Blockchain is a digital ledger that’s used for storing data on several servers across the world in a decentralized, trustless and transparent manner. It represents a paradigm shift on how data is created, stored and shared.
Blockchain technology has grown to become one of the most innovative technological concepts in the world. However, there’s still a significant need for understanding and knowledge on the matter.
In this guide, we’ll share some of the best blockchain tutorials and online courses for learning about the technology, as well as the companies already using it.
In This Article:
- The Basics of Blockchain
- Why Should You Learn about Blockchain?
- The Best Blockchain Courses
- Why Blockchain Isn’t Just a Buzzword
The Basics of Blockchain
Blockchain involves a sequence of multiple blocks joined together in a chain. The first step is to understand what blocks in the blockchain entail. The “blocks” on the blockchain are usually made of digital pieces of information. They include:
- Information about transactions, like purchases on an e-commerce store.
- Information about the person who is participating in such a transaction. This data is stored with a “digital signature,” which replaces the person’s name and goes into the block.
- Information that separates a block from others. Each block stores a unique code, known as a “hash,” that distinguishes it from other blocks. These hashes are made with special algorithms, meaning that the hash of a person’s first purchase on the e-commerce website will differ from that of his or her next one.
The reality for blockchain is much more complicated than just storing the details of a single transaction. A block on the Bitcoin blockchain, for example, can store up to 1 MB of data. Depending on the size of the data, this block can store multiple data amounts at once.
Why Should You Learn About Blockchain?
You might be wondering how a blockchain course could be beneficial to you. There are many reasons why you should look into the distributed ledger technology and understand it. They include the following:
1. First Mover’s Advantage
- So far, less than 1% of the world is using blockchain technology. This number is small, but it presents a significant opportunity. Given that global internet, penetration has reached 50% of the world’s population, and people are looking to move into the next thing, learning a blockchain course can provide you with the opportunity to move ahead of the curve.
- As long as you can get the right materials, enrol in a course, and understand how the technology works, you can develop with the world and ensure that you don’t get left behind. It’s like getting a job as a software engineer before the internet boom in the 2000s.
2. The Demand for Blockchain Solutions is Surging
- Blockchain is still in its early days, but the demand for the technology is rising. There are significant opportunities waiting for people to join in the market, and the time seems ripe enough for you to get a good job.
- With more companies looking to invest in the technology, blockchain seems to be one area where you can almost guarantee yourself profitable employment. Pays are also enviable, and you get to be a part of a community that is using technology to change the global landscape. Who wouldn’t want that?
3. It’s a New-Age Technology
- Blockchain technology is a concept that can integrate itself into just about every commercial industry. From trading and real estate to supply chain management and even voting, this technology has the potential to revolutionize the world entirely.
- It’s especially prominent now due to the advancement of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) has also led to massive strides in the development of blockchain.
4. Helping Companies to Evolve
- One of the many benefits of blockchain is its ability to improve trust and confidence between parties in a transaction. Since it reduces the value chain, it can significantly refocus individual players and processes.
- Since managers will be hoping to assess their value chain in the future, and the adoption of blockchain will increase, and this could open up new job opportunities in the future.
The Best Blockchain Courses
1. The Blockchain Developer Course
The Blockchain Developer Course on Coursera is offered by the State University of New York and the University of Buffalo. It is a digital certification program that has been split into four courses. It is taught and overseen by Rina Ramamurthy, a Teaching Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University at Buffalo.
The course covers the fundamentals and some advanced concepts in blockchain, including the design and implementation of smart contracts, the basic concepts of blockchain technology, blockchain frameworks, and the various methods of developing decentralized applications (dApps).
Students are expected to have a working knowledge of the basics of blockchain, as well as an understanding of smart contracts and proficiency in at least one high-level programming language. If you’re looking to get into a career in blockchain engineering, this might be an excellent starting point.
Course Highlights & Certification
- You get a professional certificate when you complete the course.
- Projects are given after every module of the course is complete to test your understanding.
- The project also includes several quizzes and exercise programs.
2. Blockchain For Business
The Blockchain For Business certification course is organized by the Linux Foundation. As its name suggests, the course runs through the significance of blockchain technology and its potential to change the business world. You also get a first-hand view of several cross-industry applications and an introduction to Hyperledger projects.
In this course, the instructor teaches on the application of blockchain in the supply chain, technology, enterprise, and business products. This blockchain course covers several essential fixtures of digital technologies as well, and it goes into the various forms of Hyperledger projects and their distinctions.
Like the Blockchain Developer Course, this course offers a bit of rudimentary knowledge on the distributed ledger technology. This includes an introduction to networks, blockchain frameworks, and some of the most essential blockchain tools. All concepts are explained clearly and comprehensively, thus helping the students to understand blockchain and its applications clearly.
The course is perfect for business professionals who are looking for means to incorporate blockchain technology into their businesses and operations. People looking for blockchain jobs will also have a lot to learn from here. However, note that a rudimentary knowledge of computer terminologies, database administration, and computer networking is required.
Course Highlights & Certification
- The course is taught by 14 professionals from across the tech and crypto spaces.
- At the end of the course, you get a certificate of participation.
- The full program experience goes for a fee of $358.20.
3. Blockchain and Bitcoin Fundamentals
Blockchain and Bitcoin Fundamentals is another learning material you should check out. This is a top-selling blockchain course on Udemy. It is facilitated by George Levy, a YouTuber and award-winning blockchain speaker. In this course, you will learn the key elements of blockchain technology and how it relates to Bitcoin – the most popular cryptocurrency.
The course is an excellent choice for beginners who are looking to get an encompassing understanding of blockchain technology. This video course will give you a rundown of the fundamentals of Bitcoin’s blockchain and how everything works. Expect to learn about Bitcoin, miners, hash functions, and how block hashes work in a blockchain.
The course also touches on Bitcoin itself, with details such as its mining, how it is expected to evolve, and more. Levy also touches on other important concepts of the blockchain like smart contracts and other digital tokens. If you plan to go into active trading of cryptocurrencies, you might want to check out this course to learn what sets the price of a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin and what forks are and how they work.
The course retails for $94.99.
Course Highlights & Certification
- You don’t need any prior knowledge of blockchain technology.
- You get a certificate when you’re done!
4. Ethereum and Solidity Developer Course
Also available on Udemy, the Ethereum and Solidity Developer Course is facilitated by Sebastien Arbogast and Said Eloudrhiri. Arbogast is a full-stack developer who has been working in the tech space for over a decade. He and Eloudrhiri– another experienced IT and blockchain dev –co-founded the ChainSkills Initiative, a training institute for blockchain developers.
This developer course takes you through the development of smart contracts with Ethereum and Solidity.
This course runs you through the basics of a blockchain and how it works. But, it goes beyond that. With real-world examples, participants would learn blockchain development in three separate platforms.
Students would also learn how to develop and deploy distributed applications on various Ethereum projects like the private chain, testrpc, and the mainnet. The course is ideal for students who want to build a career in blockchain development. The course is very theoretical in a non-boring way, and it teaches you how to grow from a rookie developer to the big leagues.
At the end of this course, you’ll have a full understanding of blockchain and how to work through making your own dApp. This course requires students to have substantial experience in frontend or backend software development prior. Knowledge in blockchain development is not a prerequisite.
The course goes for $149.99.
Course Highlights & Certification
- Certification upon completion.
- Active Q&A Session.
- dApp development.
5. Blockchain and FinTech: Basics, Applications, and Limitations
Blockchain and FinTech: Basics, Applications, and Limitations is a learning material offered by the University of Hong Kong on edX. The University of Hong Kong is one of the leading universities in the world, and one of the prominent institutions that offer blockchain courses. The course was designed by Professor Siu Ming You, one of the university’s professors.
This training course provides an understanding of the design rationale and the limitations that a decentralized system can face in FinTech applications. It also examines various blockchain platforms, their variations, and major differences.
The goal of this free course is to provide a simplified view of blockchain and how it’s being used to improve traditional finance. Students will get a first-hand view of the technology’s application in concepts like Bitcoin, and how it’s disrupting the future of FinTech as we know it.
This is a beginner’s course. Don’t expect anything beyond the basics here. The course is free, but there’s a fee of $199 for those who want a blockchain certification from the institution.
Course Highlights & Certification
- Certification – as long as you can pay for it.
- No need for a prerequisite.
- Progressive exercises and puzzles.
Why “Blockchain” isn’t just a Buzzword
There’s been a lot of talk concerning blockchain being no more than a passing fad that will eventually fade out. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Unlike a lot of overly hyped concepts, blockchain has proven to have real value to companies and countries already. The technology is being tested across multiple companies, industries, and regions around the world.
In 2016, Capital market firms spent over $280 million on blockchain, while about 90 % of banks in Europe and North America were also looking into the potential of using the technology. In the same year, blockchain startups generated $1.4 billion in revenues. And that’s just the beginning.
Over the years, several notable companies have come to find that they can effectively optimize their operations with blockchain. Some of these firms include:
a. Barclays Bank
The Barclays Bank is one of the largest in the U.K. They’re using the technology to streamline fund transfers and improve their Know-Your-Customer security processes. Barclays has filed patents against these two features, showing the bank’s readiness to apply this technology more comprehensively in the future.
b. Walmart
Walmart is one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world, and it’s been bullish about blockchain for a few years now. The company is using the Hyperledger Fabric platform – a blockchain supply chain technology built by IBM – to optimize their supply chain process. The company also plans to track the foods it gets straight from the farmers and offer customers the opportunity to check the provenance of goods before making purchases.
c. Anheuser Busch InBev
One of the largest brewing companies in the world., Anheuser is also applying blockchain in its supply chain process. The company has partnered with blockchain supply chain firm BanQu to improve the overall transparency of their systems.
d. Pfizer
Pfizer is another large firm that works with blockchain. The healthcare company’s Clinical Supply Blockchain Working Group (CSBWG) has completed the proof of concept for tracking records and managing the digital inventory of its pharmaceutical products.
e. MetLife
MetLife is an insurance giant. The New York-based firm owns LumenLab, a Singaporean incubator that is collaborating with Singapore Press Holdings and NTUC Income to create Lifechain – a platform that wants to automate life insurance claims.
Conclusions
Blockchain technology has grown to become one of the most innovative technological concepts in the world. There’s a lot to take in and we hope that this guide has provided you with the insight and inspiration to continue learning with some blockchain training courses!
