum and the advantages of Ethereum’s smart-contract framework. Additionally, we will dive into the growing alternative crypto-currencies markets. Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) will be discussed with focus on their potential implications for destabilizing traditional funding sources. The regulatory challenges and current ICO best practices will be reviewed and analyzed. We will be discussing this industry from the perspective of the academic, entrepreneur, investor, and software engineer. The course will be delivered by standard lectures, presentations, case study discussions, assignments, guest speakers, programming exercises in Python, group presentations, and a final comprehensive exam.