If you’re interested in learning about blockchain technology, there are plenty of online courses to choose from. Some are designed to teach you the fundamentals of blockchain and how it evolves, while others will help you develop blockchain applications.
The best online blockchain courses for you will depend on your career goals and level of expertise. If you’re a beginner, there are self-paced online courses that will help you build a basic knowledge base of the technology and learn how to use it.
Coursera
Coursera is an online learning company that partners with more than 275 world-class universities and companies. Its mission is to deliver flexible, affordable, job-ready learning to people all over the world.
Founded in 2012, Coursera offers a variety of online courses, certificate programs, and degrees from leading institutions. Its courses are delivered through video lectures, quizzes, assignments, and projects. In addition to these materials, users also have access to podcasts, e-books, and other content.
The site is easy to navigate and has a straightforward layout. Students can browse courses by category or by subject, or they can search for specific topics.
Courses are taught by instructors from Coursera partner institutions such as Yale, Google, and IBM. They cover a range of topics from data science, business, personal development, computer science, language learning, and health and wellness to art and humanities, information technology, math and logic, and physical sciences.
Each Coursera course is around four to twelve weeks long and includes one to two hours of video lecture per week, weekly assignments, quizzes, and a peer-graded final project or exam. Upon completion, students receive a “shareable electronic certificate” that is similar to an online college degree.
A large portion of Coursera’s revenue comes from the subscription fees paid by students to access courses, certificates, and specializations. These fees are based on the number of classes or hours spent on a program.
The courses are available in over 50 languages, and many offer a free trial. The website features a course catalog that is easy to navigate and provides details about each course.
Coursera offers refund and money back policies that vary by course. You can request a full refund for a course you pre-enroll and pay for within 14 days of the program’s launch or until you earn your first course certificate, whichever comes first.
In addition, Coursera offers a free seven-day trial for most courses. This allows you to test the waters before committing to a full purchase.
Currently, there are more than 25,000 courses on Coursera, and they have an estimated 113 million registered users worldwide. Coursera is a popular choice among busy learners who want to learn new skills or earn a degree but need flexibility and affordability.
Udacity
Udacity is an online education platform that offers courses in a variety of topics, including data science, artificial intelligence, software engineering and computer programming. Its content is available in several languages and is produced by experts from the world of technology and business.
Udacity’s mission is to level the playing field by offering high-quality world-class higher education to anyone with an internet connection and a computer. This includes professionals who are unable to attend traditional classes, such as freelancers or gig economy workers who need particular skills for their jobs. It also targets business executives and government officials who need a comprehensive understanding of new technologies or applications to make informed decisions.
The company has partnered with many leading tech companies to develop the courses it offers, including Amazon Web Services, Google, Facebook and Slack. This allows students to learn from experts and work on projects that apply their knowledge.
They also offer a Nanodegree program, which is a career-oriented micro-credential that’s built with industry leaders. It includes a series of self-paced courses and a project that demonstrates the student’s mastery of a skill.
A Udacity Nanodegree course can take anywhere from 3 to 4 months to complete and will typically require a few hours a week. You can choose to pay in full upfront or use an Affirm plan, which is a monthly loan that helps you finance your Udacity course.
The Nanodegree program also includes mentorship from industry experts and a variety of additional features, such as project reviews. However, you should be aware that Udacity is a private institution and their certificates aren’t official accreditations.
Unlike other MOOC providers, Udacity’s learning programs are outcome-based and career-oriented. The learning content is co-created with industry experts and constantly refined to provide the most relevant information for job seekers.
If you’re unsure about whether or not to sign up for Udacity, there’s a 7-day refund policy and an option to cancel your subscription at any time. If you’re a citizen or resident of the European Union, you can also get a refund within 14 days.
Cornell
If you want to learn about the latest developments in blockchain technology, there are a number of online courses to choose from. These can help you understand how this technology works and gain the skills you need to build your own blockchain.
Cornell, one of the best universities in the United States, offers a range of blockchain-related courses. This includes an online Graduate Certificate in Blockchain Enabled Business, which provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of blockchain technologies and how they can be applied to your business. The program teaches students how to formulate and communicate the value of blockchain technology to stakeholders and employees, as well as address ethical and regulatory obligations.
This is an excellent course for anyone who wants to get a head start on the industry. It explains how a blockchain can be used to store and distribute data in an encrypted form, and how it can provide security for transactions. It also teaches you about how to use smart contracts for storing and tracking information.
The course also teaches you how to use Python for programming, which will make it easier to create and interact with blockchain functions. You will also learn about security elements, such as private and public-key encryption, that can be used to protect your blockchain.
With a growing presence in the financial tech industry, Cornell has also started its own blockchain initiative. It hosts conferences and workshops where big names in the industry share their expertise with the community. This includes a Crypto Boot Camp, hosted by the founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin.
You can also take a self-paced class to learn about the basics of blockchain security. These lessons will teach you about blockchain node and network security, smart contract security, testing blockchain systems, and enterprise blockchain security. You will also get an in-depth understanding of blockchain threat modeling and fundamental blockchain cryptography, which will help you develop a strong security strategy for your enterprise.
If you have a background in programming, this is a great way to upskill quickly. It is also an excellent addition to your resume if you are looking to pursue a career as a blockchain developer.
Berkeley
Berkeley, a university in the US state of California, offers a range of online blockchain courses that are free and available to anyone. This is a great way to learn the basics of blockchain technology, as well as the skills you need to develop your own projects on a blockchain of your choice.
The university’s blockchain lab, which is run by students, also offers training, research and consultancy services in the field. It has partnered with edX, an online course provider, to offer an open professional certificate on blockchain and cryptocurrency.
This course explores the underlying technology behind the blockchain and crypto currencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and their alternatives. It examines the core principles of these technologies, their security and scalability, and their application to financial and enterprise systems.
Developed by Berkeley’s student-led organization, the course is an interdisciplinary survey of these technologies that can be taken by lawyers, business people, developers and entrepreneurs. The class is a combination of lectures, discussions, and project work that aims to help students formulate their own informed blockchain mental models, hypotheses and use cases.
It’s a self-paced, online course that’s offered in a variety of formats, such as video lectures, problem sets, quizzes and opportunities for questions. It’s a good option for anyone who wants to learn the fundamentals of the technology but doesn’t have time to commit to a full-fledged certificate program.
Another option is the Certified Blockchain Developer program by Blockchain Council, which provides a detailed examination of blockchain technology that can be applied to a number of industries. This is a great way to learn how to build a blockchain of your own and get the qualifications you need to start a career in this growing industry.
There’s a short free course that covers the essentials of blockchain technology, from cryptocurrencies to ledgers and cryptography to the application of the blockchain in business. It’s a great introduction to the field and can be completed in just six weeks.
UC Berkeley is the oldest university in the United States and offers a variety of online blockchain courses through Coursera. These are offered by the university’s schools and colleges, including the Haas School of Business, the Graduate School of Education, the College of Engineering and the School of Law.