Learn to understand what blockchain is.
- where it can be used, and
- how it is applied for practical purposes
- from business management to cybersecurity and cryptocurrency.
Self paced online study. 20 hours duration (estimated). Start anytime.
Level - Introductory
Award - Certificate of completion on passing final assessment.
Lesson Structure
There are 8 lessons in this course:
-
INTRODUCTION TO BLOCKCHAIN
-
Emergence Of Blockchain
-
Conceptualising The Blockchain: A Method Of Information Transfer
-
Why Use The Blockchain?
-
Preventing Malicious Access
-
BACKGROUND TO BLOCKCHAIN
-
Cryptography
-
Symmetric (Secret Key) Cryptography
-
Asymmetric (Public Key)
-
Hash Cryptography
-
Using Cryptography In Blockchain
-
What Is Blockchain?
-
HOW BLOCKCHAIN WORKS
-
Anatomy Of The Blockchain
-
Satoshi Nakamoto & The Double Spend Problem
-
The Role Of Bitcoin In The Blockchain
-
Governance
-
51% Attacks
-
Centralised Vs. Decentralised
-
Centralised Vs Decentralised Databases In Use
-
Distributed Ledgers
-
The Consensus Protocol
-
Proof Of Work
-
Proof Of Stake
-
Proof Of Burn
-
Proof Of Capacity
-
Proof Of Activity
-
Proof Of Elapsed Time
-
Forking
-
Centralised & Decentralised Systems: A Health Care Example
-
Blockchain Nodes
-
TYPES OF BLOCKCHAIN
-
Permissionless And Permissioned Blockchains
-
Public
-
Example Of Permissionless Blockchain Use
-
Private
-
Example Of Permissioned Blockchain Use
-
Hybrid
-
Consortium (Federated)
-
What Problems Does Blockchain Technology Solve?
-
Services For Unbanked People
-
Problems With Blockchain And Financial Inclusion
-
PRIVACY & SECURITY
-
The Blockchain And Privacy
-
Spending Patterns
-
Transactional Transparency
-
Advertising & Monetisation Of Data
-
Ai & Machine Learning Modelling
-
Security Issues
-
WHAT ARE THE APPLICATIONS?
-
Intellectual Property Rights
-
Commodity Trading
-
Data Management
-
Identity Management/Authentication
-
Reputation Verification/Ranking
-
Electronic Voting
-
Employment Services/Job Market
-
Social Networking
-
Ride Sharing
-
Web 3.0
-
Cryptocurrencies
-
Money Transfer
-
Non-Fungible Token’s
-
Internet Of Things
-
Media
-
Advertising
-
Healthcare
-
Security
-
Real Estate
-
BLOCKCHAIN TERMINOLOGY
-
Real Estate
-
Review over 80 different terms specific to blockchain
-
Review What You Have Been Learning
-
BLOCKCHAIN PLATFORMS
-
What They Are
-
What To Look For
-
Platforms
-
Chainalysis KYT
-
IBM Blockchain
-
Ripple
-
Ethereum
-
Hyperledger Fabric
-
Tron
-
Final Assessment
How Can You Make Blockchain Work?
Blockchain is a rapidly developing technology with new tools being developed all of the time to be used in all sorts of different applications.
Blockchain platforms are the foundational software element that allows the development of different blockchain applications. There are many different types to support the specific application that may be developed. They started as transactional platforms linked to cryptocurrency but have expanded into smart contracts and can now be found supporting many different types of application on the same platform.
A good example of this development is Ethereum which may have been the first platform to facilitate the use of smart contracts. It still has several cryptocurrencies on the platform but is developing in other areas continuously as well.
What To Look For
When selecting a blockchain platform to build and host an application there are a variety of factors to consider. The first of these is in what type of blockchain is needed i.e., public, or private or a mix of the two. Some platforms can accommodate both types, such as Stellar, but many work for one or the other. For instance, Ethereum is public and the different Hyperledger’s are private. This choice can impact both the security and speed of the application. The ease of access to public blockchains means that applications are easier to set up and provide transparency of activities from a dispersed pool of users. Private blockchains however allow greater control over privacy and security and are typically much faster at processing information.
The next consideration is of the consensus protocol used by the platform. The original consensus was Proof of Work used in Bitcoin transactions. Ethereum started with this consensus though it has now moved to Proof of Stake. It can be quite slow and labour intensive, but it has the benefit of being an established well understood methodology. Alternatives include Proof of Stake, Proof of Work, Byzantine Fault Tolerance, and various voting methodologies. Different approaches have different benefits in terms of efficiency and speed, so it is important to consider the correct fit for the type of application being considered.
As many applications make use of the benefits and functionality of smart contracts, if this feature is required then the platform must support their use. Most now have this feature but there are exceptions.
WHO SHOULD DO THIS COURSE?
Given the growing interest in, and use of blockchain technology; this course can be of great value for anyone working in areas of industry which are adopting blockchain.
- Professional Development for people working in I.T., business or management.
- People who are encountering blockchain but have little understanding of the subject
- Students, computer operators, security professionals seeking to build on or update their existing knowledge or experience
