Evaluating Blockchain for Business

Evaluating Blockchain for Business

Instructor: Robert J. Brunner

Included with Learn more

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

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Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

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There are 4 modules in this course

Evaluating Blockchain for Business gives you the frameworks to judge where blockchain creates real value and where it does not. Built for business leaders rather than blockchain developers, it demystifies how blockchains, smart contracts, and tokens operate, then equips you with a structured suitability framework, premortem analysis, and business-case and financial-modeling tools. You will put them to work on real decisions in domains such as financial services and supply chain. Along the way you will weigh real successes, such as Walmart Food Trust and BlackRock's tokenized funds, against failures such as TradeLens and Terra/Luna. By the end, you will be able to separate genuine opportunity from hype and assess platforms, vendors, and use cases with the judgment of an informed executive.

This module builds the technical foundation an executive needs to evaluate a blockchain proposal without needing to implement one. It covers how blockchains work, what they guarantee, what they do not, and where the real limitations sit.

What's included

17 videos9 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt1 plugin

17 videosTotal 161 minutes

Meet Your Instructor: Robert Brunner3 minutes
The Impact of the Gies Community2 minutes
Why Traditional Digital Systems Require Intermediaries9 minutes
Trust-Minimized Systems10 minutes
The Blockchain Value Proposition10 minutes
Cryptographic Foundations for Business Leaders11 minutes
Consensus Mechanisms10 minutes
Smart Contracts11 minutes
Public Blockchains10 minutes
Enterprise and Permissioned Platforms12 minutes
Scaling, Interoperability, and Privacy Technologies10 minutes
Token Taxonomy and Regulatory Implications11 minutes
Token Economics11 minutes
Real-World Asset Tokenization11 minutes
Technical Limitations That Matter10 minutes
Security Landscape11 minutes
Interoperability Challenges and Bridge Risks9 minutes

9 readingsTotal 90 minutes

Syllabus10 minutes
Coursera Coach10 minutes
About the Discussion Forums10 minutes
Glossary10 minutes
Brand Descriptions10 minutes
Online Education at Gies College of Business10 minutes
Updating Your Profile10 minutes
Module 1 Overview10 minutes
Module 1 Reading and Transcript10 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Orientation Quiz30 minutes
Module Quiz: Blockchain Fundamentals for Business Leaders30 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Getting to Know Your Classmates10 minutes

1 pluginTotal 15 minutes

Welcome! Please Tell Us About Yourself15 minutes

This module supplies the analytical tools for rigorous blockchain evaluation, combined with the technical architecture knowledge required to use them. The frameworks are built to transfer across industries and use cases.

What's included

17 videos2 readings1 assignment

17 videosTotal 135 minutes

The Five-Question Suitability Framework9 minutes
Common Misapplications8 minutes
High-Profile Failures8 minutes
Premortem Methodology for Blockchain Projects8 minutes
Common Blockchain Failure Modes8 minutes
Scenario Planning Under Uncertainty9 minutes
Smart Contract Architecture and Development Lifecycle8 minutes
The Oracle Problem7 minutes
Oracle Solutions and Risk Management8 minutes
Smart Contract Security9 minutes
Layer 2 Scaling Solutions7 minutes
Cross-Chain Interoperability8 minutes
Zero-Knowledge Proofs7 minutes
ZK Applications8 minutes
Financial Modeling for Blockchain Projects8 minutes
Quantifying Blockchain Benefits7 minutes
Sensitivity Analysis and Decision Triggers9 minutes

2 readingsTotal 20 minutes

Module 2 Overview10 minutes
Module 2 Reading and Transcript10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Module Quiz: Strategic Evaluation and Technical Architecture30 minutes

Financial services is blockchain's most mature application domain. This module examines institutional adoption and decentralized alternatives side by side, with attention proportional to the risks.

What's included

16 videos2 readings1 assignment

16 videosTotal 117 minutes

Cross-Border Payments6 minutes
Stablecoin Landscape8 minutes
Central Bank Digital Currencies8 minutes
DeFi Fundamentals9 minutes
DeFi Risks8 minutes
Institutional DeFi8 minutes
Tokenized Securities8 minutes
Post-Trade Infrastructure9 minutes
Asset Management and Fund Administration8 minutes
Enterprise Custody Models7 minutes
Treasury Policy Design5 minutes
Key Management5 minutes
Operational Risk Controls7 minutes
Accounting Treatment of Digital Assets7 minutes
Trade Finance and Supply Chain Finance6 minutes
Tax Considerations Across Jurisdictions8 minutes

2 readingsTotal 20 minutes

Module 3 Overview10 minutes
Module 3 Reading and Transcript10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Module Quiz: Financial Services and Digital Assets30 minutes

This module covers the application areas with the strongest enterprise traction, including traceability, energy markets, and sustainability. The emphasis falls on quantified ROI and the network effects problem.

What's included

15 videos4 readings1 assignment1 plugin

15 videosTotal 112 minutes

The Supply Chain Transparency Problem7 minutes
Success Stories with Quantified ROI6 minutes
IoT Integration and Data Quality Challenges7 minutes
The TradeLens Failure8 minutes
Successful Consortium Models8 minutes
Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading8 minutes
Renewable Energy Certificates and Carbon Credits8 minutes
Grid Management and Distributed Energy Resources9 minutes
ESG Reporting and Verification8 minutes
Circular Economy and Waste Tracking8 minutes
Greenwashing Risks and Verification Standards8 minutes
Luxury Goods and Consumer Products8 minutes
Pharmaceutical Authentication and DSCSA8 minutes
Aerospace and High-Value Components9 minutes
Learn on Your Terms1 minute

4 readingsTotal 40 minutes

Module 4 Information10 minutes
Module 4 Reading and Transcript10 minutes
Congratulations on Completing the Course!10 minutes
Get Your Course Certificate10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Module Quiz: Supply Chain, Energy, and Sustainability30 minutes

1 pluginTotal 15 minutes

How Was The Course?15 minutes

Instructor

Robert J. Brunner

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

8 Courses43,617 learners

Offered by

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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