8 Digital Assets and Blockchain Courses for Finance

Written by CFI Team

Read Time 8 minutes

Due to the rise of technology, nearly every aspect of human life has been infiltrated with digital assets. From the moment we wake up, many of us use our phones as alarms. Many people then use their phones to see what the weather is going to be like that day. From that point on, the use of digital assets to make the human experience easier never ends.

Today, people use digital assets to do everything from creating digital documents for work to watching online videos for entertainment. People even now use digital assets as a form of currency. As a result, it would be wise for finance professionals to take digital assets or blockchain technology courses.

What are Digital Assets?

Digital assets are anything digital, identifiable, or discoverable that has value. Therefore, everything from podcasts to cryptocurrency is a digital asset.

What are Some Examples of Digital Assets?

Common examples of digital assets include everything from online photos to virtual documents, audiobooks, podcasts, digital music, social media, emails, virtual gaming accounts, and digital animations and illustrations.

What is Blockchain Technology?

Blockchain technology is a digital database of transactions maintained by a network of computer servers that are decentralized and peer-to-peer and, thus, agree on the contents of the database in a way that makes it hard to hack or change. Cryptocurrency transactions are often maintained in a blockchain.

Digital Assets and Blockchain Technology in the Finance Industry

With different forms of digital assets being created every day, it should be no surprise that there are now digital assets in the form of currency. An example of a digital asset in the form of currency is cryptocurrency, in particular, Bitcoin, along with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on blockchains.

Cryptocurrency transactions are maintained on blockchain technology sites. Because there are now digital assets in the form of currency, finance professionals should learn about digital assets and blockchain technology.

Digital Assets and Blockchain Courses for Finance Professionals

There are various digital asset and blockchain courses, certifications, and specialization programs for finance professionals. Some courses on digital assets and blockchain technology that finance professionals can take advantage of include the following:

1. Blockchain and Finance Professional Certification

Provided by the Blockchain Council, the Blockchain and Finance Professional Certification educates individuals on everything they need to know about blockchain technology to create solutions that influence all aspects of Finance.

Four modules make up this certification program. These four modules include Introduction to Functional Finance, An Overview of Blockchain, Assimilation of Blockchain and Finance, Use Case in Financial Management, and the Certified Blockchain and Financial Professional Exam.

2. Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets Specialist Program

The Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets Specialist Program is offered here at CFI. Through this specialist program, finance professionals get the opportunity to learn about cryptocurrencies and blockchain. Students of this specialist program will also learn how to critically analyze digital assets.

Ultimately, the skills and knowledge that people gain from the CFI Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets Specialist Program will help them thrive in the world of decentralized finance.

3. Introduction to Blockchain for Financial Services

Individuals who take the Coursera Introduction to Blockchain for Financial Services course will learn about the limitations of the internet for business and economic activity. Individuals in this course will also learn how to gain trust in a pre and post-blockchain world. Furthermore, people in this course will learn the seven design principles of blockchain technology, the steps of a blockchain transaction, and the ten challenges associated with implementing blockchain technology.

Offered by Coursera, the Introduction to Blockchain for Financial Services course is also part of the Coursera Blockchain Revolution in Financial Services Specialization. Therefore, it’s important to note that anyone who enrolls in the Introduction to Blockchain for Financial Services course at Coursera will also be enrolled in their Blockchain Revolution in Financial Services Specialization program. Therefore, anyone interested in taking this course should consider directly enrolling in the specialization program instead.

4. Decentralized Finance (DeFi): The Future of Finance Specialization

Through Duke University’s online Decentralized Finance (DeFi): The Future of Finance Specialization, finance professionals get the opportunity to learn about the historical evolution of decentralized finance along with the problems that DeFi helps solve.

Students of this DeFi specialization program also get to learn about the key risks of decentralized finance, including smart contract risk, governance risk, scaling, and regulatory issues. By the end of this course, students will have a clear vision of the future of finance.

The Duke University Decentralized Finance (DeFi): The Future of Finance Specialization is made up of four courses. These four courses include DeFi Infrastructure, DeFi Primitives, DeFi Deep Dive, and DeFi Risks and Opportunities.

5. Cryptocurrency Intermediates: Altcoins, Stablecoins, CBDCs, and NFTs

Provided by CFI, the Cryptocurrency Intermediates: Altcoins, Stablecoins, CBDCs, and NFTs course teaches finance professionals everything they need to know about all the different digital assets that have financial value. In taking this CFI course on cryptocurrency, finance professionals will get to look at case studies and deep dives that explain critical digital assets in great detail.

This course also examines the risks to look for when investing in these assets. By the end of this course, students should feel confident in their knowledge of the different digital assets, their pros and cons, and how they fit in the decentralized finance space.

CFI: Cryptocurrency Intermediates: Altcoins, Stablecoins, CBDCs, and NFTs Course

6. Economics of Blockchain and Digital Assets

The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania offers an online Economics of Blockchain and Digital Assets certificate program that educates finance and business professionals on the fundamental economic value drivers of blockchain technology. This certification program also uses theoretical frameworks and real-world applications to give students the tools that they need to engage with blockchain technology in business.

This Economics of Blockchain and Digital Assets certification program is a six-week course that comes with over 50 video lectures, seven industry case studies, and three crypto valuation models.

7. Understanding, Using, and Securing Crypto and Digital Assets

Offered by Coursera, the Understanding, Using, and Securing Crypto and Digital Assets course teaches finance professionals new concepts from industry experts. This course also helps finance professionals develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects. It’s important to note that because this course is also part of the Introduction of Blockchain Specialization Program at Coursera, anyone who is enrolled in this course will also be enrolled in the Blockchain Specialization Program.

8. Blockchain Beyond the Basics

Offered by LinkedIn Learning, the Blockchain Beyond the Basic course teaches students how blockchain technology works. This course also teaches students about the concepts of cryptography, mining, public and private keys, and smart contracts.

Individuals who take the LinkedIn Blockchain Beyond the Basics course will even learn how Blockchain enables the most popular cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. Furthermore, this course explores the unique implementations of Blockchain technology in decentralized finance, non-fungible tokens, cross-border payments, identity management, and title registries.

Things to Consider Before Choosing a Digital Assets or Blockchain Course

When it comes to deciding which digital assets or blockchain course to take, there are many factors that you should consider. Some of the top factors that you should consider before choosing a digital assets or blockchain course are below.

Cost

Every course, certification, or specialization program on digital assets or blockchain technology is different and, thus, has a different cost. This is especially true when you consider the learning tool or educational institution that’s offering the course. For example, Wharton’s six-week course on the Economics of Blockchain and Digital Assets course costs up to $3800.00.

On the other hand, at this time you can enroll in both Coursera courses in the list above on Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain for free. Even the LinkedIn Learning Blockchain course provided on our list of courses is free as long as you pay $29.99 a month for LinkedIn Premium.

The reason for the cost discrepancy between an online certification course through the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a course through a learning platform such as Coursera or LinkedIn Learning is that there is more prestige to receiving a certification from an educational institution. This is especially true for people who receive a course certification at a top school such as the Wharton School through the University of Pennsylvania.

Therefore, if you’re willing to pay thousands of dollars more for your course certification just so that you can receive a little more prestige, go for an online course through a college or university. If you want to save money while educating yourself on digital assets or blockchain technology, pursue a course through a learning platform.

Time

Another thing you should consider before choosing a digital assets or blockchain course is the amount of time that you will have to dedicate to completing the course. While many online digital assets courses are self-paced, there are some that are not. Therefore, you must make sure that you can set aside the time that the course that you’re enrolling in requires.

For example, the Wharton’s School Economics of Blockchain and Digital Assets certification program is a six-week course. Thus, if you don’t think that you can complete everything that that course requires in that set amount of time, it may be best for you to choose another certification course program. Fortunately, nearly every course through a learning platform such as Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and even CFI is self-paced and allows you to take as long as you need to complete.

What The Course Will Be Teaching

Another factor that you should consider before choosing a digital assets or blockchain course is what exactly the course will be teaching. Digital assets and blockchain technology are complicated topics. Therefore, there are many different angles that a person can take when teaching a digital assets or blockchain course.

To make sure that the course you decide to take teaches you the information that you need to learn to reach your individual goals and further your career, do research on the course before enrolling.

Receive Training on Digital Assets and Blockchain Technology with CFI and Further Your Career

With constant advancements being made in technology, digital assets and blockchain technology will only continue to infiltrate the financial landscape. Therefore, to further your career as a finance professional, it’s wise to receive training on digital assets and blockchain technology per certification courses now.

One learning platform that’s affordable and self-paced and provides respected, comprehensive certification courses on digital assets and blockchain technology, specifically as it pertains to finance professionals, is the Corporate Finance Institute (CFI). Therefore, CFI is the ideal learning platform for finance professionals to gain more digital assets or blockchain technology education and training.

For a fee of approximately a couple hundred dollars, you can partake in one of the CFI digital assets or blockchain technology courses. To learn about the investment potential of digital assets, consult CFI’s blog on whether cryptocurrency is a good investment or not.