How We Actually Teach Blockchain
Most blockchain courses throw you into the deep end with crypto jargon and complex protocols. We start with the fundamentals—why distributed systems matter, how consensus actually works, and what problems blockchain solves in the real world.
Three-Layer Learning Model
Conceptual Foundation First
We spend the first three weeks on cryptographic principles and distributed system theory. Not because it's exciting—it's not—but because you can't build reliable blockchain applications without understanding hash functions, merkle trees, and Byzantine fault tolerance.
Our instructors have built production systems for supply chain tracking and financial settlement networks. They know where theory meets messy reality.
Protocol Deep Dives
After fundamentals, we examine actual blockchain architectures. You'll study Ethereum's state machine, understand how Bitcoin's UTXO model differs, and explore why Hyperledger Fabric takes a modular approach. Each protocol solves different problems, and choosing the wrong one for your use case gets expensive.
Hands-On Development
The final phase involves building smart contracts, deploying test networks, and debugging common security vulnerabilities. You'll write Solidity code, test it properly, and learn why gas optimization matters when each function call costs money.
What Makes This Different
- We teach on test networks first—production deployment comes after you've broken things safely
- Our curriculum updates every quarter based on protocol changes and new security research
- Class sizes stay under 15 students so instructors can review your actual code
- We focus on practical development constraints: costs, performance, and security tradeoffs
Program Structure
We prioritize what matters most. Core concepts get the most time and attention. Advanced specializations come after you've mastered the basics.
Foundation Phase (8 weeks)
Cryptography, distributed systems architecture, consensus algorithms, and network security. This phase covers why blockchain works the way it does. We spend considerable time here because rushing these concepts causes problems later when you're debugging smart contract behavior or analyzing transaction throughput.
Development Skills (6 weeks)
Smart contract development, testing frameworks, deployment strategies, and security auditing basics. You'll work with Solidity, understand gas optimization, and learn why certain patterns lead to vulnerabilities. Most of your time goes into writing code and having it reviewed.
Specialization Track (4 weeks)
Choose between DeFi protocols, enterprise blockchain integration, or layer-2 scaling solutions. These tracks assume you've absorbed the foundation material and can work independently on complex problems. Projects in this phase often involve integrating multiple technologies and addressing real-world constraints.
Who Actually Teaches
Tomaž Bergström
Blockchain Architect
I spent four years building permissioned blockchain systems for logistics companies before teaching here. The biggest gap I see in education is the disconnect between theoretical blockchain benefits and actual implementation challenges. My courses focus on constraints—bandwidth, latency, coordination costs—because that's where projects succeed or fail.
Sigrún Valtonen
Security Specialist
I audit smart contracts professionally, which means I've seen every mistake developers make when they're learning this technology. Teaching here lets me show students common vulnerabilities before they deploy code that handles real value. We use examples from actual exploits—nothing theoretical about a $50 million reentrancy attack.