Fundamentals of Blockchain Architecture
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Fundamentals of Blockchain Architecture
This course is part of Blockchain Solution Architecture Specialization
Instructor: LearnQuest Network
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What you'll learn
Understand the fundamental concepts and principles of blockchain technology.
Analyze and make informed decisions about blockchain technology.
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There are 7 modules in this course
This course is ideal for individuals with a basic understanding of digital technology as well as developers or security professionals wishing to expand their blockchain knowledge. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the world of blockchain technology. We will delve into the core principles of blockchain, exploring the critical decision-making processes involved in adopting this innovative technology. This course offers an overview of various blockchain platforms, hosting decisions, associated technologies, and the key development languages used. An important aspect of this course will be the introduction to the concept of consensus mechanisms and their integral role in maintaining the integrity of the blockchain.
By the end of this course, you will be able to: - Describe how blocks are chained together - Compare and contrast Pure versus Hybrid blockchains - List the blockchain layers and describe what each of them does - Describe the difference between on-chain and off-chain data storage - Determine the right language and tools based on the blockchain platform and use case - Describe the Byzantine Generals Problem - Explain the blockchain trilemma - Explain how cryptography, consensus, and immutability enhance blockchain security
Welcome to Blockchain Solution Architecture - Fundamentals of Blockchain Architecture! In this course, we will delve into the core principles of blockchain. It offers an overview of various blockchain platforms, hosting decisions, associated technologies, and the key development languages used.
What's included
1 video4 readings
1 video•Total 3 minutes
- Course Introduction•3 minutes
4 readings•Total 19 minutes
- Course Description•3 minutes
- Who Should Enroll•1 minute
- Course Outline•5 minutes
- The Chain of Trust: Cracking the Code of Blockchain’s Future•10 minutes
This module provides a comprehensive introduction to blockchain technology. We will discuss what blockchain is, the structure of blocks and chains, basic concepts like distributed ledgers, consensus mechanisms, and smart contracts. We will also explain the different layers of a blockchain like the protocol, network, and application layers, as well as explore blockchain wallets, public/private keys, and blockchain addresses. Finally, we will provide a detailed history of blockchain from its origins in Bitcoin to its evolution and mainstream adoption.
What's included
14 videos3 readings5 assignments1 discussion prompt4 plugins
14 videos•Total 82 minutes
- Introduction to Blockchain•2 minutes
- Blockchain and Protocols•6 minutes
- Understanding a Ledger•5 minutes
- Smart Contracts•6 minutes
- What is a Block?•4 minutes
- Chains•5 minutes
- Permanence & Immutability•7 minutes
- Permissioned vs Permissionless•7 minutes
- What is a Hash?•7 minutes
- Blockchain Layer 1•6 minutes
- Blockchain Layer 2 and 3•5 minutes
- Introduction to Wallets and Keys•6 minutes
- History of Blockchain 80's and 90's•7 minutes
- History of Blockchain 90's to Present•7 minutes
3 readings•Total 32 minutes
- What is blockchain technology?•10 minutes
- The Code That Chains the Future•10 minutes
- Blockchain Technology Overview - NIST•12 minutes
5 assignments•Total 50 minutes
- Lesson 1 Quiz - Introduction to Blockchain•5 minutes
- Lesson 2 Quiz - Blocks and Chains•5 minutes
- Lesson 3 Quiz - Blockchain Types and History•5 minutes
- Exam Prep: Introduction to Blockchain•5 minutes
- Module 1 Exam - Introduction to Blockchain•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Blockchain: Revolutionary or Just Hype?•10 minutes
4 plugins•Total 60 minutes
- Group Consensus•15 minutes
- Blockchain Layers Recap•15 minutes
- History Recap•15 minutes
- Blockchain City•15 minutes
We dive deep into real-world blockchain use cases across industries like finance, supply chain, healthcare, real estate, and more. It analyzes the value blockchain provides in different contexts. It provides a decision framework and checklist to determine when blockchain is an appropriate solution. It discusses alternatives like centralized databases. It covers the differences between on-chain and off-chain data storage and when to use each.
What's included
11 videos3 readings4 assignments1 discussion prompt1 plugin
11 videos•Total 62 minutes
- Blockchain Use Cases•6 minutes
- When to Use Blockchain Parts 1 and 2•7 minutes
- When to Use Blockchain Parts 3 and 4•5 minutes
- When to Use Blockchain (Examples)•7 minutes
- When to Use Blockchain - IT Infrastructure•6 minutes
- When to use Blockchain - Legacy Systems•4 minutes
- When to Use Blockchain - Process of Elimination•5 minutes
- When to use Blockchain - Considerations•4 minutes
- When to use Blockchain - Centralized Control•4 minutes
- When to use Blockchain - Performance•7 minutes
- On / Off Chains & Hybrid Mashups•7 minutes
3 readings•Total 80 minutes
- Blockchain Use Cases•60 minutes
- The Chain's Worth•10 minutes
- Non-Technical Exercise•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 45 minutes
- Lesson 1 Quiz - Blockchain Use Cases•5 minutes
- Lesson 2 Quiz - Specific Blockchain Use Cases•5 minutes
- Exam Prep: Blockchain Use Cases•5 minutes
- Module 2 Exam - Blockchain Use Cases•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- The Blockchain Conundrum: When to Use, When to Lose?•10 minutes
1 plugin•Total 15 minutes
- Blockchain Across Business Sectors•15 minutes
Here we survey popular blockchain development languages like Solidity, Vyper, and Hyperledger Fabric. It explores blockchain toolsets and frameworks like Truffle, Embark, and OpenZeppelin for building dApps. It shares learning resources and developer communities to enable getting started. It provides guidance on selecting the right language and tools based on the blockchain platform and use case.
What's included
6 videos2 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt
6 videos•Total 34 minutes
- Blockchain Development Languages•5 minutes
- Java and Other Development Languages•4 minutes
- Toolsets•8 minutes
- Resources Knowledgebases and Head Starts•5 minutes
- Consensys & Truffle•5 minutes
- Where to Start?•7 minutes
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
- Forging the Smart Code•10 minutes
- Non-Technical Exercise•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 35 minutes
- Exam Prep: Blockchain Languages and Tools•5 minutes
- Module 3 Exam - Blockchain Languages and Tools•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Speak Fluent Blockchain: Picking the Right Language and Tools•10 minutes
An in-depth exploration of blockchain consensus mechanisms like proof-of-work, proof-of-stake, delegated proof-of-stake, and practical Byzantine fault tolerance. It explains the Byzantine Generals Problem that consensus aims to solve. It analyzes the pros and cons of each consensus approach.
What's included
9 videos1 reading4 assignments2 discussion prompts
9 videos•Total 47 minutes
- Byzantine Generals Problem•5 minutes
- Byzantine Generals Problem - continued•6 minutes
- Proof-of-Work•4 minutes
- Proof-of-Work Demo•4 minutes
- Proof-of-Work Cons•5 minutes
- Proof-of-Stake•5 minutes
- PoW vs PoS•6 minutes
- Other Consensus Mechanisms•5 minutes
- Other Consensus Mechanisms - continued•7 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
- Trust in the Unknown•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 45 minutes
- Lesson 1 Quiz - Consensus Deep-Dive: - PoW & PoS•5 minutes
- Lesson 2 Quiz - Other Consensus Mechanisms•5 minutes
- Exam Prep: Consensus Deep-Dive•5 minutes
- Module 4 Exam - Consensus Deep-Dive•30 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 70 minutes
- Battle of the Byzantines: Choosing the Right Consensus•10 minutes
- Case Study: Deciding Blockchain for Supply Chain Management•60 minutes
This module directly addresses the blockchain trilemma involving scalability, security, and decentralization tradeoffs. It explores potential solutions like sharding, sidechains, state channels, and directed acyclic graphs.
What's included
3 videos3 readings2 assignments3 discussion prompts1 plugin
3 videos•Total 17 minutes
- The Blockchain Trilemma•6 minutes
- The Blockchain Trilemma Layer 1 Solutions•5 minutes
- The Blockchain Trilemma Layer 2 and 3 Solutions•6 minutes
3 readings•Total 82 minutes
- Blockchain Trilemma•12 minutes
- Balancing the Impossible•10 minutes
- Non-Technical Exercise•60 minutes
2 assignments•Total 35 minutes
- Exam Prep: The Blockchain Trilemma•5 minutes
- Module 5 Exam - The Blockchain Trilemma•30 minutes
3 discussion prompts•Total 140 minutes
- The Trilemma Triangle: Pick Two, If You Dare!•20 minutes
- Case Study: Evaluating Blockchain for Cross-border Payments•60 minutes
- Case Study: Ethereum 2.0•60 minutes
1 plugin•Total 15 minutes
- The Blockchain Trilemma•15 minutes
This module examines the blockchain security advantages like cryptography, consensus, and immutability. It also discusses security issues like private key management, Sybil attacks, 51% attacks, and more.
What's included
9 videos3 readings4 assignments2 discussion prompts
9 videos•Total 54 minutes
- Blockchain Security Benefits and Enhancements•4 minutes
- Blockchain Security Benefits - Immutability, Decentralization, and Cryptography•4 minutes
- Blockchain Security Benefits - Consensus, Transparency, and Privacy•8 minutes
- Protocol and Network Level Vulnerabilities•7 minutes
- Proof-of-Stake Attacks and Smart Contract Vulnerabilities•7 minutes
- Decentralization Security Risks and Evolution•6 minutes
- Privacy Violations, Scalability Issues, and Regulatory Challenges•7 minutes
- Solution Governance, Key Management, and Quantum Computing•7 minutes
- Course Recap•4 minutes
3 readings•Total 32 minutes
- The Unbreakable Chain•10 minutes
- Deloitte - Blockchain Security•12 minutes
- Bonus Chapter: The Next Layer•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 80 minutes
- Exam Prep: Blockchain Security Overview •5 minutes
- Exam Prep: Fundamentals of Blockchain Architecture•15 minutes
- Module 6 Exam - Blockchain Security Overview •30 minutes
- Course Final Exam•30 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 80 minutes
- Fort Knox or House of Cards: How Secure is Blockchain•20 minutes
- Case Study: Assessing Blockchain for Digital Identity Verification•60 minutes
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Reviewed on May 9, 2024
Extremely informative and ensures the lessons are greatly understood! I fully recommend this course! I came out with a greater understanding of blockchain as an aspiring DApp developer
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