As enterprises dip their toes deeper into the business uses of blockchain, a new job market is forming around blockchain architecture, development, project management and sales. For many individuals,blockchainrepresents greener pastures that, if acted upon quickly, can provide lucrative and highly sought-after careers.
Yet many people interested in becoming blockchain professionals possess little or no experience in the field -- and aren't even sure where to start. That's why blockchain certifications are becoming more popular. Certifications have long been part of the business world and flourish in fields like information technology, project management, financial services and sales. So, it makes sense for those planning a career in blockchain to take relevant courses and receive a certificate of completion that represents an acquired skill set. These certifications can help blockchain career candidates stand out from the pack and are a great way to land a new role in a field that has tremendous growth potential.
What are the types of blockchain certification courses?
Roles within the blockchain field vary widely, but nearly every job requires at least abasic knowledge of blockchain technologiesand how they can be used to benefit private and public organizations. Since blockchain is still a relatively new concept, virtually all courses and certifications start out with an introduction to blockchain and associated concepts and terms.
Some blockchain certification courses cover just the introductory level, while others provide more detailed information on how to design, program and secure the various parts of a blockchain system. In most cases, these certifications are geared toward developers and architects that require more in-depth technical information.
This article is part of
Blockchain for businesses: The ultimate enterprise guide
- Which also includes:
- Top 10 benefits of blockchain for business
- What are the 4 different types of blockchain technology?
- 7 must-have blockchain developer skills
In addition, a handful of courses focus on a specific aspect of blockchain -- in the form of a specific programming language or developer specialization. These courses are best for those who already have a solid introductory blockchain foundation and want to increase their skills with a specific developer and architecture subset.
What are the benefits for blockchain certification holders?
Certifications typically prove some form of expertise in a field that interests the student and job candidate. Because blockchain skills are in such high demand, blockchain certification holders can benefit in many ways, including the following:
- Higher salaries than comparable, non-blockchain roles.
- Less competitive and shorter corporate ladder to climb.
- Emerging opportunities in business verticals adopting blockchaintechnologies.
- The potential to disrupt and envelop other business fields, further increasing demand for blockchain skills.
What are the top blockchain certification courses?
We've compiled a list of 10 of the best and more popular blockchain courses thataddress various types of blockchain business rolesand provide students with a certificate for completing the course material and passing a certification exam:
1. Professional Certificate in Blockchain Fundamentals
Organization: University of California at Berkeley, offered through edX
Key elements:BerkeleyX's Blockchain Fundamentals Professional Certificate program consists of two courses offered by the University of California Berkeley: (1) Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies and (2) blockchain technology. Self-paced over three months, these courses examine the mechanics of Bitcoin, the wider cryptocurrency market and the fundamentals that comprise blockchain technology. The program then dives deeper into potentialblockchain implementations within the enterprise, including Quorum, Ripple, Tendermint and Hyperledger. Topics covered include the following:
- Real-world applications of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
- Understanding the Ethereum platform.
- The future of blockchain and how it will be applied to economies of the future.
- Enterprise-level blockchain implementations.
- How to develop blockchain products.
- Detailed information on blockchain-related careers and salaries.
Prerequisites:For students that have taken the previous course in the series, Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin and the Crypto Space, or otherwise have similar experience and knowledge in this domain.
2. Certified Blockchain Expert
Organization: Blockchain Council
Key elements:This self-paced, eight-hour certification course provides a thorough understanding of blockchain technologies, mining and security practices. Students are presented with real-world use cases whereblockchain technologies can be applied in various verticals such as finance, healthcare, insurance, government and telecommunications. Topics covered include the following:
- Technologies that comprise blockchain.
- Understanding the blockchain architecture and ecosystem.
- Types of blockchain mining.
- Blockchain securityand privacy, includingsmart contractsandconsensus algorithms.
- Blockchain use cases in various market verticals.
Prerequisites:For those interested in designing and building blockchain-based business applications for the private and public sectors.
3. Certified Blockchain Security Expert
Organization: 101 Blockchains
Key elements:This self-paced, four-week certification course builds a theoretical and practical foundation of blockchain security, including coursework on existing and emerging threats, threat modeling, algorithm security and smart contracts. Since blockchain is still a relatively new concept in most industry and government verticals, a solid foundation in blockchain securityensures deployed blockchain technologies are operating securely. Topics covered include the following:
- Blockchain structure basics.
- Threat modeling and vulnerability assessments.
- Types of blockchain cryptography, including public keys and hash functions.
- Consensus algorithm security using two popular blockchain algorithms.
- Blockchain node and network security.
- Smart contracts and associated vulnerabilities.
- Testing the security of a blockchain system.
- Ensuring blockchain security best practices in enterprise settings.
Prerequisites:For professionals seeking greater focus on the security aspects of blockchain technologies, including blockchain developers, CIOs and IT managers; software architects, engineers and developers; and enterprise and cloud architects.
4. Blockchain: Foundations and Use Cases
Organization: ConsenSys Academy, offered through Coursera
Key elements:This self-paced certification course takes approximately 10 hours to complete. It provides an understanding of the business side of blockchain and associated blockchain technologies, including coverage of blockchain security basics, why businesses implement blockchain in traditional settings, supply chain and asset tracking use cases, and Bitcoin and Ethereum. Topics covered include the following:
- Brief history of blockchain.
- The purpose of decentralization in blockchain.
- Hash functions and public key cryptography.
- Anatomy of a block and a blockchain.
- Consensus mechanisms and trust frameworks.
- Real-world blockchain use cases.
- Smart contracts, cryptocurrency tokens, wallets and marketplaces.
- Types of blockchain platforms, architectures and extensions.
Prerequisites:For technology managers, developers and non-developers interested in a beginner-level introduction to blockchain.
5. Getting Started in Blockchain
Organization: LinkedIn Learning
Key elements:Consisting of five courses and six hours of self-paced content, this blockchain certification program provides a foundation of both the basic and advanced concepts of blockchain. The program also provides insights into thebusiness implications of blockchain as well as benefits, risks, obstacles and use cases. Students earn a certificate of completion after they demonstrate their understanding of the content by answering a handful of quiz questions. Topics covered include the following:
- Problems blockchain solves.
- Cryptocurrency foundations.
- Basics of how blockchain works.
- Growth of crypto coins and crypto tokens.
- Foundations ofdecentralized finance.
- Blockchain and smart contract security.
Prerequisites:For business leaders, IT management and data science roles.
6. Blockchain Specialization
Organization: University at Buffalo, offered through Coursera
Key elements:Consisting of four self-paced specialization courses, this two-month intermediate-level certification program provides a brief review of foundational blockchain concepts; the underpinnings of blockchain technologies; how to design, code and deploy decentralized applications and smart contracts; and blockchain ecosystems andpermissioned blockchain architecturessuch asHyperledgerand Microsoft Azure. Topics covered include the following:
- Blockchain core concepts.
- Creating blockchain nodes on Ethereum.
- Distributed ledgersand the trust model.
- Hashing and cryptography foundations.
- Smart contracts and decentralized applications.
- Severalpopular blockchain platforms.
Prerequisites:For those with knowledge of at least one modern, high-level programming language.
7. Become a Blockchain Developer
Organization: Educative
Key elements:Like the LinkedIn crash course on the basics of blockchain, this self-paced, fully text-based, six-hour certification program on blockchain development gets seasoned programmers up to speed on designing and deploying blockchain networks, Chaincode and blockchain applications. Topics covered include the following:
- Blockchain basics and terminology.
- Blockchain trust models and data structures.
- Hash and cryptography functions.
- Bitcoin history, mining and value.
- Hyperledger networks, transaction processes and development tools.
- How to deploy a fabric network.
- Writing and deploying chaincode.
- Creating and deploying a client application.
Prerequisites:For programmers and engineers who want to develop expertise in blockchain technology with Hyperledger Fabric specialty.
8. Learn the Basics of Blockchain with Python
Organization: Codecademy
Key elements:This self-paced, two-hour certification course provides an introductory overview of blockchain and common terminology, the structure and properties of the blockchain and individual blocks that comprise it, and the features providing security between different blockchain participants. The course provides a hands-on learning capability with an interactive platform to help individuals learn by doing. The program also lets students build a blockchain library using Python, as well as create and tamper with blocks through interactive simulation. Topics covered include the following:
- How blockchain networks work.
- Hashing and cryptography.
- Creating a mini-blockchain using Python.
- How to use a hash function using Python.
- Generating block hashes.
- Verifying blockchain integrity and hacking the chain.
Prerequisites:For those with some knowledge of Python, but it's not necessary for most of the course.
9. Professional Certificate in Blockchain for Business
Organization: The Linux FoundationX, offered through edX
Key elements: The Linux Foundation's Hyperledger is one of the leading open source blockchain technologies and it is widely used as the basis for enterprise deployments. The Professional Certificate in Blockchain for Business is offered by LinuxFoundationX on edX. It aims to teach business professionals about blockchain, its potential use cases and how it can be applied in various industries. The program is designed for business professionals looking to understand the effect of blockchain on their company or industry.
The program includes two courses that take two to three hours per week over a period of six months. Topics covered include the following:
- Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies.
- Business applications of blockchain.
- Blockchain use cases and trends.
- Hyperledger frameworks.
- Explaining blockchain concepts.
Prerequisites: For business professionals without a technical background; this course focuses on business applications.
10. Professional Certificate in Blockchain Essentials
Organization: IBM, offered through edX
Key elements: This is a professional certificate program offered by IBM to teach about blockchain technology and how it is changing business, government and society. It aims to prepare learners for career opportunities in blockchain as demand grows. Those who take the course will gain an understanding of blockchain and how it enables secure and reliable digital interaction and trade. Students will also build skills to work with blockchain technologies. The program includes two courses taking three to four hours per week over a one-month period. Courses are self-paced.
Topics covered include the following:
- What blockchain technology is and how it works.
- Implementing blockchain technology in business.
- Transferring assets in a blockchain network.
- Designing smart contracts, bitcoin wallets, fabricode, Chain SDKs.
- Blockchain platforms like Ethereum, Hyperledger and Quorum.
Prerequisites: For beginners with no prior blockchain experience. Since the program covers blockchain concepts and applications from the ground up, no prerequisites are listed.
Sean Michael Kerner is an IT consultant, technology enthusiast and tinkerer. He has pulled Token Ring, configured NetWare and has been known to compile his own Linux kernel. He consults with industry and media organizations on technology issues.
Andrew Froehlich is founder of InfraMomentum, an enterprise IT research and analyst firm, and president of West Gate Networks, an IT consulting company. He has been involved in enterprise IT for more than 20 years.
