Objectives

The objectives of this course are to:

• Understand the fundamentals of what blockchain technology is
• Know the history of blockchain and P2P digital money
• Understand how the technical components of blockchain allow for cryptocurrencies to be used in unique ways

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:

• Explain the basics of blockchain technology to a layperson
• Discuss how and why blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies emerged in the 2000s
• Provide a broad landscape of what the major cryptocurrencies are and what the pivotal moments in crypto history were
• Explain the fundamental value of blockchain and how it can serve as the foundation for digital money

Summary

Cryptocurrencies are based on decentralized blockchain networks, which were designed by cryptographers who sought to create the basis for a P2P digital money system.

Bitcoin is the original cryptocurrency, and BTC creator Satoshi laid out their rationale for creating crypto in his 2007 white paper “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System“

Subsequent new blockchain networks were designed to overcome perceived limitations to what the BTC blockchain could achieve.

Ten years of trial-and-error by crypto developers and builders has led us to the present day, where cryptocurrency adoption is growing exponentially and there is an increasing need for high-level education on the origins – and future trajectory – of cryptocurrencies.