Hello, I'm Alex Tapscott. I'm Don Tapscott. We're the co-authors of the bestselling book, Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies Is Changing the World. We're also the co-founders of the Blockchain Research Institute based in Toronto, Canada. We've got a diverse and global group of experts doing research on blockchain technology. We're coming up with new ideas for using Blockchain to solve some of the world's biggest problems, like the lack of identity and widespread economic insecurity. Blockchain technology has profound implications for every business and every aspect of our lives. I'm not just talking about cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, it's much bigger than that. It's about the power and the potential of the underlying technology for banking markets and the money that we use every day. Now that's not to say that Bitcoin, we know the cryptocurrencies are unimportant, quite the contrary. They're one of several types of new digital financial assets, like debt or equity, and the deeds you have to property. All of these will grow in importance as individuals control more of their own data and as more assets are managed peer to peer. So that's why financial institutions everywhere are looking at their business opportunities when it comes to blockchain. This revolutionary technology can no longer be dismissed as just a passing fad. That's also why we created this specialization, blockchain revolution in financial services. Now there's a lot of hype around blockchain as with any disruptive technology. There are lots of different sources of information. Trying to learn about blockchain can sometimes feel like drinking water from a fire hose. The water flow is so overwhelming, it'll knock you down before you can take a big gulp. Blockchain is the same way. The flow of information comes out is full force and keeping up can seem sometimes difficult. We believe those who understand the underlying design principles of blockchain and the taxonomy of digital assets will have a better shot than those who don't at understanding it. After all, knowledge is power. Knowledge is power. So who should take this course? Well, ideally, anyone interested in learning about blockchains potential. Accountants, bankers, lawyers, government officials, CFOs, and treasure staff. However, in the last say 12-18 months, the industry as a whole has been looking for analysts of all kinds. Financial analysts, data analysts, quantitative analysts, credit analysts, risk analysts and business analysts to name a few. Anyone interested in those jobs should also sign up right now. So if you're interested in any of these roles, then you've come to the right place. If you want to understand the technology which will shape your industry and your job in the future, this is the course for you. We're happy to be partnering with INSEAD, is one of the world's leading graduate business schools on this first of a kind specialization. The goal of our partnership is to share what we've learn with you and then you can go on and contribute to this burgeoning field yourself. As a cortex, we're using a new book, Financial Services Revolution: How Blockchain Is Changing Banking, Markets and Money. This book covers all the queries of the financial services industry and the impact that blockchain will have on all. The Internet took off because of common interests of its key stakeholders. Stakeholders like governments, civil society, organization, technologists, and people like you. The blockchain revolution requires leaders too, and you can be one of those leaders. In this specialization, you'll learn what blockchain is, how it works, and what makes the technology so revolutionary for the financial services industry. We'll teach you about the categories of crypto assets and the ways we can exchange them on blockchain. You'll learn about this technology and how it's disrupting all aspects of our global financial system. You'll also be able to offer organizations real choices in how they create and manage value. Finally, you'll use this knowledge to create a strategic action plan. You'll identify specific problem in the financial services industry that you want to solve using blockchain technology. You can use this strategic action plan analysis to create an investor deck and pinch your idea to your organization and even to potential investors in your idea. That's right. These are exciting and peerless times, and we expect a period of volatility, speculation, and some initial confusion. But if we all get this right, we can fundamentally change business in society for the better. Transforming how we interact online, how we transact and exchange value, and importantly who gets to participate. If we get it wrong, this technology could become a tool for vested interests to gather wealth, data, and influence, or worse it could even become a platform for some new surveillance economy. So rather than predicting a blockchain future, we're advocating for one. We're arguing that blockchain should succeed because it can help us usher in a new era of prosperity. We believe that the economy works best when it works for everyone. Ultimately, our message is about prosperity for all. We're excited about the wave of innovation currently underway and we're delighted that you're joining us. Now we have a lot of ground to cover in our time together, so hang onto your seats and let's do this. Let's do this.
