Blockchain Education: Current State, Limitations, Career Scope, Challenges, and Future Directions

Blockchain technology is one of the emerging areas nowadays that has gained widespread attention over recent years. Much revolutionary growth started in various industries (such as IT, education, business, banking, and many others) to capitalize on this technology. Blockchain act as a decentralized database, including transaction data that is permanently saved and encrypted. The governing architecture of a blockchain is a node, a laptop, a computer, or a server that has a complete copy of the blockchain’s transaction history rather than depending on a central authority to store and validate data. A peer-to-peer network of nodes forms a blockchain to constantly share the most recent data block to keep all nodes in sync [1]. Due to these characteristics, many blockchain-based applications are being developed (from Defi [2], NFTs [3], Dapps [4], and supply chains [5] to rewards and more) to disrupt traditional business models and create unique interest. Blockchain technology’s recent rapid expansion forced many industries to redesign and rethink many fundamental components of existing systems. Blockchain is setting a new trend by innovating businesses by delivering robust characteristics such as trust, security, privacy, and identity [6]. The best way to launch a blockchain application requires technical expertise and experience to maximize the chances of a successful, thriving implementation, and it is only possible with strategic design [7].

The blockchain academy provides the following reasons why embracing blockchain-specific education in higher education institutions (HEIs) is important [8]: ”We are noticing an increasing demand of current workforce that firmly pushes blockchain education in HEIs. In order to introduce new programs and individual courses is essential to foster skills to meet industry standards.” Nowadays, various industries are redesigning their existing system and launching new startup businesses with blockchain.

Blockchain technology has become one of the most competitive spaces around the globe [9]. Unlike other technologies, blockchain technology has adapted to different applications. Nurturing students in blockchain education [10] is an ongoing process since technology is evolving rapidly. However, HEIs must keep their curriculum up to date, continuously develop students’ skill sets, and provide real-time hands-on experience; otherwise, their skills may become obsolete. HEIs can find several suitable practices that can build to improve students’ proficiency in specific tech niches. These credentials can portray a better image of their students in the visions of an employer.

Blockchain education survey conducted by CoinDesk [11] in 2021 to rate the top 20 universities in the world that offer the best blockchain education. In this top list, out of 20, 14 schools are private with limited courses. Between 2018 - 2021, MIT, Harvard, and many other reputable institutions only had the highest student placements and publications in the blockchain area. Even long while, the blockchain communities strive to promote decentralization, and open access projects make available for students to advance this technology. This widespread adoption of its education establishes a hierarchy between academia and industry. Industries using blockchain technology require more than 300 % of the existing workforce, so HEIs may need to develop and adopt blockchain courses that will take two to three years to fulfill current workforce demand [12].

According to the 2021 report by the Office of Educational Technology in the United States [17]: ”Currently considering a growing demand of the workforce and startup needs are stating that blockchain education and its skills will play an important role shortly and evolving to lead industries.” As per this report, blockchain adoption within HEIs is highly significant. Moreover, providing sufficiently structured teaching and training models and resources within higher education is essential to support the infusion and expansion of blockchain technology in computing and engineering and a well-structured connection to business, finance, and related areas. Moreover, HEIs require a new-age blockchain curriculum to support and guide students and produce a skilled workforce along with entrepreneurs in the blockchain area.

In order to train students to become blockchain professionals, it is highly vital to have a strong understanding of the fundamental concepts and terminology used in the blockchain industry [18]. One cannot advance in the blockchain sector without possessing this talent, as it is a prerequisite, and without having adequate subject expertise. Therefore, it is important to educate students on the fundamental ideas behind blockchain technology, develop a more in-depth and distinct comprehension of these ideas, and educate students on real-time blockchain applications and the mechanisms underlying various consensus protocols. Investigate the most recent developments that have been made using blockchain technology [19]. Taking classes from a training provider officially recognized as fulfilling certain standards is the best way to acquire useful and marketable skills. In this regard, we discovered that the lessons and training programs made available resources like Simplilearn, blockchain council, and many others are straightforward to comprehend [20]. In addition, they provide a training program covering many different topics and the fundamental technical core that needs to become a master in this area.

Blockchain professionals such as developers and architects are interested in understanding the widespread frenzy surrounding blockchain. Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are the target audience for the blockchain certification training that Simplilearn has developed. Students will become familiar with the fundamental architecture and underlying technical mechanisms of blockchain platforms such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Hyperledger, and Multichain. They will also use the most up-to-date tools to construct applications, establish their private blockchain, deploy smart contracts on Ethereum, and gain hands-on experience with projects [21]. Students will receive a certification in blockchain development once students have finished the course. Students will then be prepared to take on the challenges presented by this fascinating new technology. Simplilearn is prepared to be a helpful resource for students not only to become a blockchain developer but also to provide additional training and skills in topics related to blockchain development, such as DevOps, Software Development, and Cloud Computing. Simplilearn stands ready to be a valuable resource for students. Suppose students recall the earlier discussion on ethical hackers. In that case, students will be pleased to find that Simplilearn even provides a training course in Certified Ethical Hacker v10 for those interested in obtaining this certification [22]. Explore the Simplilearn platform to embark on a profession that is both exciting and lucrative. The intention of providing this information is to show how far away the external nonacademic organizations are considering providing value for blockchain education. However, HEIs must catch up to meet this demand by fetching novel pedagogy approaches [23].

Table 1 summarizes our findings of the current list of universities in the United States that offer blockchain-related courses [24]. By analyzing the types of courses offered by these institutions and demonstrating the dearth of blockchain education, it seems that only courses 3 and 20 have more aspects of architecture and development. In particular, the courses offered by the institutions (courses 1 to 3) only cover the general concepts of blockchain architecture and mostly focus on the most common business applications such as smart contracts and cryptocurrency and lack a structured approach in line with business needs from a development and architect standpoint. Flagship schools have developed specialized courses due to the growing needs, but they are not easily adaptable to the large undergraduate and graduate population.

Blockchain is presented as the next “big” digital technology trend that will challenge HEIs to create new courses and programs [24]. In contrast, HEIs are currently slow to adopt blockchain education in their academic programs compared with industry demands [25, 26]. Since the technology is relatively new and complex, the infusion of blockchain into the existing undergraduate curriculum is challenging. Though some independent courses exist, there is a real need to develop new curriculums and innovative teaching and learning approaches that are modern, adaptable, scalable, and adaptive to industry needs.

Currently, the U.S. Department of Education Blockchain Action Network and the American Council on Education’s Education Blockchain Initiative (EBI) [27] are actively exploring the teaching and training of blockchain technology and how it can potentially revolutionize the field [28, 29]. The Education Blockchain Action Network brings educators, administrators, students, and technology developers to collaborate in examining how institutions could shape the future of blockchain education [30, 31]. In addition, the network serves as a hub for stakeholders in the blockchain sphere as a “shared, community-driven, action-oriented space” for discussion and open-source project development. However, existing blockchain curriculum’s in HEIs accommodate and teach only a few beginner-level courses [32, 33]. Few institutions are now offering advanced courses in blockchain, but this count is minimal compared to today’s blockchain industry demand.

The consensus, however, is that HEIs need to customize their programs and courses based on blockchain enterprise needs for different career tracks [34]. To keep up with this rapidly evolving field, in order to create the trend, HEIs need to adopt new teaching and learning strategies. Update significant portions of their blockchain syllabi every semester, which would demand multiple learning modules beyond a semester or two to fulfill the current industry workforce demand [35]. Moreover, most HEIs focus on basic-level studies in the blockchain area and do not pay attention to high-demand fields like developers, engineers, system designers, and solution architects [36]. Moreover, several non-academic organizations such as Blockchain Council, Udemy, and many others have started offering short-term training courses with limited activities. Details of a few reputed courses or certifications with their characteristics are shown in Table 2.

Despite the growing importance of blockchain in academia and industries, there is currently no well-developed educational strategy to prepare the current workforce and future students for careers in this field [37]. Many initiatives are underway to meet this demand, including massive open online courses (MOOCs) (like Coursera’s), online courses (like blockchain council), and degree/certificate programs (like those listed in Table 1). Despite the widespread availability of these resources designed for students of varying educational and professional pursuits, practitioner demand remains high.

Since students come from various educational backgrounds, no ”one-size-fits-all” approach can be taken while designing blockchain learning programs. Micro courses, tutorials, workshops, hackathons, boot camps, and internships are some alternative and flexible modalities we should consider adopting in addition to traditional, classroom-based instruction to meet the needs of students from various backgrounds. These can be used individually or in tandem to create various educational programs. For example, workforce development can benefit from micro courses, workshops, and tutorials; advocacy can use hackathons; internship possibilities enhance degree programs and can be included in the curriculum to improve learning and give practical experience. Creating and distributing blockchain-specific degree programs for college students is the most important factor in spreading technology awareness.

However, for graduate-level programs, many reputed HEIs are offering blockchain worldwide. Such programs will potentially change businesses in the modern world, including education. However, for graduate-level programs, many reputed HEIs are offering blockchain worldwide. Such programs will potentially change businesses in the modern world, including education. In recent years HEIs in the United States (US) and other countries that started offering graduate programs in blockchain areas have increased, and more students are showing interest by seeing its value. Reputed blockchain universities in the US educate students on the practical applications that serve as the foundation for a successful career in business.

Blockchain technology demand is rapidly growing in various industries, including IT, banking, education, business, and many others. LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Gartner research, and many more survey reports [33, 35, 38] indicate around a 300% increase in blockchain-related jobs in the US during 2021. Since then, this demand graph has shown positive growth in the industry [39]. In addition, a LinkedIn survey report disclosed [33] those job posts featuring terms like bitcoin, blockchain, and other digital asset-related functions increased 395% in 2021 in the United States compared to the previous year. This had the most rapid growth in the technology industry, exceeding the whole sector by 4x with a 98% increase. The biggest number of job ads in the blockchain domain on the employment-oriented social networking service were in banking and software, the two industries that have seen the most growth in blockchain positions over the last five years.

This is a golden time to be a blockchain developer, as prospects in the blockchain area are expanding at an unprecedented rate. The scope of blockchain in the United States and other countries is significantly wider than ever, and it is expected to grow even more shortly [40]. Following the bitcoin bull market of 2017, the world’s top and notable firms are searching for skilled blockchain developers. In 2022, the demand for blockchain engineers increased by more than 517% over the previous year, 2021. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global spending on blockchain technologies will reach $11.7 billion by 2022. According to IDC, blockchain will develop fastest between 2017 and 2022 [41]. The breadth of blockchain in the United States is expanding as many organizations look for new ways to use blockchain technology to advance their businesses.

Figure 1 shows a detailed summary of blockchain industry growth and demand in terms of market scale and career goals. In 2021, many industries adopted blockchain technology, including IT, banking, and others. This information is compiled from multiple sources, including LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Gartner research, and many more survey reports [33, 35, 39, 38, 33]. There are various career tracks for students who plan to study blockchain technology, and recommendations are listed below based on the career track.

We discussed the blockchain market growth and key areas in various sectors for analyzing blockchain workforce demand to discover the key areas of blockchain education that need to focus on more. However, various universities worldwide are providing education on blockchain technology. For example, the blockchain institute of technology (BIT) is one of the world’s leading training and education providers in blockchain technology and cryptocurrency.

These institutions also take many initiatives to offer online blockchain training, but only some colleges and universities offer hands-on blockchain training. It is a great step, and we hope to see more colleges and institutions join to increase hands-on training.

Blockchain technology is so vast that it keeps updating with new techniques and trends. So HEIs have to keep students updated now and then. Many blockchain experts in this industry keep themselves tuned with the latest blockchain technology standards. Even though there is a plethora of information available in the Public domain about blockchain technology, for a beginner, there is no easy way to segregate this information and ramp up his/her learning.

Since this technology has already branched out into numerous industries, it is expected to expand even more. These industries, and the businesses that operate inside them, are on the lookout for professional developers who can use and deploy blockchain technology. The future of a blockchain developer is bright, and it is unlikely to cover shortly.

”Banking, security, real estate, education, healthcare, supply chain, and now even voting have begun and will continue to use blockchain technology in their operations. The scope for the professional developer, architect, engineer will open up many options in many areas and businesses. The developer and architects will have a big number of prospects” [65]

The developer can innovate and produce even more remarkable applications to benefit the global economy and industries.

When talking about the future scope of the blockchain profession, the interesting fact is that according to the latest skills index, blockchain expertise is the fastest-growing skill and is now one of the hottest in the United States Job market [66]. This craze of blockchain will never stop; if students want to pursue a career in blockchain, it is the right time!

Many blockchain courses, including solution architects, designers, and engineer, have a precarious and somewhat checkered history in academia. Curricula in universities need to include blockchain courses largely, as mentioned earlier. Instead, the teachings are often left to the students to proceed with external sources to study. Over time this needs to change by the universities as the blockchain market grows, attracting attention from top talent in engineering and business. Blockchain education absence from university is not a problem with the blockchain workforce itself but rather with its insufficient embrace of innovation. Blockchain can serve as an inspiration for what academic research can and should be. In fact, it presents a roadmap to improve higher education.

This paper discussed the current state of blockchain education and the problems it faces in meeting industry workforce demand. In order to respond to the growing demand for blockchain professionals, we investigated various career tracks available for blockchain learners and the necessary certifications and courses to educate blockchain technology. In short, we listed various blockchain applications’ trends, their importance in industries, and changes needed in HEIs. In addition, we discussed how blockchain education should be more comprehensive than computing since this technology capitalizes on many different discipline applications. The future suggests developing curricula based on required roles-related skills (in terms of course or program).