Over the last decade, the highest performing asset class was not stocks, bonds, or even real estate, it was Bitcoin.1 Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the MIT-developed Vault have emerged as a new asset class that has seen momentous returns.

To navigate volatility, it’s necessary to demystify the real-world capabilities of cryptocurrency and its economic implications.

Enhance your knowledge of cryptocurrency, its limitations, capabilities, and the way it functions within the economic environment in the Cryptocurrency online short course from the MIT Media Lab. Taking a comprehensive approach, you’ll explore cryptocurrencies in comparison with traditional finance, and gain insight into how start-ups, financial institutions, big tech, and central banks are adapting to its emergence.

Guided by MIT Media Lab’s Digital Currency Initiative — as well as crypto industry experts, economists, financial regulators, and internet entrepreneurs — you’ll gain the skills to critically and holistically assess the viability of crypto projects, and understand the opportunities and challenges associated with the evolution of money. In six weeks, you’ll gain insight into blockchain technology, smart contracts, decentralized applications (DApps), and the broader environment in which cryptocurrencies exist. At the end of the course, you’ll be equipped with the critical reasoning skills to analyze the viability of any smart crypto project.

1 Fortune (Aug, 2020 ).

This course is designed for anyone seeking a working knowledge of the latest cryptocurrency developments and the skills to assess the viability of crypto projects, and is especially applicable to executives exploring new organizational needs. The program is relevant to both financial services and IT professionals aiming to gain a competitive advantage within their sector by understanding how crypto is actually being applied. Professionals and entrepreneurs from wide-ranging industries, who are seeking future growth or new opportunities, will also benefit from a comprehensive understanding of cryptocurrency and the environment in which it operates.

During this course, you will be provided with the information, knowledge, and frameworks to deepen your understanding of cryptocurrencies from a business perspective. You’ll also explore blockchain technology, how cryptocurrencies operate, and what value they offer in organizational contexts.

You will not be given cryptocurrency investing advice, or investment or financial advice of any nature.