Blockchain technology revolutionizes how data is created, stored, and shared. This digital ledger, known for its decentralized, trustless, and transparent nature, holds data across numerous servers worldwide. Despite its growth and adoption, a substantial need remains for a comprehensive understanding and knowledge of blockchain technology. This guide will introduce some of the top blockchain tutorials and online courses available.
The basics of blockchain
Blockchain, involves a sequence of multiple blocks linked together in a chain. The first step in understanding blockchain, particularly in the context of DeFi, is to grasp what the “blocks” in the blockchain represent. These “blocks” on the blockchain, crucial in both general blockchain and DeFi applications, consist of digital pieces of information, which typically 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.
Why should you learn about the blockchain?
You may be curious about the benefits of taking a blockchain course. Understanding distributed ledger technology is advantageous for several reasons, including:
1. Blockchain technology is surging
As of August 2023, the global market capitalization of cryptocurrencies reached an impressive $1.09 trillion. This surge reflects the growing demand and significance of blockchain technology, which, despite being in its early stages, offers a wealth of opportunities for job seekers. The expanding market creates an ideal environment for securing lucrative employment.
The increasing investment by companies in blockchain technology makes it a field offering stable career prospects and competitive salaries. Engaging in this sector means joining a forward-thinking community dedicated to using innovative technology to reshape the global world, an opportunity that many find highly attractive.
2. The blockchain is constantly evolving
Blockchain technology represents a transformative and versatile innovation capable of reshaping various commercial sectors. Its applicability spans diverse fields such as trading, real estate, supply chain management, and electoral processes, signaling a potential for sweeping global changes.
The significance of blockchain is further amplified by the rapid progression of the Internet of Things (IoT). This synergy between IoT and blockchain technology catalyzes significant advancements, enhances the efficiency and security of interconnected systems, and expands the potential for blockchain integration across multiple industries.
3. It steers companies towards transformation
Blockchain technology offers several benefits, notably enhancing trust and confidence between the parties involved. Streamlining the value chain fosters a more focused approach among individual players and processes. As managers increasingly aim to reassess their value chains in the future, the adoption of blockchain is expected to rise, potentially leading to new job opportunities in various sectors. This growing integration of blockchain into business operations underscores its transformative potential in the marketplace.
The best blockchain courses
1. The Blockchain Developer Course
The State University of New York and the University of Buffalo offer the Blockchain Developer Course on Coursera. It is a digital certification program that has been split into four courses. It is taught and overseen by Rina Ramamurthy, a Computer Science and Engineering Teaching Professor 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, an understanding of smart contracts, and proficiency in at least one high-level programming language. If you’re looking for a blockchain engineering career, this might be an excellent starting point.
Course highlights & certification:
- You receive 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 Linux Foundation organizes the Blockchain For Business certification course. As its name suggests, the course explores 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 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 some rudimentary knowledge of distributed ledger technology. The course explains all concepts clearly and comprehensively, thus helping students understand blockchain and its applications.
The course is perfect for business professionals looking for ways to incorporate blockchain technology into their businesses and operations. People looking for blockchain jobs will also have much to learn from here. However, a rudimentary knowledge of computer terminologies, database administration, and computer networking would be beneficial.
Some highlights:
- Fourteen professionals from across the tech and crypto spaces teach the course
- At the end of the course, you get a certificate of participation
3. Blockchain and Bitcoin Fundamentals
This course is another learning material you should check out if you’re interested in the evolving web3 world. 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 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 mining, how it is expected to evolve, and more. Levy also touches on other important blockchain concepts like smart contracts and digital tokens. If you plan to go into active trading of cryptocurrencies, you should check out this course to learn what sets the price of a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, what forks are, and how they work.
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 developing smart contracts with Ethereum and Solidity.
This course teaches you the basics of a blockchain and how it works. But it goes beyond that. With real-world examples, participants would learn blockchain development on 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.
5. Blockchain and FinTech: Basics, Applications, and Limitations
Offered by the University of Hong Kong and available on edX, this course showcases the university’s reputation for delivering comprehensive blockchain education. Professor Siu Ming You, a prominent faculty member, has expertly developed the curriculum. Focusing on decentralized systems in FinTech, the course equips participants with fundamental design principles, emphasizing strengths and limitations.
Moreover, it analyzes diverse blockchain platforms in-depth, highlighting their distinctive characteristics and differences. The course targets beginners and lays a solid foundation in blockchain technology and its pivotal role in advancing traditional financial systems. Participants will engage with practical blockchain applications, like Bitcoin, to understand its growing influence in FinTech.
Although the course is free, a $199 fee applies to those interested in obtaining blockchain certification from the University of Hong Kong.
Blockchain: More than just industry jargon
The notion that blockchain is a fleeting trend destined to fade away is inaccurate. Unlike many overhyped ideas, blockchain has demonstrated tangible value to businesses and nations. With so much to comprehend, we hope this guide has provided insight and inspiration to delve deeper into blockchain learning. Consequently, remember to conduct thorough research to find the course that best aligns with your professional goals and learning objectives.
Frequently asked questions
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