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January 28, 2025
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What blockchain is, how it works, and the ways it intersects with other technologies, industries, functions, and the broader Web3 ecosystem
Blockchain solutions for provenance, traceability, ethical sourcing, distributed manufacturing, digital twins, and asset life-cycle management
The importance of standards, interoperability, regulation, governance, consortia, and “coopetition” for advancing blockchain innovation and adoption
How to identify, review, and evaluate business opportunities and challenges related to blockchain in global commerce
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Global commerce has grown in complexity and magnitude over millennia, but its processes remain relatively unchanged. Enter blockchain—the Internet of Value. For the first time in human history, individuals and organizations can manage and trade their assets digitally, peer to peer. This four-course Specialization introduces you to the world of blockchain technology for global commerce—explaining what blockchain is, how it works, and why it is revolutionary. You will learn about various categories of digital assets and the ways they can be transacted on a blockchain. You will learn how blockchain is disrupting global supply chains, including how it will transform the practices of operations, logistics, procurement and purchasing, transportation, customs and border control, trade finance and insurance, manufacturing, and inventory management—making the whole network more adaptable and responsive to demand fluctuations and crisis. You will also learn about industry consortia and the idea of coopetition—a strategy of cooperating with competitors for defined purposes to cultivate a new economic ecosystem that benefits all participants.
Development of this Specialization was made possible thanks to the generous support of FedEx. All content for this Specialization has been written and/or reviewed by the Blockchain Research Institute and approved by INSEAD to ensure it is pedagogically sound, unbiased, and academically rigorous.
Applied Learning Project
In the final course, learners will synthesize their learning into a project deliverable called a Blockchain Opportunity Analysis. Here, learners will identify a specific need or problem in global commerce that could potentially be solved using blockchain or Web3 technologies. Learners will then investigate possible solutions to this problem, including the business model considerations required to bring this idea to fruition. As an outcome of this Specialization, learners will walk away with a consolidated, peer-reviewed Blockchain Opportunity Analysis, which can be used to pitch their idea to their organization or to potential investors.
How blockchain works, and how trust is established in a pre- and post-blockchain world
Nine types of digital assets, including cryptocurrencies, protocol tokens, NFTs, stablecoins, securities tokens, governance tokens, and CBDCs
What smart contracts are, the phases of a smart contract deal cycle, and various examples and applications of smart contracts
Blockchain design principles, and challenge areas associated with implementing blockchain technology
The roles of key participants in the global trade network and where the needs of each participant align with the value characteristics of blockchain
What it means to "tokenize" an asset, and approaches to securing the physical-digital interface
Examples of sensor-based logistics, and IoT challenge areas that show promise for blockchain-based solutions
Blockchain solutions for provenance, traceability, ethical sourcing, and asset life-cycle management
Describe how blockchain consortia may vary with respect to their purpose, activities, membership models, beneficiaries, and governance models
Describe some of the benefits and key considerations concerning shared standards for blockchain and digital assets
Explain how blockchain design choices around privacy, user identity, security, notaries, block relays etc. influence interoperability implementations
Explain how blockchain will transform the roles and functions of the C-Suite
Identify new ideas or opportunities for blockchain within Global Commerce
Explain how you will position your idea, including how your idea will create new value for your customers
Identify the business model decisions that would need to be made in order to assess the feasibility of your idea
Describe what would need to change in your organization's current way of operating in order to bring your idea to fruition
As one of the world's leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD brings together people, cultures and ideas to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society. INSEAD's multi-campus format and unmatched diversity deliver a truly global educational experience. Its 160 renowned faculty members from 40 countries inspire students through degree and PhD programmes, while every year more than 18,000 executives participate in its Executive Education programmes, both on campus and online.
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Web3 is term that represents a collection of technologies, a decentralized network, the ability to digitize assets, and new multi-party business models. Blockchain is the foundation of Web3. On top of that foundation Web3 includes the prediction and decision support of AI, the measurements and actuation of IoT, and the spatial UX of AR/VR/Metaverse.
Previous foundational technologies such as railroads, electrical grids, telecommunication networks, and the internet have all defined eras. They have enabled new ways of conducting business and interacting with governments. Entirely new business and civil society models became possible. They have all been characterized by accelerated economic growth and significant improvements in the efficiency of the means of production. The era enabled by blockchain has been labeled the Web3 era.
The Web3 era will be characterized by smaller economic actors coordinating their activities to generate value with great efficiency. It will feature accelerated rates of innovation, a proliferation of new business models and configurations, and new ways of delivering public services.
A common authoritative record of transactions, and the data that describes those transactions, is fundamental to all business interactions. Traditionally the data, and the state of the data, has been maintained in databases and ledgers controlled by companies or governments who rely on auditors, trusted third parties and the legal enforceability of contracts to support confidence in transactional interactions and the related business velocity.
Blockchain makes data, transaction records, and the business logic that can manipulate the data a fundamental characteristic of a decentralized network. This is a revolutionary capability.
Blockchain is the foundational technology for the Web3 era. It is the database and operating system of the networked economy. As the world’s businesses and governments continue to digitize, their systems will run on blockchain.
We recommend that you complete these courses in order, as each course builds upon the previous.
No, there will not be any university credit awarded for completing this Specialization.
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
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