Blockchain Specialization

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Blockchain Specialization

Innovate with the Next Frontier in Technology. Learn how the blockchain is leading to a paradigm shift in decentralized application programming

Instructor: Bina Ramamurthy

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4 course series

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

4.6

(7,013 reviews)

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

2 months

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 course series

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

4.6

(7,013 reviews)

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

2 months

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Understand smart contracts, a core idea and computational model of blockchain that enables automation, autonomy, scalability and transparency.
Have an understanding and working knowledge of the emerging blockchain technology.
How to design and program smart contracts and decentralized application.
How to think of innovative application models, leveraging the blockchain technology.

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

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Taught in English

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Specialization - 4 course series

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.

Applied Learning Project

Learners will apply the concepts covered in the courses to deploy an instance of a blockchain and carry out peer-to-peer transactions, program and test smart contracts using Solidity language; and analyze, design and code a blockchain-based solution for decentralized applications.

Blockchain Basics

Course 115 hours

What you'll learn

A learner will be able to recognize foundational concepts of blockchain, and apply these program concepts on the blockchain.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Blockchain

Category: Transaction Processing

Category: Cryptography

Category: Virtual Machines

Category: Encryption

Category: Data Integrity

Category: Network Protocols

Category: Network Model

Category: Data Structures

Category: Emerging Technologies

Category: FinTech

Category: Verification And Validation

Category: Distributed Computing

Category: Virtual Environment

Smart Contracts

Course 217 hours

What you'll learn

This second course of the Blockchain specialization will help you design, code, deploy and execute a smart contract.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Development Environment

Category: Software Development

Category: Blockchain

Category: Application Deployment

Category: Event-Driven Programming

Category: Web Development Tools

Category: Software Design

Category: Development Testing

Category: Solution Design

Category: Business Logic

Category: Data Validation

Category: Program Development

Decentralized Applications (Dapps)

Course 317 hours

What you'll learn

This third course of the Blockchain specialization prepares you to design and develop end-to-end decentralized applications (Dapps).

Skills you'll gain

Category: Blockchain

Category: Software Testing

Category: Application Development

Category: Software Development Tools

Category: Test Driven Development (TDD)

Category: Software Architecture

Category: Application Programming Interface (API)

Category: Web Applications

Category: Command-Line Interface

Category: Integrated Development Environments

Category: User Interface (UI)

Blockchain Platforms

Course 416 hours

What you'll learn

This fourth course of the Blockchain specialization provides learners with an understanding of the broader blockchain ecosystem.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Blockchain

Category: Microsoft Azure

Category: Cryptography

Category: Scalability

Category: Data Storage

Category: Platform As A Service (PaaS)

Category: Distributed Computing

Category: Open Source Technology

Category: Cloud Computing Architecture

Category: FinTech

Category: Emerging Technologies

Category: Information Privacy

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Instructor

Bina Ramamurthy

The State University of New York

9 Courses293,733 learners

Offered by

University at Buffalo

The State University of New York

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Frequently asked questions

Time to completion can vary based on your schedule, but learners can expect to complete the Specialization in 4 to 6 months.

Knowledge of at least one modern, high-level programming language is required. Learners should have an understanding of object-oriented design and programming, as well as the command line interface of a Linux-like system. This object-oriented knowledge is necessary for understanding and designing a smart contract. Basic working knowledge of web applications, HTML and javascript are necessary for developing Dapps. Also required is a laptop or a desktop of this specification: 64 bit machine with minimum 4Gb ram, 10Gb free space and Windows 7 or above , or ubuntu 16.04 or Mac os x 10.0+.

It is important that learners take the courses in order, since the concepts and projects are developed based on the previous course, as described below.

· The first course focuses on essential concepts and does not require programming.

· The second course explores the smart contract, gradually building the skills to program smart contracts in Solidity and test them using the Remix IDE. It features a programming project.

· The third course drills deeper into developing end-to-end applications for the blockchain. It features interaction of a blockchain ecosystem with traditional web applications. Learners will develop applications and a project in the Truffle environment.

· The fourth course introduces other blockchain platforms and business applications. Learners will compose a white paper that compares industry blockchain platforms.

On completion of this specialization, a learner will recognize foundational concepts of blockchain, and apply these program concepts on the blockchain, including:

· Algorithms and techniques enabling trust in a decentralized peer-to-peer network

· Transactions, account, block and the structure of a blockchain

· The distributed immutable ledger of transactions

· Smart contracts, a core idea and computational model of blockchain that enables automation, autonomy, scalability and transparency

· The blockchain application stack and orchestrating blockchain Dapp solutions for business use cases

· Ongoing industry-wide blockchain efforts, such as Hyperledger (supply chain) and R3 Corda (financial)

More specifically, on successful completion of the specialization, a learner will able to

· Have an understanding and working knowledge of the emerging blockchain technology

· Design and program smart contracts and decentralized application

· Evaluate the applicability of the blockchain technology to their current business problems

· Think of innovative application models leveraging the blockchain technology

· Contribute to protocol improvement of the blockchain

Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.