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INSEAD

Web3 and Blockchain Fundamentals

There is a lot of hype around Web3 and blockchain. As with any disruptive technology, there are many competing sources of information. But if we look beyond the hype and mania—not to mention the fear, uncertainty, and doubt—we see something profound happening. We are witnessing one of the largest transformations of wealth in human history—from paper-based analog assets to digital ones. Blockchain represents the first native digital medium for value, and is foundational to the next generation of the Internet—also known as Web3. In this short course you’ll learn what Web3 is, and how it differs from Web1 and Web2 in important ways. You’ll explore blockchain as the foundational technology for the Web3 era, and will learn about key concepts, such as digital assets (tokens), smart contracts, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), and the blockchain “trilemma.” You will be able to describe seven principles for the design of blockchain-based systems, and seven challenge areas associated with implementing blockchain technology. You will be able to identify the questions one must consider when deciding whether or not blockchain is appropriate for a particular problem or use-case, and you will be able to describe some real-world examples of companies that have integrated blockchain into their business models. This course is non-technical (i.e. no coding required) and is intended for a broad audience. The video material for these courses includes content from our “Blockchain Revolution Specialization” and “Web3 and Blockchain in Global Commerce Specialization,” which has been remixed and re-edited for the purposes of this short course.

Status: Distributed Computing
Status: Governance
Course4 hours

Featured reviews

LL

5.0Reviewed May 23, 2023

Very good and insightful for anyone wanting to get started in Web3 & Blockchain Technology.

TS

5.0Reviewed Aug 29, 2024

Holistic overview of Web3 from a business and technical perspective, greatly delivered

SA

5.0Reviewed Jan 30, 2024

Course really cleared all my fundamental so well, I was like how simple and interest is this.

RC

5.0Reviewed Jul 23, 2023

A very good professional and deep overview of Web 3 and the Blockchain.

MS

4.0Reviewed Mar 19, 2026

Decent content and structure but I would have preferred way less political commentary and bitcoin evangelism.

MP

5.0Reviewed Jun 15, 2025

Learnt a lot about the Web3 & blockchain space through this course

SM

4.0Reviewed Apr 25, 2024

Content is really good. Readings stated as 10 mins is not correct. Therefore the course length is certainly more than 3 hours. Otherwise 5 stars,

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