Blockchain course
A blockchain course teaches how a shared transaction record works and how participants agree on changes to that record. The subject includes the operation of networks such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, along with programs executed on those networks. Participants learn the technical concepts needed to understand where blockchain can be used and what its limitations are.
Developer courses teach programming, while courses for finance professionals explain business applications and the rules surrounding them. Learning about smart contracts helps participants assess how transactions are automated and where software needs testing. Formats range from free self-paced courses to certificate programs with an examination.
Free and self-paced blockchain courses
The Digital Skills and Jobs Platform of the European Commission lists Blockchain Basics of the University at Buffalo on Coursera as a free course. Participants set up their own Ethereum node, run transactions and study the Bitcoin and Ethereum protocols, peer-to-peer networks and trust models; the platform rates it as advanced.
TechTarget lists shorter starts for non-developers: Blockchain: Foundations and Use Cases by ConsenSys Academy on Coursera at about nine hours, and the Professional Certificate in Blockchain Essentials from IBM on edX, three to four hours a week for a month and built for beginners. Developer tracks such as the Buffalo specialization expect knowledge of a programming language.
Courses for finance professionals
Courses with a finance angle spend more time on tokenized securities, payments and DeFi than on code. The Corporate Finance Institute names Introduction to Blockchain for Financial Services on Coursera, the four-course DeFi specialization of Duke University and the Blockchain and Finance Professional Certification of the Blockchain Council, which ends with an exam.
For banks and savings banks in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, EXPERT KEY, a knowledge partner of Finance Loop, runs web3 courses and workshops on site or remote, on blockchain, smart contracts, cryptocurrencies and DeFi.
Upcoming blockchain events
Finance Loop and blockchain education
The Finance Loop Academy lists the free Web3 Talents program: 20 weeks online, run by the TUM Blockchain Club, with a certificate at the end. The bookable course from Finance Loop is Bitcoin for Investors, a one-day masterclass in German on bitcoin as an asset class.
Finance Loop is a member of Bundesblock and a founding member of the Bitcoin Bundesverband, and it partners with blockchain conferences such as the Crypto Assets Conference in Frankfurt. Teams can ask for a private workshop in English or German.
Digital Infrastructure & Sovereignty
Investment & Digital Assets
Is there a free blockchain course with a certificate?
Web3 Talents of the TUM Blockchain Club is free and ends with a certificate. Blockchain Basics of the University at Buffalo is listed as a free course on Coursera.
How long does a blockchain course take?
Blockchain courses range from about nine hours for the ConsenSys foundations course to a month for Blockchain Essentials from IBM and 20 weeks for Web3 Talents.
Do I need to code for a blockchain course?
Beginner courses do not require programming: ConsenSys Academy addresses developers and non-developers, and Blockchain Essentials from IBM needs no prior blockchain experience. Participants in the Buffalo specialization need knowledge of a programming language.
Which blockchain course fits a bank?
A suitable course for a bank covers use cases and rules: one of the finance courses named above, or a workshop for the whole team such as the web3 training of EXPERT KEY or a private workshop through the Finance Loop Academy.
Blockchain Courses and Finance Loop
Finance Loop lists the free Web3 Talents program of the TUM Blockchain Club in its academy and teaches bitcoin as an asset class in its own masterclass. Finance Loop is a member of Bundesblock and a founding member of the Bitcoin Bundesverband.
Finance Loop is a professional network supporting the institutional use of emerging technologies in finance, such as AI, digital payments, cloud and blockchain solutions. Finance Loop helps its members build skills and personal networks in these fields: Investment & Digital Assets, Payments & Digital Money, Digital Infrastructure & Sovereignty, and Risk & Compliance.