Decentralized Finance (DeFi): The Future of Finance Specialization

Introduction

Decentralized Finance (DeFi): The Future of Finance Specialization is an intermediate-level course for individuals interested in learning about DeFi and its infrastructure. After completing this course, the students will have a much deeper understanding of decentralized finance and the leading applications in this vast industry. Students will learn how decentralized finance has evolved historically and what major issues DeFi intends to solve. They will also get an in-depth look at the fundamental principles of DeFi, such as supply and ownership models, loan and swap dynamics, and transaction procedures.

Significant topics, including smart contract vulnerabilities, governance problems, scalability concerns, and regulatory issues, are also discussed. This specialization helps you develop a comprehensive insight into DeFi and how it can change the financial sector.

What Will You Gain from This Course

Following the completion of this course, participants will:

1. Recognize how trade systems, such as electronic transfers, fiat money, and specie currency, have evolved historically.
2. Learn about the origins and fundamental ideas of decentralized finance (DeFi), such as cryptographic hashing, smart contracts, and blockchain technology.
3. Determine and evaluate the main shortcomings of the present financial system, as well as the ways in which DeFi resolves concerns such interoperability, centralized control, opacity, and restricted access.
4. Learn about Ethereum transactions, including the distinctions between externally held accounts and contracts, fungible and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and value that may be extracted by miners.
5. Examine methods of adjusting supply, such as burning and minting, and comprehend the idea of a keeper inside the Ethereum network.

Skills Acquired:

1. Smart Contract
2. Cryptocurrency
3. Financial Markets
4. NFT
5. Tokenization
6. Finance
7. Entrepreneurial Finance
8. Entrepreneurship
9. Blockchain

Who Is This Course For

This course is designed for:

1. Those curious about decentralized finance's origins and prospects.
2. Experts and enthusiasts in cryptocurrency, smart contracts, and blockchain technology.
3. Anyone wishing to acquire hands-on experience configuring and utilizing DeFi platforms and technologies.
4. Those who want to learn more about sophisticated subjects like tokenization, decentralized exchanges, and financial markets.
5. Students who are interested in learning about the environmental and regulatory ramifications of DeFi.

Course Content

4 Courses – 17 Modules – 81 Videos – 5 Readings – 20 Quizzes – Certificate of Completion

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Infrastructure

The first course in this specialization will focus on the history and origins of decentralized finance. The students will learn about the key components of DeFi infrastructure and the problems it was created to resolve, as well as debunk misconceptions and myths about decentralized finance.

1. 19 Videos
2. 2 Readings
3. 1 Quiz

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Primitives

In the second course of this specialization, the students will learn about the mechanics of DeFi. They will learn about the key primitives, minting, burning, decentralized exchanges, and MetaMask wallet.

1. 18 Videos
2. 1 Reading
3. 4 Quiz

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Deep Dive

In the third course of this specialization in DeFi, students will learn about the mechanics of MakerDAO stablecoin caked DAI. They will also learn about Compound, Ave, different decentralized exchanges, derivatives protocols, mechanics of dYdX, Synthetix, and tokenization.

1. 9 Videos
2. 1 Reading
3. 1 Quiz

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Opportunities and Risks

In the final course of this specialization, the participants will learn about logic errors and economic exploits such as Yearn.finance. The course will further explore additional risks such as DNS attacks, governance attacks, DEX risks, and Oracle vulnerabilities. The instructor will also talk about scaling risk, the impact of Proof of Work consensus, and Proof of Stake.

1. 18 Videos
2. 1 Reading
3. 4 Quiz

Description

This comprehensive four-course learning program is designed to take students deep into DeFi and how it could fundamentally change finance. Students will learn how DeFi replaces traditional middlemen—banks, brokerages, and insurance companies—with direct interactions between customers and algorithms or smart contracts.

The curriculum includes lectures on the historical development of DeFi, how key DeFi primitives work, a deep dive into state-of-the-art protocols, and a risk and opportunity analysis. In conclusion of this specialization, participants will deeply understand how DeFi underpins the primary issues in traditional finance: problems of interoperability, centralized control, opacity, inefficiency, and lack of inclusivity.

Meet the Instructor(s)

Cam Harvey - Professor of Decentralized Finance at Duke University

Renowned finance expert Campbell R. Harvey holds two positions: research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and professor at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. Professor Harvey holds a doctorate from the University of Chicago and has taught at the Booth School of Business, Helsinki School of Economics, and Stockholm School of Economics, among other esteemed universities. Additionally, he was part of the Federal Reserve Board as a visiting scholar. During his tenure as the American Finance Association's president in 2016, Harvey received eight Graham and Dodd Awards for his exceptional financial writing. His broad research encompasses corporate finance, developing markets, investment finance, and other areas.