THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2024/2025

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Business School : Common Courses (Management School)

Postgraduate Course: Blockchain and Cryptofinance (CMSE11437)

Course Outline
SchoolBusiness School CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThis course aims to provide a synthetic overview of cryptocurrencies and blockchain topics related to banking and finance, including their mechanism, applications, risks and related regulations.
Course description Blockchains and cryptocurrencies represent a novel application of cryptography and information technology to age-old problems such as financial record-keeping, the medium of exchange and decentralised authorities. They may lead to profound changes in the area of banking and corporate governance. Many major players in the financial industry, including regulators and central banks, have started to invest in this new technology. Most blockchain courses in other universities focus on the technique side, i.e., it is usually in the school of computer science or informatics. However, the financial models of cryptocurrencies and ICOs are also critical and might have far-reaching implications on corporate governance structure and the social economy.

This course aims to provide a synthetic overview of cryptocurrencies and blockchain topics related to banking and finance. On the technical side, this course will enable students to understand the essential technical concepts related to blockchain and cryptocurrencies; on the financial side, it aims to equip the student with the capability to identify the underlying business and financial implications of various blockchain projects, and to understand the potential impact on current framework of financial services, corporate governance structure and regulation.

Student Learning Experience:
Tutorial/seminar hours represent the minimum total live hours (online or in-person) a student can expect to receive on this course. These hours may be delivered in tutorial/seminar, lecture, workshop or other interactive whole class or small group format.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements For MSc Finance, Technology and Policy students, or by permission of course organiser. Please contact the course secretary.
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Apply the principles of banking and finance to evaluate the business logics of blockchain projects.
  2. Analyse the financial and regulatory consequences of crypto-issuers' strategic behaviour.
  3. Understand the origin, current status and possible orientations of digital cash and identify potential business opportunities.
  4. Develop relevant strategies to use blockchain to solve issues in corporate governance.
Learning Resources
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Autonomy, Accountability and Working with Others

After completing this course, students should be able to:

Act with integrity, honesty and trust in all business stakeholder relationships, and apply ethical reasoning
to effective decision making, problem solving and change management

Practice: Applied Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

After completing this course, students should be able to:

Work with a variety of organisations, their stakeholders, and the communities they serve - learning from
them, and aiding them to achieve responsible, sustainable and enterprising solutions to complex problems.

Practice: Applied Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

After completing this course, students should be able to:

Apply creative, innovative, entrepreneurial, sustainable and responsible business solutions to address
social, economic and environmental global challenges.

Cognitive Skills

After completing this course, students should be able to:

Be self-motivated; curious; show initiative; set, achieve and surpass goals; as well as demonstrating
adaptability, capable of handling complexity and ambiguity, with a willingness to learn; as well as being able to
demonstrate the use digital and other tools to carry out tasks effectively, productively, and with attention to
quality.

Knowledge and Understanding

After completing this course, students should be able to:

Demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of contemporary organisational disciplines;
comprehend the role of business within the contemporary world; and critically evaluate and synthesise primary
and secondary research and sources of evidence in order to make, and present, well informed and transparent
organisation-related decisions, which have a positive global impact.

Identify, define and analyse theoretical and applied business and management problems, and develop
approaches, informed by an understanding of appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative techniques, to explore
and solve them responsibly.
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Tong Wang
Tel: (0131 6)51 5551
Email: Tong.Wang@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Tamara Turford
Tel: (0131 6)50 8074
Email: Tamara.Turford@ed.ac.uk
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