Understand exactly what a blockchain is, its impact and potential for change around the world, and analyze use cases in technology, business, and enterprise products and institutions.

Demand for blockchain developers is skyrocketing. In this program, you'll work with the Bitcoin and Ethereum protocols, build projects for real-world application, and gain the essential skills for a career in this dynamic space.

Blockchain is poised to transform every industry and managerial function"redefining the ways we transact online, share ideas, and manage workflows. It's a new technology that every business professional needs to understand.This four-course Specialization introduces you to the world of blockchain technology"explaining what blockchain is, how it works, and why it's revolutionary. You will learn about various categories of cryptoassets, and the ways they can be transacted on a blockchain. You will learn how blockchain is disrupting business models and financial services, offering organizations new choices in how they create and manage value.The Specialization is taught by Don Tapscott and Alex Tapscott, globally-recognized authorities on innovation and technology and authors of the best-selling book Blockchain Revolution. It also includes various industry experts and developers from the Ethereum Foundation, Grid Singularity, Keyless Technologies, and ResonanceX who will share their experi

Learn the fundamentals of blockchain technology and how it will power the economy of tomorrow.

This specialization introduces blockchain, a revolutionary technology that enables peer-to-peer transfer of digital assets without any intermediaries, and is predicted to be just as impactful as the Internet. More specifically, it prepares learners to program on the Ethereum blockchain. The four courses provide learners with (i) an understanding and working knowledge of foundational blockchain concepts, (ii) a skill set for designing and implementing smart contracts, (iii) methods for developing decentralized applications on the blockchain, and (iv) information about the ongoing specific industry-wide blockchain frameworks.The specialization covers a range of essential topics, from the cryptographic underpinnings of blockchain technology to enabling decentralized applications on a private Ethereum blockchain platform.It is ideal for programmers and designers involved in developing and implementing blockchain applications, and anyone who is interested in understanding its potential.

This course is the definitive introduction to blockchain for both the developer and non-developer audience. Beyond the technology, this course will introduce you to some of the philosophy behind decentralization and why there is so much excitement around it. During the first three modules, you'll be introduced to blockchain and the technology behind it. In module four, we'll go beyond bitcoin and delve deeper into a next-generation blockchain called Ethereum to introduce you to what modern blockchains can do. The use cases featured in the final module are drawn from among the businesses in ConsenSys' startup portfolio. We believe we're uniquely positioned to present you with a valuable behind-the-scenes look at the people and companies working in this space to help give you a better understanding of the business side of blockchain.Together, we'll examine businesses use cases, hear from industry leaders, and give you the opportunity to develop and analyze a use case yourself. With this course, not only will you be the one who is able to explain blockchain to your colleagues, you'll be well on your way to making educated business decisions with your new, foundational understanding of the technology.

Being a successful FinTech firm requires more than just great technology; it also requires an understanding of the laws and regulations applicable to your business. This course will provide you with that understanding. You will learn about the critical legal, regulatory, and policy issues associated with cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings, online lending, new payments and wealth management technologies, and financial account aggregators. In addition, you will learn how regulatory agencies in the U.S. are continually adjusting to the emergence of new financial technologies and how one specific agency has proposed a path for FinTech firms to become regulated banks. You will also learn the basics of how banks are regulated in the U.S.If you are unfamiliar with how these new financial technologies work, fear not. We will begin each new course section with a high-level overview of the underlying technology. While the course is principally focused on the U.S. FinTech industry, we cannot possibly cover every relevant legal and regulatory issue. Therefore, this course should not be construed as legal advice. Rather, the goal of the course is to familiarize you with the key legal and regulatory challenges FinTech firms in various sectors face, as well as the critical policy debates that are occurring in Washington D.C. and state capitals across the country.