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The Digital Assets and Blockchain Industry course offers a comprehensive four-week exploration into blockchain technology and digital assets. It starts with understanding fiat systems and Bitcoin’s philosophy, then progresses to examine the evolving financial landscape, including CBDCs and blockchain scalability challenges. The course emphasizes practical blockchain applications, risk assessments, and future trends like tokenization of real-world assets and artificial intelligence. Participants will acquire skills in analyzing fiat systems, understanding blockchain, and grasping the complexities of digital finance, preparing them to contribute significantly to this rapidly evolving field.

Please note: the estimated completion time for this course is only related to the course videos. It is important that each student completes the additional reading provided in the ‘suggested reading’ sections each week.

The Blockchain Mastery: From Fundamentals to Advanced Corporate Solutions course explores the dynamic world of digital finance. Dive into Bitcoin’s origins, the transformative rise of cryptocurrencies, and the innovative blockchain technology behind them. Gain insights into recent advancements, regulatory milestones, and diverse cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Cardano. Demystify blockchain consensus mechanisms and explore topics such as DeFi, tokenomics, and smart contracts. Whether you’re a student or a professional, embark on this thrilling journey into the future of money with Prof. Schmalbach. This course offers a comprehensive understanding of the rapidly evolving landscape of digital assets and their implications for businesses and investors alike.

Since its creation in 2009, the Bitcoin journey has been volatile and often marked by price fluctuations in response to political, economic, and regulatory events.

The Bitcoin price went from $0.30 in early 2011 to an all-time high of $111,980 in 2025 – an increase of more than 37,000,000% in less than 14 years.

From the 2020 low of $3,880 to its 2025 all-time high of $111,980, Bitcoin went up more than 2,700%.

From 2011 to 2025, Bitcoin price had an annualized return of approximately 142% per year. As of June 10, 2025, Bitcoin’s market cap is roughly $2.18 trillion, and its crypto market dominance is around 64%.

Key Takeaways
A bear market is a prolonged period of declining asset prices, often driven by economic downturns or geopolitical uncertainties.

Investors can navigate bear markets using strategies like dollar-cost averaging, short selling, or shifting to less volatile assets like cash, bonds, or stablecoins to minimize risk.

Despite their challenges, bear markets are a normal part of market cycles. Historical market data shows that established markets like the S&P 500 and Bitcoin managed to reco

The Challenges in DeFi
DeFi has come a long way, but it still has problems that stop more people from using it:

Complex user experience: Many DeFi platforms require users to manage crypto wallets, gas tokens, and bridges, which can be overwhelming (especially for beginners).

Key Takeaways
Defi App is a modular decentralized finance (DeFi) platform designed to simplify the DeFi experience for both beginners and advanced users.

It lets users manage wallets, make swaps, and use different blockchains without needing to worry about gas fees or complicated setups.

The platform’s native token, HOME, powers its ecosystem, offering transaction fee abstraction, governance rights, and user rewards.

Defi App works across multiple networks like Solana, Ethereum, and other EVM-compatible chains.

Non-fungible token (NFT) mystery boxes are digital collectibles that contain a random assortment of NFTs. The contents of a mystery box are unknown to the buyer until the box is opened, creating a sense of excitement and anticipation that have kept the hype around such boxes going.
NFT mystery boxes are typically sold on NFT marketplaces and often tied to specific themes or collections. The contents of these boxes can range from rare and valuable NFTs to more common, less valuable ones.

The idea behind NFT mystery boxes is to provide a fun and engaging way for collectors to expand their digital collections, while also offering an element of surprise and chance. NFT mystery boxes can be a good way for beginners to enter the world of NFTs.

For countries with unstable economies or weak currencies, holding bitcoin can act as a safety net. Since bitcoin operates on a global, decentralized network, it’s not controlled by any single country or bank.

1. MicroStrategy
MicroStrategy, a business analytics company, has one of the largest corporate bitcoin holdings. Since 2020, it has continuously bought bitcoin as part of its treasury strategy, believing it’s a better store of value than cash.

As of March 2025, MicroStrategy holds 499,096 BTC worth around $42.9 billion.

Why Governments and Companies Hold Bitcoin Reserves
1. Hedge against inflation
Traditional currencies tend to lose value due to inflation. Bitcoin, however, has a predictable issuance rate and a limited supply (only 21 million coins will ever exist). This scarcity makes it an appealing hedge against inflation and a good store of value.