FIN 530: Cryptocurrencies and Financial Markets

This course covers digital currencies and related topics in the FinTech area. The course begins with studying the nature of money, legacy payment, and banking systems. The course then examines the emergence of stateless, cloud-based digital currency systems since 2009. Students will also gain insight into the functioning of decentralized assets in today’s financial markets and the role of fintech assets such as cryptos in financial intermediation. Students will learn about central bank digital currencies and how they will help to improve banking by reducing the under- banked and un-banked population. The course will also emphasize the inherent risks and ethical dilemmas and regulatory compliance challenges (for example, Anti-Money Laundering and Know Your Customer regulations) of this emerging asset class.