FINA6125

This course discusses cryptocurrencies (including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others), blockchain, also referred to as distributed ledger technology (DLT), and their applications in various business sectors. The course first explains the history of cryptocurrency, and the fundamentals of blockchain including cryptography and consensus mechanism. Although technical, this part is essential to establish a foundation to understand cryptocurrencies and blockchain. The rest of the course is on the applications of blockchain. We will discuss enterprise blockchain, smart contracts, and token offerings, e.g., initial coin offerings (ICOs) and securities token offering (STOs). We will have industry experts to give guest lectures on the real-world blockchain applications and interact with students. Finally, we will cover the valuation models for crypto assets, the practical details of how to use cryptocurrency, and various investments related to blockchain. The goal of the course is to provide students with a basic set of skills to understand cryptocurrencies and blockchain and how businesses can use them.

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