Blockchain in Business (Online): Beyond the Hype
Blockchain and cryptocurrencies grab a lot of headlines in the media, leaving business leaders with the challenge to distinguish between the hype and what has the power to transform an entire industry. This program allows you to break through the mystery, offering a very practical understanding of blockchain, both its opportunities and its challenges. Over the course of six weeks, you'll decipher how cryptocurrencies work and learn how the underlying blockchain technology could transform your organization and industry.
In addition to world-renowned Columbia Business School faculty, you'll learn from industry experts who will share invaluable insights — from the origin story of the creators of the first blockchain to where the technology is heading five to ten years down the road. After taking this program that is designed with the executive in mind, participants will be able to make more informed decisions about the role that blockchain technology may play in their business.
At the end of the program, you'll know the answers to the quintessential Blockchain questions, including:
- How has blockchain technology emerged since its original design?
- Does Bitcoin count as money and can Bitcoin replace the traditional form of money?
- How do smart contracts and tokens work?
- What are the “real” opportunities and challenges of blockchain technology in the market?
- What questions should I ask to evaluate potential opportunities in blockchain and cryptocurrencies for my organization?
- How can I leverage blockchain for my business?
Please Contact Us
Please contact our partners at Emeritus at columbia@emeritus.org, +13159825094 or +13152772746 for a personal conversation to learn more.
At the end of the program, you will be able to:
- Understand the key principles underlying the technology and history of blockchain and cryptocurrencies in modern business.
- Identify real-world opportunities and limitations of blockchain technology and practical applications for their organizations.
- Ask the right questions and make more informed decisions about the role that blockchain technology may play in their business.
Upon completion of this program, you will earn one credit towards a Certificate with select alumni and tuition benefits. Learn more.
Our approach to this program is to provide the foundational concepts behind blockchains and cryptocurrencies by exploring their history, philosophies, and real-world applications and examining how these technologies will influence executive decision making. Key components include video lectures with guest speakers, hands-on exercises, and real-world applications. Participants have multiple opportunities to apply concepts such as a simulation of creating a blockchain.
The program includes the following modules:
Module 1: Technical Foundations
Learn the foundations of blockchain, including distributed systems, hash functions, and cryptography; includes learning the origin story of the blockchain and building a blockchain with its inventors.
Module 2: Bitcoin as Money
Gain a historical view of money, exploring its traditional place in society and how conventional markets and bitcoin compare.
Module 3: How Bitcoin Uses Blockchain
Explore conceptual precursors to blockchain and discover how “mining” works, along with identifying the vulnerabilities in Bitcoin’s blockchain.
Module 4: Ethereum, Smart Contracts, and Tokens
Discover the programmable Ethereum ledger system, smart contracts, tokens, decentralized applications, and trustless computing.
Module 5: Applications of Blockchain
Examine the complex issues that surround governance with blockchains including an examination of IBM’s work in permissioned enterprise blockchains.
Module 6: The Future of Blockchain
Get a “big picture” view of blockchain tailored for the executive decision-maker and understand where blockchain will be in five to ten years.
This program offers a deep dive into the world of blockchain and its application for your organization, whether you are an entrepreneur seeking to harness blockchain opportunities, a C-suite leader implementing blockchain processes, a corporate attorney or risk manager preparing for blockchain and cryptocurrencies’ regulatory or unseen implications, or an IT or security professional wondering how blockchains will impact you day to day. This program is also fitting for R&D directors, supply chain managers, and business tech strategists and consultants seeking to harness blockchain and cryptocurrency opportunities.