COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the Blockchain & Digital Currencies course. This program will equip you with the skills and knowledge to understand how blockchain technology works, how major cryptocurrencies operate, and how to interpret the risks, opportunities, and real-world applications emerging from this rapidly evolving field. Throughout this course, you will learn how to move beyond headlines and hype so you can explain core concepts clearly, recognise genuine innovation, and critically evaluate blockchain and digital currency developments.

This course begins by introducing the fundamental concepts that underpin blockchain networks and the earliest digital currencies. It explains what a blockchain is, how a blockchain works in practice, and why blockchains are not flawless despite their reputation for security and integrity. It also examines the top 10 crypto heists in the history of digital currencies to highlight practical vulnerabilities and lessons learned, and introduces Bitcoin as the first and most influential cryptocurrency, explaining why it is regarded as the “mother of all cryptocurrencies” and how Bitcoin itself functions as a peer-to-peer digital cash system.

Foundations in cryptography and transaction security are then explored to show how trust is established without a central authority. This section explains how encryption and decryption are used in blockchains, the difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption, and the meaning of public key cryptography in securing ownership and transfers. It also examines cryptographic hashing functions and how they support immutability, and explains how digital signatures are used in Bitcoin and other blockchains, including the digital signature process from key generation to verification. This section goes on to introduce the meaning of Bitcoin mining, what Bitcoin wallets are, the different types of wallets including web, mobile, desktop, paper, and hardware wallets, and why Bitcoin has generated so much hype in markets and media.

The broader digital currency ecosystem is then examined so you can see how Bitcoin sits within a larger and more diverse landscape. This section explains what is meant by digital currencies, outlines the idea of the top 10 digital currencies in terms of market capitalisation, and introduces major cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, Binance Coin, and EOS. It also highlights how different projects vary in purpose and design, and introduces the most common terms used by crypto traders so that you can interpret market commentary, trading discussions, and platform information more confidently.

Digital asset funding models and major blockchain projects are then explored to connect technology with investment and innovation dynamics. This section explains the initial coin offering (ICO) process, discusses the ICOs that survived major market cycles, and examines well-known projects such as NEO, Ethereum, Spectrecoin, Stratis, and Ark in terms of their goals and design choices. It also analyses why many ICOs fail, including issues of governance, regulation, technology, and market adoption, and shows how these patterns can be used to assess the credibility and risk profile of new digital currency offerings.

The emerging and future applications of blockchain technology across industries are then considered, focusing on how distributed ledgers may reshape existing systems and services. This section explores the blockchain future in shipping, including supply chain visibility and documentation; in fintech, including payments, settlement, and asset tokenisation; in energy, including peer-to-peer trading and grid management; in healthcare, including data integrity and secure sharing; and in charity and social contexts, including transparency in donations and program delivery. It highlights both the potential and the constraints that real-world implementations must address.

By the end of this course, you will be able to explain what blockchains and digital currencies are, describe how Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies operate, and outline the cryptographic mechanisms that underpin security and trust in decentralised systems. You will understand how wallets, mining, ICOs, and major blockchain projects fit together within the broader ecosystem, and how to interpret key risks such as security breaches and project failure. Most importantly, you will be able to use accurate terminology, evaluate claims about blockchain use cases in sectors such as finance, energy, and healthcare, and form balanced, informed views on the role that blockchain and digital currencies may play in future economic and technological developments.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:

• What is a blockchain?
• How does a blockchain work?
• Is the blockchain flawless?
• The top 10 crypto heists during the history of digital currencies
• What is Bitcoin?
• Why is Bitcoin the mother of all cryptocurrencies?
• How Bitcoin works?
• How encryption and decryption is used in blockchains?
• Symmetric vs asymmetric encryption
• The meaning of a public key cryptography
• What are the cryptographic hashing functions?
• How digital signatures are used in Bitcoin and blockchains?
• The digital signature process
• The meaning of Bitcoin mining
• What are Bitcoin wallets?
• The different types of wallets including: web wallets, mobile wallets, desktop wallets, paper wallets and hardware wallets
• Why is bitcoin so hyped?
• What is meant by digital currencies?
• The top 10 digital currencies in terms of market cap
• The cryptocurrency - Ethereum
• The cryptocurrency - Litecoin
• The cryptocurrency - Ripple
• The cryptocurrency - Bitcoin Cash
• The cryptocurrency - Binance Coin
• The cryptocurrency - EOS
• The initial coin offering (ICO) process
• The ICOs that survived
• The NEO project
• The Ethereum project
• The Spectrecoin project
• The Stratis project
• The Ark project
• Why do ICOs fail?
• The blockchain future in shipping
• The blockchain future in fintech
• The blockchain future in energy
• The blockchain future in healthcare
• The blockchain future in charity & social
• The most common terms used by crypto traders

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.