Where In The World Are The Best Universities For Blockchain?

University courses are now available for students who want to learn more about the financial technology (fintech) sector. Nowadays, a lot of institutions and universities throughout the world offer formal instruction on fintech products and ideas like blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Perhaps as a result of the fintech sector’s rapid expansion and contributions to a variety of businesses, these courses have been included in higher education institutions’ curricula.

This article explores the types of programmes each of the top colleges that offer courses on blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and fintech has to offer. The data should be helpful to professionals and students who want to enroll in higher education courses in the fintech sector.

Why are NFTs and blockchain so closely related?

Blockchain now introduces non-fungibility to the digital universe in the form of NFTs, just as it introduced fungibility to the digital space and allowed us to exchange value like-for-like in the form of cryptocurrencies. The foundational element of web 3.0 architecture, Blockchain, is used in white label NFT marketplace development.

The immutability, dependability, transparency, and decentralization of blockchains open up new possibilities for the frictionless exchange, trading, and sharing of digital representations of any form of assets, and this is expected to inspire new blockchain-based innovation for many organizations.

Universities That Provide Blockchain Education Online:

• Boston University of Technology
• Cornell College
• Harvard College
• California State University, Berkeley
• College of Oxford
• Singapore National University
• Nicosia University

Financial technology has existed since the 1950s with the introduction of credit cards and later automated teller machines. However, fintech is typically linked with contemporary platforms like blockchain, digital currencies, and online payment systems (Desai, 2015). The industry has seen an enormous increase in value and prominence over the years, which has been accelerated by the sudden popularity of Bitcoin.

The value of the fintech sector was $127.66 billion in 2018, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 24.8%. (The Business Research Company, 2019). This amount is anticipated to increase to $309.98 billion by 2022. Additionally, the combined market value of the four major financial institutions that use fintech (Visa, Paypal, MasterCard, and Square) is $1.07 trillion, which is higher than the $880 billion worth of the six largest banks in the United States (Delouya, 2020).

Learning about the fintech sector is undoubtedly a wise move given the tremendous expansion of financial technology. Additionally, 56% of the best colleges provide online blockchain and fintech courses (Coinbase, 2019). These courses often consist of eLearning certificate programmes that introduce blockchain and financial technology as well as how they impact different industries. The majority of them don’t cost admission, and some of them are even free to take. In this post, we discuss seven of the best universities available.

1. Massachusetts (Boston) Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the top universities in the world and among the most well-known, is regarded as one of the best-value colleges in the United States. It is renowned for its high caliber of academic programmes, outstanding teaching, and quality of research. This private institution hosts an elite yearly fintech conference with more than 30 eminent speakers from the financial industry, and it has one of the largest numbers of blockchain papers published (Coindesk & Youngblom, 2020).

Two of the more than ten blockchain courses that MIT offers as part of its Digital Currency Initiative are free online courses, and there is also a graduate-level fintech course. “Entrepreneurship Without Borders,” a graduate course that explores how blockchain technology plays in global entrepreneurial opportunities and problems and also focuses on the formation of new companies, is one of the university’s most prominent programmes. The Blockchain Ethics course, which focuses on the effects of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, is another distinctive option.

Courses and programmes on offer:

• Ethereum Lab
• The Ethics of Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrencies: Their Effects
• Bitcoin and Blockchain Future of the Internet: New Blockchain Hubs
• Bitcoin, Blockchains, and Other Marvels: Crypto Finance Shared Public Ledgers
• Design and Engineering of cryptocurrencies (free online course)
• Without Borders for Entrepreneurs (free online course)
• Cryptocurrency
• FinTech is changing the financial landscape.

2. Cornell University

Ivy League institution Cornell University is renowned for its rigorous academic standards and the calibre of its research. It is particularly well-known in the fintech space because it offers the most blockchain courses of any university (Coindesk & Youngblom, 2020). Emin Gün Sirer, a pioneer in the blockchain industry, is among the lecturers at Cornell University, which also offers two certificate programmes in blockchain and FinTech. In addition to them, the private institution also offers nine fintech courses and 12 blockchain courses.

For its workshops and seminars, Cornell collaborates with well-known figures in the financial technology industry. The creator of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, gave the university’s pupils a “Crypto Boot Camp.” On Cornell’s Video on Demand website, he also offers a public, free online seminar. The blockchain seminars have also included speakers including Casey Detrio, Andrew Miller, and Dr. Ittay Eyal.

Courses and programmes on offer:

• Blockchain Foundations
• FinTech Legders, Cryptocurrencies
• Essentials of Cryptography
• Blockchain Technology Use Cases
• FinTech Upheavals
• FinTech trends
• Introduction to Smart Contracts, Cryptocurrencies, and Blockchains
• Blockchains and Distributed Consensus
• Bitcoin and blockchain technology
• Analytics and System
• Financial Institutions and Markets
• Internet FinTech Transactions Law
• An introduction to financial technology, innovation, and analytics
• Entrepreneurship and Alternative Finance in Emerging Economies: Demystifying Big Data and FinTech
• macroeconomics and global finance

3. Harvard University

One of the most prestigious colleges in the world and the first in North America is Harvard University. Among all American universities, it has also produced the most millionaires, presidents, Nobel laureates, and Fields Medalists who are still alive today. It boasts the largest proportion of students who started careers in the blockchain sector when it comes to fintech (Coindesk & Youngblom, 2020). This private school’s computer science programme includes courses on blockchain and bitcoin in addition to a six-week FinTech course that emphasizes the effects of financial technology on banking, real estate, and other industries.

Additionally, Harvard and Coursera have teamed up to offer six no-cost online courses on blockchain and cryptocurrency. Given the annual average tuition increase, these free classes help students with their financial burdens. The courses vary from introductory blockchain technology classes to intermediate courses that highlight the technology’s many uses. Additionally, the university’s business school and cyberspace research center also focus some of their coursework on financial technology. The Harvard Law School Blockchain and Fintech Initiative is a student organization that law students can join if they are interested in learning more about blockchain and fintech.

Courses and programmes on offer:

• An introduction to Bitcoin and blockchain
• FinTech
• a focus on blockchain (free online course)
• Blockchain: Use Cases and Foundations (free online course)
• Foundations of the Blockchain for Developers (free online course)
• Blockchain Foundations (free online course)
• Bitcoin Foundations (free online course)
• Cryptocurrency Technologies and Bitcoin (free online course)

4. University of California-Berkeley

The University of California-Berkeley (UC Berkeley), a Public Ivy, is one of the most coveted public institutions in the world and is renowned for its robust academic programmes and high level of research activities. Additionally, it enjoys one of the best reputations in the world of blockchain technology (Coindesk & Youngblom, 2020). The school has a whole programme devoted to blockchain technology that offers two to three courses a year in addition to specialized blockchain and fintech research. The research includes in-depth analyses of the blockchain legal environment, the influence of the technology on the public and private sectors, and the incentives in emergent networks.

Lattice-based cryptosystems, emerging systems, and blockchain basics are the three programmes that UC Berkeley offers. Additionally, on its “Blockchain at Berekely” YouTube channel, it broadcasts free courses about blockchain, cryptocurrency, and fintech (Blockchain at Berkeley, nd). All students are welcome to participate in the Blockchain Fundamentals programme, which is run in collaboration with Edx.

Courses and programmes on offer:

• Algorithms, complexity, and cryptography in lattices
• Blockchain Fundamentals: An Emerging Technologies and Social Impact Challenge Lab
• The Future of Blockchain, Cryptoeconomics, and Business, Law, and Technology

5. University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is the oldest institution of higher learning in the English-speaking world and one of the top universities in the entire world. This public university is well-known for its standing, top-notch instruction, and significant research. Oxford regularly publishes articles about blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, and financial technology in relation to financial systems. Additionally, it provides a number of blockchain and fintech courses that cover topics like management and software engineering.

Fintech and blockchain start-up programmes in Oxford are well-known. The blockchain curriculum, which is excellent for novices, examines how the technology may alter the way that several sectors, such as telecommunications, energy, and the pharmaceutical industry, operate. The FinTech beginning programme, meanwhile, explores topics including cryptocurrency, banking networks, digital platforms, and the digitization of currencies. Both classes are presented in conjunction with Esme Learning and last six weeks.

Courses and programmes on offer:

• Program for Oxford Blockchain Strategy
• Fintech Oxford Program
• Ethereum for Managers
• For managers, blockchain software engineering

6. National University of Singapore

One of the top universities in Asia, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is renowned for its innovative research, wide range of academic specialties, and academic quality. Additionally, it is one of Asia’s top locations for cryptocurrency education (Coinbase, 2019). In order to create a virtual banking ecosystem within NUS, the school has a dedicated lab for financial technology that performs research on fintech applications for different businesses. The institution also offers a blockchain research community with entrepreneurial and research projects.

A two-month fintech certificate programme offered by NUS includes professional certification and a unique traineeship at the end. Additionally, it provides a variety of courses with an emphasis on various financial technology-related topics, including payments, distributed ledgers, banking and enterprise applications, and innovation in the financial services industry. Additionally, it holds annual workshops on blockchain technology.

Courses and programmes on offer:

• FinTechSG NUS Program
• Professional Services (SGUS) (FinTech)
• Fintech: Financial Services Innovation and Change
• Making Use of Fintech for Business
• AI in Banking and Finance: Real Fintech
• Fintech for Real: Alternatives and Payments
• The Beginning of Blockchain, Digital Currency, and Distributed Ledgers
• DLT and Enterprise Blockchain for Executives