- Toshendra Kumar Sharma
- December 10, 2019
Similar to the rise of the Internet, the rise of blockchain technology is a paradigm-shifting event in the field of technology. Though we operate today in a world that is largely reliant on central entities such as banks and governments, blockchain is all set to facilitate the majority of the world’s transactions (exchanges of information).
If you are one who is highly passionate about blockchain and have always dreamt about becoming a blockchain expert, there are many options available today that will help you gain a fair knowledge of blockchain in as quick as one day. Yes, you heard me right! One Day! It is certainly possible to learn blockchain technology in a single day as there are numerous resources available today to help you gain an in-depth understanding of blockchain within a short time.
What is Blockchain?
Blockchain, at a most basic level, is a chain of blocks. Blocks on a blockchain contain digital pieces of information. At a technical level, blockchain can be defined as a distributed digital ledger that records the transactions occurring between two parties in a permanent and verifiable manner. The primary goal of a blockchain is to allow the recording and distribution of digital information, but not editing. Data stored on a blockchain is immutable. Immutability refers to its ability to remain unchanged. A blockchain is a growing list of records, and each block in a blockchain is linked using cryptography. A blockchain functions as a decentralized database. This database is managed by computers that belong to a peer-to-peer network.
Why is it Important to Know About Blockchain?
Blockchain is one technology that approaches reality and every day, more and more companies are planning and implementing their first blockchain projects. Hence, it is important to have a basic understanding of blockchain. It will, no doubt, be a core technology in the coming decades and will transform everything right from finance, education, healthcare, transportation, agriculture, e-commerce, advertising, manufacturing, etc.
In today’s context, cryptocurrencies are live and boast a market capitalization of dozens of billions of US dollars. This is currently being led by bitcoin. Shortly, traditional currencies such as the US Dollar or Euro will also function on blockchain systems, and this also includes all kinds of securities such as stocks, funds, and debt instruments. These will be used by a majority of the industries across the globe in the context of financial activities. Blockchain will also find its place in various non-financial use cases such as voting systems, identity management, the provenance of goods, tracking goods along the supply chain, etc. It is a very powerful technology with a broad range of applications.
How to Gain Blockchain Knowledge?
You can acquire blockchain knowledge through various ways such as reading books, online articles, or whitepapers, listening to podcasts, networking with blockchain enthusiasts and expert groups, attending blockchain-related study programs and online courses or certifications. While podcasts and videos are easy and quick ways for you to start learning the concepts, it is important for you to choose the other options mentioned above and those will require a high level of dedication and commitment if you are serious about gaining blockchain knowledge.
Level of Understanding to be Acquired
Anyone who intends to work in the field of blockchain must, at the most basic level, be able to understand and program a very simple smart contract. A smart contract is a self-enforcing or self-executing contract in which the terms of the agreement between a seller and a buyer are directly written into lines of code.
The other concepts of blockchain technology that you must learn are an understanding of what blockchain is, why blockchain is essential, how blockchain can be differentiated from traditional technologies, benefits of blockchain technology, different blockchain platforms, blockchain ecosystem, the relationship between Bitcoin and blockchain. Apart from these, you will also need to learn concepts such as private and public blockchains, peer-to-peer networking, blocks, transactions, private keys, and addresses, consensus algorithms, and miners and blockchain mining.
After you have mastered these concepts, you can move on to learning more advanced concepts such as blockchain architecture and building your own blockchain solution. To give you a more practical idea of how blockchain is used across various industries, you can learn the areas where blockchain is applied such as healthcare record-keeping, supply chain, digital marketing, land ownership, cybersecurity, and law, to name a few popular ones.
Are you wondering how you will be able to learn all the concepts mentioned in this exhaustive list within a single day? That is very simple. All you need is a laptop with an internet connection, basic knowledge of computers, and the interest or commitment to learn. One such popular online learning platform that will let you learn all these within a few hours is the Blockchain Council, as their blockchain certifications are self-paced and offer courses with training durations such as four, six, or eight hours. So, what is blockchain council, and what do they do?
A Brief of Blockchain Council
Blockchain Council comprises of an authoritative team of blockchain enthusiasts and subject experts evangelizing blockchain use cases, products, knowledge, and research and development for a better world. Blockchain is one such disruptive technology which is rapidly emerging and has a broad scope for enhancement. Blockchain Council operates on the mission of educating people and creating awareness among businesses, enterprises, developers, and society in the blockchain sphere. Blockchain Council is a private de-facto organization which works individually and proliferates blockchain technology on a global scale.
Some of the certifications offered by Blockchain Council are Certified Blockchain Expert, Certified Blockchain Architect, Certified Blockchain Developer, and certifications in blockchain platforms such as Hyperledger, Corda, Quorum, and Ethereum. They also offer certifications for blockchain professionals working in the field of human resources, law, supply chain, finance, healthcare, and digital marketing. All their courses are self-paced and provide comprehensive modules that have been carefully designed by acknowledged industry experts.
Conclusion
If you decide to engage in learning blockchain now, you will certainly have a lucrative career for the next 20-30 years. You will be one among those designing the digital transformation of the economy instead of being one among those who just sit and observe and see their workplace transform or completely vanish. It is never very late to start learning. If you start learning today, you will certainly have the chance for a promising career.
To enrol in blockchain certifications and become a blockchain expert, check out Blockchain Council.