Professional Certificate of Competence in Blockchain & Smart Contracts

Prepare for tomorrow with this cutting-edge course.

  • New Technologies
  • Full Time
  • 6 Days
  • Start Academic year 2023/2024

About this course

Often described as a ‘foundational-technology’, blockchain is transforming many sectors including financial services, insurance and logistics by reshaping processes, systems and business strategies via the use of smart contracts.  These revolutionary type of applications use decentralized ledger networks (software that can automate much of the contracting process) allowing for the performance, monitoring, and enforcement of contractual promises without human involvement.
Gibraltar is a leading jurisdiction within the regulation, innovation and development of blockchain. This is encouraging the adoption of the technology across a diverse range of business sectors, highlighting the need for professionals with expertise within the subject. There has never been a better time to learn about blockchain.
This course assists your understanding of blockchain and smart contracts to an intermediate level and place you among a select group of professionals with knowledge of this space and the skills to apply them.

Course benefits

Accelerate your knowledge from beginner to intermediate level
Enjoy expert tuition from an international team of blockchain professionals
Learn how to apply the technology through real-life case studies
Join a community of professionals with knowledge of blockchain/smart contracts

Course Delivery

The course is delivered in two blocks of four days and two days.
Block 1 (4 Days): TBC Academic year 2023/2024

Block 2 (2 Days): TBC Academic year 2023/2024

Real-life case studies

Delivered by an international team of experts, the course uses real-life case studies in order to bring the technology to life. You will learn about different uses of blockchain and explore how it could be applied to industries such as financial services, insurance, legal, the public sector and gaming.

The Course Covers

  • Legacy and Decentralized Financial Systems
  • Decentralization: The blockchain concept
  • Bitcoin fundamentals
  • Terminology and basic concepts in cryptocurrencies
  • Characteristics of the different types of blockchains
  • Smart contracts and their role as disruptive agents
  • Dapp (Decentralized Applications) & DeFi
  • DAOs & Identity
  • Cyber security and privacy
  • Regulatory Issues
  • The impact of blockchain in key industries (Banking, Insurance, Government, Law, Gaming)
  • Hands-on experience on cryptocurrency wallets, exchanges, etc.
  • Cryptographic Disruption: blockchain use cases in real life

The sequence in which each topic will be covered and the contents of each session may be subject to change.

Meet the lecturers

Alejandro Banzas

Alejandro (Ale) Banzas has more than 15 years of work experience in Technology Innovation. He is a Computer Science Engineer and Analyst (UADE, Argentina) and a Global Executive MBA at IESE Business School (Spain). Lecturer at the University of Gibraltar since the first delivery of the course in 2019.
He is Developers Relations Lead at Gnosis and Head of Technology at Teks Capital, actively involved in DeFi and other innovation projects. Former Head of Developer Relations @ RSK Labs where he worked for 3 years ending his tenure as part of the leadership team.
Prior to working at IOV Labs, he spent 6 years at Microsoft were he was promoted from Technical Evangelist to a Senior role in the same team. At Microsoft, Mr. Banzas was a member of the innovation and new technologies team. Ale’s main goal is to help every developer and organization becoming experts in new technologies in order to change the world positively.

Karan Aswani

Karan Aswani is a lawyer specialising in blockchain technology and cryptocurrency regulation. Karan started out his career with Bird & Bird LLP in London where he specialised advising on technology related projects in the IT, Energy and Defence sectors. Since relocating back to Gibraltar, he has been heavily involved in the growth of the DLT industry locally. He is currently Chief Legal Officer at Gnosis, a blockchain infrastructure development group, and was formerly a key member of Isolas LLP’s Fintech practice, where he advised protocols, banks, token issuers, funds, exchanges and custodians on the legal and regulatory implications of their activities in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector.
Karan has over 10 years of professional experience advising projects on technology development, implementation and delivery. He has contributed to the development of the DLT Framework, as well as participating in various working groups and thought-leadership initiatives around the world on establishing legal/regulatory standards for businesses operating in the space. Through his experience, Karan has developed a deep understanding of the interplay between law, technology and business in the global transition towards a more digitised future.

Testimonial

Hands on experience

The hands-on experience was really good and allowed us to experience the setting up and transfer of crypto assets.

Cohort 19-20

University of Gibraltar
5
2020-11-13T10:51:53+00:00

Cohort 19-20

The hands-on experience was really good and allowed us to experience the setting up and transfer of crypto assets.

Gaining understanding

Really enjoyed the experience and understanding in greater depth what blockchain is all about

Paul Astengo, Senior Executive of Gibraltar Finance , HM Gov

University of Gibraltar
5
2020-03-02T09:02:10+00:00

Paul Astengo, Senior Executive of Gibraltar Finance , HM Gov

Expertise Shone Through

Mingling perspectives

It was great to be able to learn alongside both peers and individuals from across other sectors as this brought different perspectives to the learning.

Cohort 19-20

University of Gibraltar
5
2020-11-13T10:50:56+00:00

Cohort 19-20

It was great to be able to learn alongside both peers and individuals from across other sectors as this brought different perspectives to the learning.

Well organised and professional

Very well-organised and professional course with a skilled and knowledgeable teacher.

Cohort 19-20

University of Gibraltar
5
2020-11-13T10:47:39+00:00

Cohort 19-20

Very well-organised and professional course with a skilled and knowledgeable teacher.

Great external contributors

Well organised and delivered. All component parts working well as a team. Good involvement from those delivering the learning and those dealing with the content and administration, all very joined up. Fantastic location. Catering good. Facilities good. Links to external contributors worthwhile. Thank you to all for creating and delivering this learning, great job by all.

Cohort 19-20

University of Gibraltar
5
2020-11-13T10:49:20+00:00

Cohort 19-20

Well organised and delivered. All component parts working well as a team. Good involvement from those delivering the learning and those dealing with the content and administration, all very joined up. Fantastic location. Catering good. Facilities good. Links to external contributors worthwhile. Thank you to all for creating and delivering this learning, great job by all.

Elevates your understanding

The course unlocks and then elevates your understanding of blockchain

James Neave, Company Director of financial Services Professional

University of Gibraltar
5
2020-03-02T09:04:34+00:00

James Neave, Company Director of financial Services Professional

Expertise Shone Through

Great for beginner

Very interesting and informative, great for beginners

Yusuf Botawala, DLT Regulatory Officer, Gibraltar Financial Services Commission

University of Gibraltar
5
2020-03-02T09:03:24+00:00

Yusuf Botawala, DLT Regulatory Officer, Gibraltar Financial Services Commission

Expertise Shone Through

Practical information

Really enjoyable environment to learn, practical information with very current topics and examples

Heidi Bocarisa, Director of Specialist Regulation, Gibraltar Financial Services Commission

University of Gibraltar
5
2019-04-05T14:01:05+01:00

Heidi Bocarisa, Director of Specialist Regulation, Gibraltar Financial Services Commission

Expertise Shone Through

His delivery made the information very accessible

Ale Banzas delivered a Blockchain course and workshop I attended at the University of Gibraltar. After attending many seminars and talks on the subject over the past eighteen months, his expertise shone through. In Ale I found someone who was not only knowledgeable at a high level technically, but who could relate this to the "real" world of current and potential future applications of this technology. His delivery made the information very accessible from an educational perspective whilst at the same time challenging the norms which undoubtedly blockchain does.

Ian Torrilla, GANT

University of Gibraltar
5
2020-03-02T08:56:53+00:00

Ian Torrilla, GANT

Expertise Shone Through

Really good course

Really good course, informative, well organised, fun, good environment.

Cohort 19-20

University of Gibraltar
5
2020-11-13T10:46:50+00:00

Cohort 19-20

Really good course, informative, well organised, fun, good environment.

Excellent Tutors

A Well-structured course with excellent tutors

Michael Catania, Gibraltar International Bank

University of Gibraltar
5
2020-03-02T08:59:02+00:00

Michael Catania, Gibraltar International Bank

Expertise Shone Through

Furthered my understanding of blockchain and cryptocurrencies

The course has furthered my understanding of blockchain and cryptocurrencies which I am very interested in. Ale, Nicolas, and other the speakers had an answer to any question asked and were enthusiastic, approachable and informative, and Chloe and Nadine ran it all very well. The presentation, although I didn't speak as well as I hoped, drew me out of my comfort zone in a way that I might not have experienced had I let it deter me from signing up for the course, so I'm thankful for the little exposure to public speaking too.

Cohort 19-20

University of Gibraltar
5
2020-11-13T10:33:18+00:00

Cohort 19-20

Expertise Shone Through

Great VLE

Having used other online student resource platforms, Canvas was a pleasure to use. Comparing it to the ICA platform it is far superior in terms of functionality

Nigel Crome, Currency

University of Gibraltar
5
2020-03-02T09:00:28+00:00

Nigel Crome, Currency

Expertise Shone Through
5
13
University of Gibraltar

Entry Profile

This course is for non-tech professionals who are hoping to learn how blockchain and smart contracts could benefit their business. It is suitable for those working within financial services, insurance, legal, the public sector and gaming.

Fees

£2,600.00 for Academic year 2022/2023.
The fee includes registration and tuition as well as lunch at the University.
This course may be eligible for Department of Education discretionary funding.
Upon the successful completion of the course you will receive a ‘Professional Certificate of Competence in Blockchain and Smart Contracts.
The University cannot guarantee places on this course which may be limited due to class size and in order to ensure quality of teaching.  The course will be delivered subject to minimum numbers being met.

Apply

Applications for Academic year 2022/2023 have now closed.

Should you wish to register your interest for the next course, please fill out an enquiry form below.