The digital world is moving at a breakneck speed. Blockchain technology is one of the newest additions to the ever-growing and ever-expanding digital world. Invented by Satoshi Nakamoto, blockchain technology is an effective digital ledger-based encryption system that offers some of the most secure transaction means. However, as frontier tech gains traction, its use and application are increasingly becoming diverse. The diverse use case and the growing opportunities mean now is a better time than ever to get started with blockchain development. Here’s a list of the best free blockchain development courses to kickstart your blockchain journey.  What is Blockchain Development?  To better understand blockchain development, it is important to get a hold of what blockchain is and how it works. Blockchain is a distributed and decentralized digital ledger system. This ledger system uses a highly encrypted digital footprint that records transactions across multiple computers. The process essentially mimics the way of creating blocks. These blocks are encrypted with immutable technologies. The use of various cryptographic techniques means that you cannot open any block without a specific key. You can’t also modify or alter any blocks as they are immutable meaning it's extremely difficult to rewrite or reprogram them.  Blockchain development takes its shape based on the tech itself. It's an in-demand tech skill that requires in-depth knowledge of the platform, decentralization process, cryptographic techniques as well as blockchain architecture. You don't need to learn all of these aspects of blockchains at the same time. A specialization in a specific discipline, like blockchain architecture can easily kickstart your career as a freelancer or a blockchain developer.  Read more: Best Free Online Scriptwriting Courses in 2024 Top Free Blockchain Development Courses in 2024  The Complete Course on Understanding Blockchain Technology This course is provided for free by Arjun Reddy in Udemy. The complete course as it is named, is an essential beginner's guide to understanding how blockchain works. This course doesn’t dive deep into the nitty gritty details of development itself. Rather it gives you a clear idea about what blockchain is and how it works. What are its different variables, encryptions, cryptographic techniques, and digital signatures? And different terminologies associated with blockchain development. It’s a concise course that lets you assess whether blockchain development is for you and if so, what can be your specialization. Around 42,902 students have taken this 50-minute on-demand course with an average rating of 4.3 stars.  The course can be accessed for free here: (https://www.udemy.com/course/understanding-blockchain-technology/) Read more: Craft a Job-Winning Resume with AI: Step-by-Step Guide to Stand Out Blockchain Fundamentals Free Course The blockchain fundamentals free course is provided by 101Blockchains as a gateway into enterprise blockchain technology. Similar to the course above, the fundamental course provides a basic overview of how blockchain works and what are the working mechanism behind this technology.  The second part covers the concept of smart contracts. It provides a detailed overview of the concept and shows various applications in enterprise solutions. And lastly, the course delves into the different verticals of blockchains and their integration into frontier tech and enterprise solutions.  The course has been completed by over 60,000 learners with over 1000 5-star rating. The flexible learning offers a 4-day course completion deadline with just 15 minutes allotted each day.  The course can be accessed for free of cost through the following link: https://101blockchains.com/free-blockchain-course/  Read more: Free Online AI Courses by Harvard University from Basic to Advanced Levels BerkeleyX: Blockchain Technology If you want a more advanced understanding of blockchain operations, the BerkeleyX: Blockchain Technology course could be the perfect starting point for you. The course starts off with the basic technical foundations topics of blockchain like the CAP Theorem and Byzantine Generals Problem. It also covers the alternative consensus mechanisms such as the proof-of-work, proof-of-stake, and other voting-based algorithms working under the federated consensus system.  The course further delves into crypto-economics to provide a general idea about the compositional fields of cryptography and economics. There are also detailed working mechanisms of several enterprise-based blockchain solutions like Quorum, Tendermint, Ripple, and HyperLedger. Beyond the examples, the course also delves into the enterprise-level scaling of blockchain technology using verticals like block increase, Segregated Witness, and Lightning Network.  The course is jointly offered by the Blockchain division and the Computer Science Department of UC Berkeley in association with EdX. The course is a self-paced one with a 3-5 hour per week learning module for a total of 6 weeks.  The course can be accessed for free here: https://www.edx.org/learn/blockchain/university-of-california-berkeley-blockchain-technology Read more: How to Answer “Why Did You Choose this Job?” Effectively Blockchain Opportunities Beyond Crypto Assets If you’re looking for a blockchain development basics course geared towards accountants and supply chain analysts, then this course might be the one for you. Blockchain Opportunities Beyond Crypto Assets provides a detailed take on the financial enterprise-level operations of the current blockchain technology.  It specifically dives into the transactions, block creation, and the fees associated with each transaction and how they are determined. It also takes a look into UTXO as well as other account-based models for financial operations. Moving on, the course delves into throughput, settlement, as well as zero-knowledge proof.  The last part of the course focuses on domain-specific applications like healthcare, supply chain, financial services, Auditchain, tax, and decentralized marketplaces of the future.  The course is made available by AICPA and CIMA at Coursera. The beginner-level course will take about 2 hours to finish at a flexible learning pace.  You can access the course form here at free of cost: https://www.coursera.org/learn/blockchain-opportunities-beyond-crypto-assets Read more: How to Customize Your Resume for Each Job Application Blockchain, Cryptoassets, and Decentralized Finance This course on Coursera provides a beginner to intermediate-level understanding of cryptoassets and decentralized finance under the domain of blockchain operations. The course first details the nature and process of digital assets like Bitcoin, NFTs, protocol tokens, securities tokens, and other form of digital assets.  The second part of the module delves into smart contracts. It provides a basic overview of how smart contracts work and how they can minimize transaction costs for enterprises. The module also takes a look into the issues created by identity-based systems and how blockchain tech can overcome them through a self-governing identifier process.  Lastly, the course takes a deep dive into the integration of decentralized tech into the existing open networked enterprises.  This course is offered at Coursera by INSEAD. The self-paced learning module takes about 17 hours to complete. It has a 4.6 rating on the platform.  The course can be enrolled for free through the following link: https://www.coursera.org/learn/blockchain-crypto-decentralized-finance Read more: Does Everyone Need to Learn Programming? The Truth About Coding in The Age of AI Final Words  Blockchain is the future of transaction-based solutions as well as the creation and protection of digital assets. The application of the tech itself has diverse verticals from healthcare to finance to supply chains. The free blockchain development courses listed above give a beginner to intermediate-level idea regarding blockchain development at several of these verticals. 

The rapid evolution of the technology industry has made tech skills increasingly vital in the current job market. As we approach 2024, staying abreast of the most in-demand tech skills is essential for anyone looking to secure a thriving career in this dynamic field. This comprehensive guide delves into the top tech skills that are poised to shape the industry in 2024, offering insights into how you can stay competitive and forward-thinking in your tech career. Most In-Demand Tech Skills to Advance Your Career in 2024 Cybersecurity In the realm of technology, cybersecurity remains a critical and rapidly growing field. As of 2023, there is a demand for almost a million cybersecurity professionals globally, but there are about 400,000 professionals across the world. The cybersecurity landscape is vast, presenting numerous opportunities in various sectors. Aspiring cybersecurity professionals should begin with foundational knowledge in network security and protocols, progressing to more complex topics such as virtual machines, remote access, intrusion detection systems, cybersecurity frameworks, and risk management strategies. Read more: Cyber Security Career Guide: How to Become a Cybersecurity Expert? Data Analytics Data Science and Analytics have become central to tech trends, with a considerable expansion in scope and application. Data analytics involves processing and interpreting large data sets to provide actionable insights for businesses and decision-makers. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates a 23% growth in demand for data analysts over the next decade. Key skills in this field include proficiency in tools like Microsoft Excel, Power BI, Python, and Tableau. Additionally, obtaining a degree or certification in data analytics significantly enhances one's career prospects. Cloud Computing Cloud computing has transformed the way we access and interact with technology, offering scalable computational resources over the Internet. The field has witnessed widespread integration across various industries such as tech, finance, automotive, and healthcare. Read more: Best Free Data Science, Machine Learning Courses Online For beginners, the journey into cloud computing starts with learning the basics of cloud infrastructure, management tools, deployment strategies, directory services, and architecture principles. Combining cloud computing knowledge with cybersecurity skills opens doors to specialized roles in cloud security. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) RPA is revolutionizing organizational workflows by automating repetitive and mundane tasks. This not only streamlines processes but also enhances efficiency and accuracy. Breaking into the RPA sector requires a solid technical background complemented by professional certifications and practical training. These qualifications pave the way for internships and permanent positions in the field.