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Blockchain Basics

This course is part of Blockchain Specialization

283,229 already enrolled

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.6

7,770 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule
2 weeks at 10 hours a week
Learn at your own pace
95%
Most learners liked this course

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.6

7,770 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule
2 weeks at 10 hours a week
Learn at your own pace
95%
Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

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

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Assessments

20 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Blockchain Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

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.

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. Main concepts are delivered through videos, demos and hands-on exercises.

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

What's included

4 videos6 readings5 assignments

4 videosTotal 22 minutes
  • Blockchain Defined: Bitcoin & Blockchain9 minutes
  • Blockchain Structure6 minutes
  • Basic Operations4 minutes
  • Beyond Bitcoin3 minutes
6 readingsTotal 155 minutes
  • Acknowledgements: Blockchain5 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Bitcoin & Blockchain45 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Blockchain Structure5 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Basic Operations30 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Beyond Bitcoin60 minutes
  • REQUIRED Quiz Resources and Directions: Blockchain Defined - Week 110 minutes
5 assignmentsTotal 47 minutes
  • Self-Check5 minutes
  • Self-Check5 minutes
  • Self-Check5 minutes
  • Self-Check2 minutes
  • Blockchain Defined - Week 130 minutes

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

What's included

4 videos5 readings5 assignments

4 videosTotal 17 minutes
  • Ethereum Blockchain: Smart Contracts6 minutes
  • Ethereum Structure5 minutes
  • Ethereum Operations3 minutes
  • Incentive Model4 minutes
5 readingsTotal 145 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Smart Contracts30 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Ethereum Structure45 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Ethereum Operations30 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Incentive Model30 minutes
  • REQUIRED Quiz Resources and Directions: Ethereum Blockchain - Week 210 minutes
5 assignmentsTotal 50 minutes
  • Self-Check5 minutes
  • Self-Check5 minutes
  • Self-Check5 minutes
  • Self-Check5 minutes
  • Ethereum Blockchain - Week 230 minutes

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.

What's included

4 videos5 readings5 assignments

4 videosTotal 21 minutes
  • Algorithms & Techniques: Public-Key Cryptography7 minutes
  • Hashing6 minutes
  • Transaction Integrity3 minutes
  • Securing Blockchain4 minutes
5 readingsTotal 120 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Public-Key Cryptography30 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Hashing30 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Transaction Integrity20 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Securing Blockchain30 minutes
  • REQUIRED Quiz Resources and Directions: Algorithms & Techniques - Week 310 minutes
5 assignmentsTotal 48 minutes
  • Self-Check5 minutes
  • Self-Check5 minutes
  • Self-Check3 minutes
  • Self-Check5 minutes
  • Algorithms & Techniques - Week 330 minutes

We will define elements of trust in blockchain and discuss the Consensus protocol.

What's included

4 videos5 readings5 assignments1 programming assignment

4 videosTotal 17 minutes
  • Trust Essentials: Decentralized Systems5 minutes
  • Consensus Protocol3 minutes
  • Robustness5 minutes
  • Forks4 minutes
5 readingsTotal 110 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Decentralized Systems40 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Consensus Protocol40 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Robustness5 minutes
  • (OPTIONAL) Resources: Forks20 minutes
  • Blockchain Basics: Key Takeaways5 minutes
5 assignmentsTotal 50 minutes
  • Self-Check5 minutes
  • Self-Check5 minutes
  • Self-Check5 minutes
  • Self-Check5 minutes
  • Trust Essentials - Week 430 minutes
1 programming assignmentTotal 120 minutes
  • Getting Started with Blockchain Ethereum120 minutes

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Instructor

Instructor ratings
4.5 (2,024 ratings)
The State University of New York
9 Courses312,827 learners

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Learner reviews

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Showing 3 of 7770

RH
·

Reviewed on May 4, 2019

The course is well designed to give you an overview of Blockchain and the basic concepts. What is Smart Contract and other various terminologies and how they play a role in the blockchain. Thanks

MK
·

Reviewed on Mar 15, 2019

Very nicely arranged course and very informative. Learned a lot in no time. Only hurdle is The Ethereum Virtual machine takes hell lot of time in the Miner step. rest all fine. thanks a lot.

SJ
·

Reviewed on Apr 6, 2022

very good course it starts from basics and provides a amazing learning path , they focus on your self study rasher than spoon feeding like other courses ,which is the best thing of this course .

Frequently asked questions

You'll learn how blockchains work, how Bitcoin and Ethereum record and validate transactions, and why decentralized systems can be trusted. It starts with the basics of blocks and transactions, then moves into Ethereum's account model, smart contracts, and the trust rules that keep a chain running. You'll apply that in guided exercises by creating accounts, mining, sending Ether, and checking balances on an Ethereum test chain.

No, you don't need prior blockchain knowledge to begin. It starts by defining the core ideas, then moves into Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the security concepts behind blockchain systems. Some comfort following technical setup steps will help once you start working with a virtual machine image and an Ethereum test chain.

Yes, it's beginner-friendly if you're new to blockchain but comfortable working through technical examples. The course explains terms and protocols from the ground up through lessons, readings, demos, and self-checks, then reinforces them with guided Ethereum activities. It may feel more demanding if you want a business-only overview with no setup or transaction work.

Plan on about 15 hours total. At around 8 to 10 hours a week, many learners could finish in about 2 weeks while moving between lessons, readings, quizzes, and guided Ethereum practice. The course includes videos, demos, hands-on exercises, quizzes, and a final assignment.

Yes, but the hands-on work is guided rather than project-heavy. You'll use a virtual machine image to set up an Ethereum environment, build a test chain, create and unlock accounts, mine, and send Ether, along with block-inspection exercises and quizzes. That practice helps you connect ideas like transactions and consensus to the way a blockchain actually behaves.

The course focuses on how blockchain systems are structured, how Bitcoin and Ethereum handle transactions and blocks, and how decentralized networks establish trust. You'll also study the security pieces behind them, especially hashing and public-key cryptography, along with Ethereum's account model and gas. Overall, it gives you a working picture of how blockchain protocols operate and why they remain reliable without a central authority.

You should be able to explain how a blockchain validates transactions, links blocks, and maintains trust across a decentralized network. You'll also be able to inspect basic Bitcoin and Ethereum data and carry out simple Ethereum operations, such as creating an account, sending Ether, and checking balances on a test chain. That's a practical scope for one course: understanding the mechanics clearly and completing simple transactions yourself.

It's more concept-first than hands-on. The course spends more time explaining how Bitcoin and Ethereum work, then uses guided exercises to reinforce that through tasks like setting up a test chain and sending transactions. If you want an open-ended build course, this one will feel more introductory.

This course is a strong choice if you want blockchain explained through both Bitcoin and Ethereum, not just at a surface level. It moves from protocol basics into transactions, trust, security, and Ethereum operations, and it includes guided practice so the ideas don't stay abstract. If you want a clear conceptual grounding with some real interaction on an Ethereum chain, this course is a better fit than options that stay purely high level or jump straight into coding.

Financial aid available,