Modulbeschreibung

Crypto assets have become established in everyday financial life and continue to gain relevance. In this context, blockchain technology extends far beyond cryptocurrencies and, through a wide range of potential applications, has the capacity to fundamentally transform the economy and society. A solid understanding of blockchain technology and crypto assets is therefore highly relevant for current and future leaders. The course focuses on the economic aspects of the technology. Technical foundations are presented and explained, but no programming exercises are included. The course is aimed at students of business administration, international management, finance or business information systems.

Contact hours: 26

Guided self-study: 14

Independent self-study: 50

Semester test in the last session of the semester (see course schedule)

A written closed book exam of 60 minutes

Professional competences:

Participants can:

• identify and explain structures, dimensions, and developments in the field of blockchain and cryptocurrencies;
• discuss and critically assess the risks and opportunities of the technology and the topic more broadly;
• understand, explain, and discuss the technologies used in the area of decentralized transaction systems.

Methodological competencies:

Participants can:

• independently examine and critically evaluate crypto and digital assets, stablecoins, CBDCs, NFTs, DeFi, and other blockchain-related subject areas;
• analyze subfields by linking existing models with domain-specific expertise;
• based on this, develop their own measures and recommendations.

Topic Area I: Introduction and Technology

• Introduction to the topic
• What does “blockchain” mean?
• Alternatives and distinctions
• Technology architecture
• Characteristics and operating principles of blockchain
• Smart contracts, protocols, and dApps

Topic Area II: Cryptocurrencies and Tokens

• Distinguishing tokens and crypto assets
• Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others
• CBDCCentral bank coins
• Opportunities and risks
• Crypto market and exchanges
• Practical application (buying, selling, trading)

Topic Area III: Tokenization and DeFi

• Tokenization
• ICOs/STOs
• Non-fungible tokens (NFTs)
• Stablecoins
• Decentralized finance (DeFi)

Topic Area IV: Practical Implementations

• Blockchain companies
• Practical applications
• Real-world implementations first-hand
• Insights into the “blockchain community”

Self-study, practical exercises

• Egloff, P., Turnes, E., & Neumann, S. (2025). Navigating Decentralized Finance: From Blockchain to Crypto Assets and Tokenization. Academic Press. (ISBN: 978-0-443-27408-4)
• Slides, guest lectures, videos

The assessment / exam will be completed in the last in-class sessions. Please therefore refer to the course schedule on Moodle.