BLK101 · Blockchain Fundamentals

Categories: Emerging Technology
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About Course

A plain-language introduction to what a blockchain is, how a network of computers agrees on one shared record, and how to decide whether a business problem actually needs one.

Explore · 4 hours · 4 lessons, a lab, an assessed assignment and a portfolio piece

Who it is for

Business owners, analysts and IT generalists who hear about blockchain and want a solid, hype-free starting point.

Prerequisites

None; basic comfort with spreadsheets and web browsers is enough.

What you will be able to do

  • Describe the structure of a block and explain how hashes link blocks into a tamper-evident chain
  • Compare proof of work and proof of stake in terms of security, energy use and finality
  • Distinguish public, private and consortium blockchains and give a business example of each
  • Apply a decision checklist to judge whether a given business problem needs a blockchain

Lessons

  • Lesson 1 · What a blockchain is and why it exists
  • Lesson 2 · How networks agree: consensus
  • Lesson 3 · Types of blockchain and when to use one
  • Lesson 4 · Lab and assignment

Lab: Explore a public test-network block explorer

You inspect real blocks and transactions on the Sepolia Ethereum test network without creating a wallet or spending money. You then hash short texts in a browser tool to see how a one-character change produces a completely different fingerprint. Finally, you record your observations in a simple worksheet.

Free tools: Sepolia Etherscan (testnet block explorer) and a free online SHA-256 hash tool in the browser

Assessed assignment

Choose a small business you know (for example, a coffee roaster, a used-car dealer or a property manager) and one process that involves several parties sharing records. Apply the lesson 3 decision checklist to that process and write a one-page recommendation: blockchain, shared database or neither. Include a simple diagram or table showing who writes data, who reads it and who must be trusted. End with two questions you would need answered before any project begins.

Criterion Weight What excellent work looks like
Process and parties 25% Clearly describes the process, every party involved and what data each one creates or needs.
Use of the checklist 30% Answers every checklist question with evidence from the scenario rather than assumptions.
Recommendation and reasoning 30% Reaches a clear, defensible conclusion and explains the trade-offs, including cost and complexity.
Clarity and open questions 15% Writes concisely for a non-technical owner and lists two specific, useful open questions.

Portfolio piece

A one-page "Does this business need a blockchain?" assessment with a party-and-trust diagram.

Self-paced, 12-month access. Questions are answered in writing through the student panel. A completion record is issued when you finish the course.

Next step

Continue with BLK102 · Cryptography Essentials for Blockchain · 4 hours · $28.00

Continue to the next course

Prefer the whole program? Program in Blockchain, Web3 & Digital Identity · $277.00 (10% less than buying the courses separately)

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What Will You Learn?

  • Describe the structure of a block and explain how hashes link blocks into a tamper-evident chain
  • Compare proof of work and proof of stake in terms of security, energy use and finality
  • Distinguish public, private and consortium blockchains and give a business example of each
  • Apply a decision checklist to judge whether a given business problem needs a blockchain

Course Content

BLK101 · Blockchain Fundamentals (4 h)
A plain-language introduction to what a blockchain is, how a network of computers agrees on one shared record, and how to decide whether a business problem actually needs one.

  • Lesson 1 · What a blockchain is and why it exists
  • Lesson 2 · How networks agree: consensus
  • Lesson 3 · Types of blockchain and when to use one
  • Lesson 4 · Lab and assignment
  • BLK101 Assessment · Blockchain Fundamentals
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