This module studies digital assets, blockchain technology, and their potential impact on the financial system. It is structured into five sessions covering the fundamentals of blockchain and distributed ledger technology, decentralized finance (DeFi) as an alternative to traditional financial services, and approaches to investing in digital assets. Further topics include tokenization, Security Token Offerings (STOs), Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), implications for the future of financing, and practical blockchain use cases in banking. The course is delivered through pre-readings, presentations, case studies, and discussions with guest speakers.
- Understand the fundamentals of blockchain technology through a deep dive into Bitcoin and Ethereum
- Articulate the concept of smart contracts using the example of Ethereum
- Discuss and contrast regulatory approaches to digital assets
- Explain and understand the challenges of investing and trading in digital assets
- Compare token offerings (mainly STOs and ICOs) with traditional financing methods
- Relate and understand the potential for blockchain technology and DeFi in banking
- Discuss the broader impact of digital assets and blockchain technology on the future of finance
This course is part of the prestigious part-time Master in Finance program, conducted in English on Fridays and Saturdays on Campus Westend. It offers a valuable opportunity to network and gain expertise without committing to a full degree program. Upon completion, participants receive a Certificate of Participation. This course may be credited towards the Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Financial Technology Management when completed together with the other required courses within one academic year. As the number of seats is limited, we recommend to register early. If you're a GBS or Goethe University alum, explore our attractive alumni discount options.
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Next course offering: Summer Semester 2027. New dates will be announced soon.
Radoslav Albrecht
Radoslav Albrecht is an experienced finance professional and entrepreneur. He is the Founder and CEO of Bitbond, a company specializing in asset tokenization technology. Prior to founding Bitbond, he worked as a senior consultant at Roland Berger and began his career at Deutsche Bank London in structured equity sales and trading. He graduated in Economics from Witten/Herdecke University and spent a year at the University of Warwick through the DAAD European Excellence Program. Radoslav serves on several supervisory boards and is a frequent speaker at international fintech and crypto conferences.
Candidates with an undergraduate degree (i.e., bachelor or equivalent) of 180 credit points (CP) based on the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) can apply for our Open Programs. The allocation of credit points for work experience will appear on the Academic Transcript of Records and be titled ‘Prior Learning Assessment’.
Open Program applicants must submit a recent proof of English language proficiency at the higher B2 level per the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). The GBS Office of Admissions will accept test results of the following tests, taken no longer than two years ago upon the date of submission:
- TOEFL iBT®
- TOEFL iBT® Home Edition
- IELTS
- Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
- English Language Level Test (ELLT) - Oxford International Digital Institute
Applicants may request a waiver of proof of proficiency in English in case one of the following conditions applies. The applicant
- is a native speaker of English;
- has graduated from an international baccalaureate program
- has completed their undergraduate or master-level studies in a program taught entirely in English;
- has worked in an English-speaking country for at least one year.
If the applicant has not taken any of the above tests when submitting the application, the applicant can upload a confirmation of the test registration to the online admissions portal.
Applicants who submit a language certificate older than two years but without an expiry date will be invited for an additional interview with a native speaker of English.
Proof of relevant post-undergraduate work experience of at least one year is to be submitted, e.g., a performance review, reference letter, or written confirmation from your employer.