Digital Finance (2022)

What you’ll learn
To learn about how the shortcomings of the current financial order are being reshaped through Fintech.
To be able to identify the basic characteristics of cryptocurrencies (such as Bitcoin) & digital tokens, how they are transacted & held in digital wallets.
To gain a basic understanding of blockchain technology, including smart contracts, DAPPs (decentralized applications), and popular blockchain platforms.
To understand the difference between centralized crypto exchanges and decentralized ones.
To learn about DeFi (Decentralized Finance) in the context of cryptos and blockchain technology and how they are disrupting traditional finance.
To examine components of DeFi which include smart contracts, borrowing & lending protocols, stablecoins, and decentralized exchanges.
To learn about which countries are already developing and adopting CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies), what factors are being considered in their design.
Be able to discuss these technologies with clarity, insight, and intelligence.

Requirements
There are no requirements

Description
The total estimated time required for you to spend on this course is approximately 6.5 hours (see breakdown below).

This course is will introduce the learner to five main tech innovations that are shaping the new era of Digital Finance, namely

1. Fintech

2. Cryptocurrencies

3. Blockchain Technology

4. DeFi (Decentralized Finance)

5. CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies)

We will also examine how all of these technologies mesh and influence one another.

Apart from a brief introduction to the course & instructor (6 min.), here is a specific breakdown of each of the five parts (along with the estimated time spent on each for lecture + student work)

Part 1 – Fintech (30 min.)

– defining Fintech

– application areas

– assignment #1 (describing the shortcomings of a Fintech application)

Part 2 – Cryptocurrencies (30 min.)

– basic characteristics of coins and tokens, including encryption

– Bitcoin & Ethereum

– how crypto transactions are recorded on blockchains

– privacy-oriented cryptocurrencies

– wallets & crypto exchanges

– crypto ranking websites and how to use them

Part 3 – Blockchain Technology (45 min.)

– what a blockchain is and how it works (in very basic/simplistic form)

– Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)

– how transactions are processed & validated through nodes/miners/validators

– the decentralized nature of blockchains

– blockchain explorers

– smart contracts

– DAPPs (Distributed Applications)

– popular blockchain platforms Ethereum, Solana, and Avalanche

– portals to other blockchain projects

– Quiz # 1 – Cryptocurrencies & Blockchain

Part 4 – DeFi (Decentralized Finance) (60 min.)

– defining DeFi

– DeFi terminology (digital assets, synthetic assets, open source, etc.)

– the 5 main components of DeFi

1. Smart contracts

2. Borrowing/Lending/Staking

3. Decentralized Exchanges

4. Cryptocurrencies

5. Stablecoins

– Assignment # 2 – DeFi

Part 5 – CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies) (75 min.)

– introducing CBDCs

– characteristics of CBDCs

– the Chinese CBDC ‘digital Yuan’ (eCNY)

– other countries’ CBDCs

– factors considered in the design of CBDCs

– concerns regarding CBDCs

– Assignment # 3 – CBDCs

Implications Discussion (20 min.)

– discussing the effects of these technologies have on traditional banking

– discussing the effects of these technologies have on your job and company

– exploring the role Bitcoin will play going forward

Putting it all together (Recommended viewings) (120 min.)

– synthesizing the material from this course together to make sense of it all

– hearing from two leading experts in these spaces – one from a global macro perspective and the other from a technological one

BONUS: Recommended Resources for continued learning + Entire course PPT downloadable (in PDF format) (5 min.)

– leaving you with outstanding resources (online crypto magazines & video learning) for your continued learning

– you will get the entire course PPT with all the invaluable links at your fingertips for review and consultation.

Who this course is for
Busy business executives and mid- to high-level managers with limited knowledge about crypto, blockchain, & DeFi (Decentralized Finance), but want to learn about them quickly.
Those who want to gain a basic understanding about blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies (such as Bitcoin), DeFi, and CBDCs, along with the related terminology used to grasp their underlying concepts.
Those who want to gain a better understanding on how these technologies converge and are reshaping the increasingly digitalized financial economy.