As the Internet was the first digital medium for information, blockchain is the first native digital medium for value. Blockchain is poised to transform the economy and society at large—redefining the ways we transact online, share ideas, and manage workflows. The financial services sector is a key lever in such transformations.

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 practitioners who will share their experiences within the blockchain ecosystem.

The Program 

1. Introduction to Blockchain for Financial Services
   After completing this course, you will be able to explain what blockchain is, how it works, and why it is revolutionary. You will learn key concepts such as mining, hashing, proof-of-work, public key cryptography, and the double-spend problem. You’ll be able to describe seven design principles for blockchain technology, and the challenges facing the people developing it. You’ll also meet the players in the blockchain ecosystem, and consider your own role in stewarding the blockchain revolution.
2. Blockchain, Cryptoassets, and Decentralized Finance
   You’ll learn how blockchain technology empowers individuals, entrepreneurs, and businesses with the tools they need to help level the playing field and to participate in the value they create. By the end of this course, you’ll learn how and why transacting on the blockchain can help us bring about a future that is faster, fairer, and more distributed than the world we inhabit today.
3. Blockchain Transformations of Financial Services
   In this course, you will learn how blockchain technology will disrupt the core functions of the financial services industry, offering individuals and organizations alike real choices in how they create and manage value.
4. Blockchain in Financial Services: Strategic Action Plan
   In this fourth and final course of the specialization, you will synthesize your learning into a Strategic Action Plan. The goals of this course are twofold: One, it’s for you to identify a specific need or problem within the financial services industry that can potentially be solved using blockchain technology. Two, it’s for you to investigate possible solutions to this problem, and to develop a strategic plan for how these solutions might be executed. You will accomplish different project milestones each week, and will be introduced to several tools to organize your findings. 

What you will learn

• Seven design principles for the «Blockchain Revolution».

• Terms such as miner, hash, nonce, consensus mechanism, public key cryptography, cryptoasset, smart contract, DApp, and self-sovereign identity.

• Top 10 challenges for implementing blockchain technology.

• Blockchain applications and use-cases within the financial services industry.