Blockchain Technology

Blockchain technology is becoming an emerging trend in commerce and industry. It is increasingly being used in banking, e-commerce, and areas where security and financial transactions are involved. Blockchain enables financial transactions safer and helps users to share and store information securely both automatically and manually. It also effectively handles activities like payment processing, product searches, product purchases and customer care. This technology is going to be a game changer in banking and e-commerce.

In order to better understand what kinds of applications best fit blockchain and other forms of distributed ledger technology and the potentials of these emerging technologies, it is important to understand the design rationale, the basic technology, the underlying cryptographic fundamentals, and its limitations. This course will walk you through the following:

• The design rationale behind blockchain and the issues for such decentralized ledger (transaction) systems.
• The underlying technology (e.g. how the fundamental algorithms – the cryptographic primitives – work together) behind and how it makes blockchain works and is safe.
• The differences of the various existing blockchain platforms and what these platforms can provide (e.g. pros and cons of the major platforms).
• What kinds of applications (both traditional and emerging) best fit the blockchain technology and how blockchain technology can benefit these applications.
• Blockchain does have its limitations. We will uncover the problems and the limitations of blockchain technology to enable developers and researchers to think about how to enhance the existing blockchain technology and practitioners to better address the issues when using blockchains in their applications.
• This course will also briefly discuss the downside of blockchain with respect to the protection of criminal activities (e.g. why ransomware always asks for bitcoins as ransom, and the money laundering problem).

This course will provide learners a good understanding of the technological, applicability, limitations and “illegal” usage of the blockchain technology.

Objectives

• Understand the design rationale behind the blockchain technology.
• Understand the technological and cryptographic components of a blockchain.
• Understand the variations and differences of existing major blockchain platforms.
• Understand what types of applications best fit the characteristics of blockchain.
• Understand the limitations and outstanding issues of existing blockchain technology.
• Understand the negative impacts of, in particular, criminal activities in the context of blockchain.

Job Opportunities

Blockchain platforms have the potential to support trusted private transactions with data confidentiality. According to Gartner, these platforms would be scalable, interoperable by 2023, enabling smart contracts and cross-chain functionality across industries. Here are some of those positions:

• Blockchain Developer
• Blockchain Solution Architect
• Blockchain Project Manager
• Blockchain UX Designer
• Blockchain Quality Engineer
• Blockchain Legal Consultant
• Risk Analyst
• Tech Architect
• Analyst Relations Manager
• Crypto Community Manager
• Blockchain Project Manager
• Blockchain Quality Engineer