This course is part of the Blockchain Specialization

4.6
stars
943 ratings

Bina Ramamurthy

27,130 already enrolled

Offered By

University at Buffalo

The State University of New York

Blockchain SpecializationUniversity at Buffalo

About this Course

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This fourth course of the Blockchain specialization provides learners with an understanding of the broader blockchain ecosystem. Learners are introduced to other blockchain platforms, details of two decentralized application use cases, and challenges such as privacy and scalability. They are prepared to discuss permissioned blockchain architectures of Hyperledger and Microsoft Azure's blockchain as a service model and analyze the Augur and Grid+ decentralized application platforms. Course material includes emerging alternative decentralization models such as IPFS and Hashgraph, challenges in broader blockchain adoption, and continuous improvement solutions.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 4 of 4 in the

Blockchain Specialization

Intermediate Level

Knowledge of at least one high-level programming language is required. Prerequisites: Blockchain Basics, Smart Contracts, and Decentralized Apps.

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, Korean, German, Russian, English, Spanish

What you will learn

This fourth course of the Blockchain specialization provides learners with an understanding of the broader blockchain ecosystem.

Skills you will gain

Hyperledger
Microsoft Azure
Blockchain Platforms
Grid+
Augur

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 4 of 4 in the

Blockchain Specialization

Intermediate Level

Knowledge of at least one high-level programming language is required. Prerequisites: Blockchain Basics, Smart Contracts, and Decentralized Apps.

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, Korean, German, Russian, English, Spanish

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.55/5 (86 Ratings)

Bina Ramamurthy

Teaching Professor

Computer Science and Engineering Department

208,170 Learners

4 Courses

Offered by

University at Buffalo

The University at Buffalo (UB) is a premier, research-intensive public university and the largest, most comprehensive institution of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. UB offers more than 100 undergraduate degrees and nearly 300 graduate and professional programs.

The State University of New York

The State University of New York, with 64 unique institutions, is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States. Educating nearly 468,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs both on campus and online, SUNY has nearly 3 million alumni around the globe.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating94%(3,640 ratings)

Week

Week 1

4 hours to complete

Permissioned Blockchains

In this module, we will explore the contributions of two major technology organizations: The Linux Foundation’s Hyperledger Fabric and Microsoft Azure’s Blockchain as a Service.

4 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 57 min), 7 readings, 6 quizzes

11 videos

Intro: Permissioned Blockchains2m

Hyperledger (Part 1)6m

Hyperledger (Part 2)4m

Fabric Services4m

Fabric Model & Functions (Part 1)5m

Fabric Model & Functions (Part 2)4m

Composer3m

Composer (Demo) (Part 1)6m

Composer (Demo) (Part 2)6m

Composer (Demo) (Part 3)7m

Microsoft Azure5m

7 readings

Acknowledgements: Blockchain5m

(Optional) Resources: Linux's Hyperledger10m

(Optional) Resources: Fabric Services25m

(Optional) Resources: Fabric Model & Functions15m

[OPTIONAL] Composer Demo Files30m

(Optional) Resources: Composer15m

(Optional) Resources: Microsoft Azure10m

6 practice exercises

Self-Check6m

Self-Check30m

Self-Check4m

Self-Check2m

Self-Check30m

Permissioned Blockchains - Week 130m

Week

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Decentralized Applications Platforms

We will explore two Dapps: Augur and Grid+ which are both implemented on Ethereum. You, too, can be a participant in these Dapps platforms, if you wish to do so.

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 27 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes

Week

Week 3

4 hours to complete

Challenges & Solutions

We will explore just a few of the important challenges and solutions that are continuously innovating Blockchain.

4 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 25 min), 4 readings, 5 quizzes

Week

Week 4

6 hours to complete

Alternative Decentralized Solutions

We will explore the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) that aims to address the decentralized data storage problem and Hashgraph, which aims to solve the decentralized trust problem.

6 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 42 min), 5 readings, 4 quizzes

8 videos

Intro: Alternative Decentralized Solutions1m

Interplanetary File System (Part 1)5m

Interplanetary File System (Part 2)4m

Interplanetary File System (Demo)6m

Hashgraph (Part 1)7m

Hashgraph (Part 2)7m

Blockchain: Social Imperative4m

Practitioner's Perspective: Market Adoption4m

5 readings

(Optional) Resources: Interplanetary File System1h

(Optional) Resources: Hashgraph30m

(Optional) Resources: Blockchain: Social Imperative5m

Blockchain Platforms: Key Takeaways10m

REQUIRED: Quiz Resources1h

4 practice exercises

Self-Check30m

Alternative Decentralized Solutions1h

Reviews

4.6

161 reviews

5 stars
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4 stars
22.90%
3 stars
6.58%
2 stars
1.15%
1 star
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TOP REVIEWS FROM BLOCKCHAIN PLATFORMS

by ARMar 24, 2019

Excellent, instructor covers timely components and supplement reading was very helpful. This course sets stage for deeper learning and practice.

by MPMay 6, 2020

With effective and efficiently covered important platforms. I got sufficient knowledge to explore platforms in deep. Big thanks to Buffalo University and Coursera for this specialization course.

by VSFeb 19, 2021

I enjoyed going through the various existing platforms. However, the Hashgraph explanations were unsatisfactory.

by OEApr 25, 2020

Excellent beginners overview of Blockchain with a hands-on project on IPFS, which makes you understand the underlying ideas behind the technology.

View all reviews

About the Blockchain Specialization

This specialization introduces blockchain, a revolutionary technology that enables peer-to-peer transfer of digital assets without any intermediaries, and is predicted to be just as impactful as the Internet. More specifically, it prepares learners to program on the Ethereum blockchain. The four courses provide learners with (i) an understanding and working knowledge of foundational blockchain concepts, (ii) a skill set for designing and implementing smart contracts, (iii) methods for developing decentralized applications on the blockchain, and (iv) information about the ongoing specific industry-wide blockchain frameworks.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Who is this course for?
This course is for anyone interested in a broad overview of the fervent developments taking place in the blockchain landscape, the practical applications that illustrate unique features of blockchain technology – namely decentralization, disintermediation and distributed immutable ledger – and approaches for ongoing improvements in privacy and scalability. It provides learners with an opportunity to learn about the permissioned blockchain in Hyperledger Fabric, the samples of the disruptive Dapps in energy retailer (Grid+) and prediction markets (Augur) and other decentralized developments in IPFS and Hashgraph that may help enrich the blockchain technologies.
Are there any prerequisites?
Review of the content of the first course (Blockchain Basics), second course (Smart Contracts), and third course (Decentralized Applications) of this specialization are prerequisites. Knowledge of at least one high-level programming language is required.
Are there any hardware requirements?
A laptop or a desktop of this specification: 64 bit machine with minimum 4Gb ram, 10Gb free space and Windows 7 or above , or ubuntu 16.04 or Mac os x 10.0+.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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