Top 5 universities to study blockchain in the UK

by Arthur · February 28, 2023

Universities in the UK have started offering cutting-edge research programmes, courses and hands-on experience in various aspects of blockchain technology, including cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, privacy, security and scalability. Students graduating from these programs will be well equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to become leaders in blockchain technology and drive innovation and adoption in various industries.

Here are the five best universities to study blockchain in the UK.

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University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, and the Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance (CCAF) is a leading research center in alternative finance, which includes research on blockchain and cryptocurrencies.

CCAF researches various aspects of blockchain technology, including adoption, regulation and policy. Postgraduate students at Cambridge can take blockchain courses such as “Distributed Ledger Technologies: Foundations and Applications” at the Department of Computer Science and Technology. This 16-hour course covers concepts such as consensus mechanisms, smart contracts, Bitcoin (BTC) and its variants, Ethereum, and other permissionless decentralized ledger technologies.

In addition, the Cambridge Digital Assets Program is a multi-year research program that aims to shed light on the rapid digitization of assets and value transfer systems. It builds on the solid foundation of CCAF’s past work and current ties. It is centered around three work streams including:

Climate Aspects of Digital Assets: It focuses on providing reliable information and insights regarding the wider environmental impacts of digital assets to promote a fair dialogue based on factual and empirical evidence.
Distributed Financial Market Infrastructure (dFMI): Research projects in this thematic stream, which focus on the “infrastructure” side of the digital asset ecosystem, will examine the fundamental building blocks – the rails, platforms and applications – that enable new digital financial services as well as their wider effects on market structures , regulatory frameworks and the real economy.
Emergent Money Systems: This stream of study focuses on examining the socio-economic, financial, legal, regulatory and cultural effects of asset digitization and tokenisation on payments, commerce and money in general, focusing on the ‘asset’ side of the ecosystem. Understanding how technologically enabled asset types and forms affect consumer and business behavior, current payment and monetary arrangements, and the stability of the larger financial system is the main goal.

Imperial College London

Imperial College London is a public research university, and the Center for Cryptocurrency Research and Engineering is a leading research center in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.

Imperial College London offers a Master of Science in Financial Technology (fintech) course structured in pre-study modules, foundation modules, core modules, electives and a project. The modules cover topics such as “Applications of R and Databases for Finance”, “Data Structures and Algorithms with Python”, “Accounting and Business Finance”, “Financial Econometrics in R and Python”, “Asset Allocation and Investment Strategies”, and “Text Mining for Finance and finance.”

All students entering the Master of Science in Financial Technology program should have a strong background in probability, calculus, matrix algebra and real analysis. The program is designed to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of quantitative and analytical skills, including coding and programming skills.

In addition, the college also offers a 12.5-hour (spread over six weeks) masterclass on “Blockchain Technology: Foundations, Applications, and Implications.” The curriculum covers topics such as cryptography, smart contracts and decentralized finance (DeFi).

University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh is a public research university located in Edinburgh, Scotland. The university is known for its research and teaching in a wide range of subjects, including natural sciences, engineering, humanities and social sciences.

Within the School of Informatics, the University of Edinburgh operates a Blockchain Technology Laboratory (BLT) dedicated to researching and developing blockchain technology. To create and test new blockchain technologies, BLT works with business partners, governments and academic institutions.

In addition to research, the University of Edinburgh offers several courses related to blockchain technology, including an undergraduate course module called “Blockchain and Distributed Ledgers”, which covers the fundamental concepts of blockchain technology, including consensus protocols, cryptography, smart contracts and game-theoretic analysis of blockchain protocols.

The university’s master’s degree in finance, technology and politics aims to equip students with various skill sets in machine learning, principles of economics and big data analysis. And its four-year PhD program in fintech in collaboration with companies allows students to carry out extensive applied research with commercial relevance.

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a world-renowned public research university located in Oxford, England. It is known for its excellence in research and teaching across a wide range of disciplines, including science, engineering, humanities and social sciences.

The University of Oxford offers a program in blockchain strategy, which is part of the Oxford Blockchain Strategy Program. The course is intended for managers and business owners who are curious about how blockchain technology can affect their businesses. The course covers topics including blockchain protocols, decentralized governance, the blockchain ecosystem and regulation.

University College London

University College London (UCL) is a public research university located in London, England. UCL is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities in the UK and is considered one of the world’s leading multidisciplinary universities.

The Blockchain Executive Education Programme, an eight-week executive course offered by UCL, helps business leaders, innovators, regulators and public policy leaders develop a thorough understanding of blockchain business models, including their advantages and disadvantages.

In addition, it provides a Master of Science in financial technology that emphasizes developing quantitative financial skills and the application of new technologies in financial services, as well as how new digital business models within financial services affect the company’s practice.

The Emerging Digital Technologies program at UCL can help individuals who want to pursue jobs focusing on new technology in challenging business environments. Participants in a number of core modules will gain hands-on experience with technology in fields such as data science, blockchain technology and information management systems.