Fascination turns into knowledge: Understanding blockchain

Kyte Bohlke, Team Lead Customer Support at Finoa GmbH, wanted to get down to business, finally understand the regulatory and technical intricacies of blockchain and DLT – and therefore signed up for our Certificate Program 2021. Find out in the interview whether the program lived up to expectations.

What goal did you have in mind when you enrolled in the Blockchain Certificate Program at TUM?

I have always been fascinated by the incredible opportunities and solutions that blockchains and distributed ledgers can offer. My goal was to better understand the technical, but also the regulatory details. This way, I can not only advance in my profession, but also work on useful projects for the NGO and social sectors.

How has the program furthered your expertise in blockchain?

The program covers a lot of information in a short period of time, so it’s important to stay up to date. It ensured that I got a good overview of the regulations, but also had the chance to do some hands-on training and learn about smart contract programming, for example. This in turn helped me to better understand and interpret smart contracts. Which is especially beneficial when working with cryptocurrencies.

How did the part-time program fit into your professional life?

The part-time format was perfect for me. The weekly classes gave me enough time to read through the material, research additional sources, and answer and prepare questions. Despite being a part-time student, the coursework should not be underestimated. Most of my weekends were dedicated to either brainstorming on the week’s topics or finding more questions for the final answers.

What was the benefit of having both a faculty and practitioner perspective in the program?

It was a good mix of theory and application. I personally found the advice from the practitioners very helpful. Especially in the feedback sessions as we developed our own projects. It was a bit overwhelming at times to understand all the theoretical parts of the lecture. But there are great additional resources to follow up on each topic to get a better understanding.

Are you too looking to continue your lifelong learning goals and finally understand how blockchain and distributed ledger technologies can be harnessed for your purposes? Then register by September 30 for the next run and learn what opportunities blockchain and DLT open up for you here.