Coursera

Blockchain Basics (Coursera)

Offered by University at Buffalo, The State University of New York,
Blockchain Basics (Coursera)

This first course of the Blockchain specialization provides a broad overview of the essential concepts of blockchain technology – by initially exploring the Bitcoin protocol followed by the Ethereum protocol – to lay the foundation necessary for developing applications and programming. You will be equipped with the knowledge needed to create nodes on your personal Ethereum blockchain, create accounts, unlock accounts, mine, transact, transfer Ethers, and check balances.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

You will learn about the decentralized peer-to-peer network, an immutable distributed ledger and the trust model that defines a blockchain. This course enables you to explain basic components of a blockchain (transaction, block, block header, and the chain) its operations (verification, validation, and consensus model) underlying algorithms, and essentials of trust (hard fork and soft fork). Content includes the hashing and cryptography foundations indispensable to blockchain programming, which is the focus of two subsequent specialization courses, Smart Contracts and Decentralized Applications (Dapps). You will work on a virtual machine image, specifically created for this course, to build an Ethereum test chain and operate on the chain. This hands-on activity will help you understand the workings of a blockchain, its transactions, blocks and mining.
Course 1 of 4 in the Blockchain Specialization.

What you will Learn

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

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Blockchain Defined
We will introduce and define blockchain, explain the structure and operational aspects of Bitcoin blockchain, and compare different types of blockchains.

WEEK 2
Ethereum Blockchain
We will discuss the innovation of the Ethereum blockchain, review its protocol, and explore the payment model for code execution.

WEEK 3
Algorithms & Techniques
We will discuss the concept of asymmetric key encryption, define the concept of hashing, and explain techniques that use algorithms to manage the integrity of transactions and blocks in blockchain.

WEEK 4
Trust Essentials
We will define elements of trust in blockchain and discuss the Consensus protocol.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Cryptography and Information Theory (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

Cryptography and Information Theory (Coursera)

Security & Networking

This course combines cryptography (the techniques for protecting information from unauthorized access) and information theory (the study of information coding and transfer). More specifically, the course studies cryptography from the information-theoretical perspectives and discuss the concepts such as entropy and the attacker knowledge capabilities, e.g., Kerckhoff's Principle. It also contrasts information-theoretic security and computational security to highlight the different train of thoughts that drive the cryptographic algorithmic construction and the security analyses.

Aug 31st 2026
4 Weeks
Cryptography Networks Information Theory
Details
Decentralized Applications (Dapps) (Coursera) Coursera
University at Buffalo,The State University of New York

Decentralized Applications (Dapps) (Coursera)

CS: Software Engineering Computer Science

This third course of the Blockchain specialization prepares you to design and develop end-to-end decentralized applications (Dapps) – which provide anyone with access to the blockchain’s features and services. You will use Truffle IDE, smart contracts, a simple web client and a MetaMask client. You will learn about the architecture of a Dapp: the front-end client interface, backed by the blockchain and smart contracts.

Sep 14th 2026
4 Weeks
Blockchain Blockchain Specialization Smart Contract
Details
Cybersecurity and Its Ten Domains (Coursera) Coursera
University System of Georgia

Cybersecurity and Its Ten Domains (Coursera)

CS: Software Engineering

This course is designed to introduce students, working professionals and the community to the exciting field of cybersecurity. Throughout the MOOC, participants will engage in community discourse and online interaction. Participants will gain knowledge and understanding of cybersecurity and its domains. They will engage with expertly produced videos, gain insight from industry experts, participate in knowledge assessments, practice assessing their environmental awareness, and gain access to materials that address governance and risk management, compliance, business continuity and disaster recovery, cryptography, software development security, access control, network security, security architecture, security operations, and physical and environmental security.

Aug 31st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Cryptography Information Security Cybersecurity
Details
Classical Cryptosystems and Core Concepts (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

Classical Cryptosystems and Core Concepts (Coursera)

Security & Networking

Welcome to Introduction to Applied Cryptography. Cryptography is an essential component of cybersecurity. The need to protect sensitive information and ensure the integrity of industrial control processes has placed a premium on cybersecurity skills in today’s information technology market. Demand for cybersecurity jobs is expected to rise 6 million globally by 2019, with a projected shortfall of 1.5 million, according to Symantec, the world’s largest security software vendor. According to Forbes, the cybersecurity market is expected to grow from $75 billion in 2015 to $170 billion by 2020.

Aug 31st 2026
3 Weeks
Cryptography Security Networks
Details
Future Development in Supply Chain Finance and Blockchain Technology (Coursera) Coursera
New York Institute of Finance

Future Development in Supply Chain Finance and Blockchain Technology (Coursera)

Economics & Finance Business

This course focuses on future developments in Supply Chain Finance such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). This course covers the basic concepts of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), the key features as well as the benefits the solution represents for Supply Chain Finance.

Aug 31st 2026
3 Weeks
Finance Innovation Supply Chain
Details
La Disrupción del Blockchain (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad Austral

La Disrupción del Blockchain (Coursera)

Economics & Finance Business

Muchas personas ya conocen al bitcoin, la moneda digital que en pocos años pasó de valer unos pocos centavos a miles de dólares. Pero esto es sólo la punta del iceberg de un fenómeno mucho más grande. El blockchain, la tecnología en la que se basa el bitcoin, tiene el potencial de disrumpir los negocios, las finanzas, las leyes y hasta los gobiernos.

Aug 31st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Finance Bitcoin Cryptocurrency
Details
Blockchain Scalability and its Foundations in Distributed Systems (Coursera) Coursera
The University of Sydney

Blockchain Scalability and its Foundations in Distributed Systems (Coursera)

CS: Information & Technology

Blockchain promises to disrupt industries once it will be efficient at large scale. In this course, you will learn how to make blockchain scale. You will learn about the foundational problem of distributed computing, consensus, that is key to create blocks securely. By illustrating limitations of mainstream blockchains, this course will indicate how to improve the technology in terms of security and efficiency. In particular, this course will help you: understand security vulnerabilities of mainstream blockchains; design consensus algorithms that tolerate attacks, and; design scalable blockchain systems.

Aug 31st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Algorithms Networks Computer Science
Details
Empowering with web3.js: Web3 Applications (Coursera) Coursera
EDUCBA

Empowering with web3.js: Web3 Applications (Coursera)

CS: Information & Technology

Embark on a transformative journey into decentralized applications with our comprehensive course, "Get Started Building Web3 Apps using web3.js." This program is tailored for individuals eager to delve into blockchain development, focusing on Ethereum, a leading platform in the blockchain space. You will gain a solid foundation in web development concepts, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, with optional exposure to frameworks like React or Angular.

Sep 7th 2026
4 Weeks
Blockchain Ethereum Smart Contract
Details
Web Connectivity and Security in Embedded Systems (Coursera) Coursera
EIT Digital

Web Connectivity and Security in Embedded Systems (Coursera)

Security & Networking

In this course, we will explore several technologies that bring modern devices together, facilitating a network of connected things and making devices internet enabled. We will discuss rules, protocols, and standards for these devices to communicate with each other in the network. We will also go through security and privacy issues and challenges in cyber physical systems (CPS). We will explore measures and techniques for securing systems from different perspectives. Possible attack models are introduced and solutions to tackle such attacks are discussed. Moreover, some basic concepts related to privacy in cyber physical systems are presented.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Cryptography Security Embedded Systems
Details
New Technologies for Business Leaders (Coursera) Coursera
Rutgers University

New Technologies for Business Leaders (Coursera)

Marketing & Communication Business

This introductory course is developed for high-level business people (and those on their way) who want a broad understanding of new Information Technologies and understand their potential for business functions (e.g. marketing, supply change management, finance). This is not a course for people looking for guidance on how to become a deep technical expert or implement these technologies.

Aug 31st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Business Artificial Intelligence Big Data
Details
How Entrepreneurs in Emerging Markets can master the Blockchain Technology (Coursera) Coursera
University of Cape Town

How Entrepreneurs in Emerging Markets can master the Blockchain Technology (Coursera)

Economics & Finance Business

In this course, you will gain a thorough understanding of the blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, including an introduction to the necessary foundations in cryptography. The course will discuss blockchain as a distributed ledger and introduce distributed consensus as a mechanism to maintain the integrity of the blockchain. The other revolutionary technologies that are changing the world as we speak are artificial intelligence and machine learning. You will learn about the three major types of AI algorithms: supervised and unsupervised machine learning, as well as reinforcement learning.

Aug 31st 2026
4 Weeks
Cryptography Artificial Intelligence Fintech
Details