Blockchain has taken the world by storm and, even if certain recent high-profile incidents has dampened public interest somewhat, still offers interesting career opportunities in areas like blockchain development, consulting, and cryptocurrency trading. In response to the growing demand for blockchain education, platforms like 101 Blockchains have emerged. In this comprehensive review, we will explore the features and offerings of 101 Blockchains, evaluating their worth in the context of professional development. We will also look at the platform’s strengths and weaknesses to help you determine whether it’s a worthwhile investment.
What is 101 Blockchains?
101 Blockchains is an educational platform for blockchain and Web3 professionals. It was started in 2019 by Aviv Lichtigstein, a senior-level executive who had been working with blockchain technology for years prior to creating this platform.
As the name suggests, 101 Blockchains started out offering beginner-level courses for those new to blockchain and related technology. However, despite being a young platform, 101 Blockchains has grown significantly since 2019 and now offers a range of features and serves as a hub for blockchain training and networking, with course offerings from a range of experts.
The course library covers a wide range of topics related to blockchain, including NFTs, AI, Web3, Metaverse, and more. They also offer a free introductory course for anyone interested in learning about blockchain, its workings, and its potential impact on industries and careers. This course is a great starting point for those new to blockchain.
Inside 101 Blockchains - Key features
101 Blockchains offers a wide range of training materials and tools suitable for professionals at any experience level. Let’s have a look in a bit more detail.
Training Library
The first feature you will come across in the learning portal is the training library, which encompasses a wide collection of courses, certifications, skill paths, career paths, and master classes.
Courses
The courses are the smallest unit in the training library. Each course focuses on a particular technology or skill. Members can pursue these courses individually or as part of a certification or learning path. Each course consists of multiple lessons and has an average time duration of about 3 hours and are categorized into three levels: fundamentals, intermediate, and expert.
The course page includes a course overview section along with bonus learning material, an introduction to the professional instructor, reviews from other students, and an FAQ section to help students make an informed decision about choosing the right course.
Certifications
The certifications of 101 Blockchains are useful for professionals venturing into the blockchain industry and can enhance their resumes quite well. These certifications equip learners with expert-level knowledge that can prepare them for professional roles.
There are currently eight certifications available to members. Non-members can avail of these certifications at a flat rate of $399 each. These certifications are based on the following categories:
- Web3
- NFT
- Blockchain
- Metaverse
- Fintech
- IoT
The certifications have recently been accredited by the Continuing Professional Development Certification Service. While this is a fairly light-weight accreditation and in general won’t help you get university credits for completing the courses, it does serve as a considerable mark of quality for these certifications compared with many other “certifications” in blockchain that you will find online.
Masterclasses
The blockchain masterclasses offer a specialized learning experience by emphasizing the role of blockchain in different real-life scenarios. This can include blockchain applications in different industries such as healthcare, finance, real estate, education, etc. They focus on real-world blockchain applications such as DeFi, NFTs, and digital currencies.
Skill Paths
Blockchain skill learning paths allow users to specialize in a particular blockchain-related skill through a collection of courses and webinars. Some of the skill paths offered by 101 Blockchains include IoT, Metaverse, Tokenization, NFT, DeFi, and Polygon. These learning paths can vary in duration from a couple of hours to a few days, based on the expertise level and number of courses in the collection.
Career Paths
Career paths is another way that resources are grouped to allow premium members to pursue their desired careers through an organized collection of resources. These career paths include access to courses and webinars that allow members to identify a suitable career path and pursue it with support from experts in the industry. However, members do not have access to free certifications in career paths, but they are eligible for a discount on the certifications if they are pursuing a career path.
Resources
101 Blockchains also provides a myriad of resources for its users to help them navigate the world of blockchain technology. Besides the video-based courses, you will find webinars, conferences, free resources, flashcards, presentations, eBooks, and a blog maintained by industry experts as part of the resources provided by the platform.
101 Blockchains Council
101 Blockchains also provides a myriad of resources for its users to help them navigate the world of blockchain technology. Besides the video-based courses, you will find webinars, conferences, free resources, flashcards, presentations, eBooks, and a blog maintained by industry experts as part of the resources provided by the platform.
Web3 Jobs Portal
101 Blockchains goes beyond offering courses, certifications, and a community of experts. The platform features a regularly updated job portal. Upon successfully completing their blockchain certifications, users can access a curated selection of job opportunities drawn from the latest industry job boards and networks. These positions can be filtered based on personal preferences, enabling users to apply for the roles that best align with their career goals.
Who Is 101 Blockchains For?
101 Blockchains serves as a valuable learning resource for existing professionals looking to complement their knowledge with an understanding of blockchain. Similarly, developers interested in transitioning to the blockchain industry can utilize these resources to become proficient blockchain architects or developers. 101 Blockchains provides developers with comprehensive knowledge of programming languages, blockchain frameworks, and platforms, enabling them to create secure blockchain networks.
In addition, beginners and students interested in entering the blockchain realm can leverage this platform, which primarily focuses on catering to their needs. Abundant learning materials, complemented by video-based courses and interactive segments, help newcomers step into the world of blockchain and thrive as professionals in the field.
101 Blockchains membership plans
101 Blockchain offers four distinct membership plans designed to meet the needs of beginners, professionals, and businesses. Let’s take a closer look at these plans and their respective pricing:
Basic Plan: Ideal for newcomers and learners venturing into the world of blockchain, the Basic Plan ($9 per month, billed yearly) grants access to 10 fundamental courses. Members enjoy 40% discount on certifications, receive a membership certificate, and gain access to interview preparation resources.
Standard Plan: The Standard Plan ($25 per month, billed yearly) provides complete access to the learning materials, with over 50 courses, masterclasses, and exclusive resources. It also opens the door to skill and career paths, along with council membership privileges.
Premium Plan: The Premium Plan ($75 per month, billed yearly) offers an all-encompassing experience. Members enjoy unlimited access to all certifications, a rich content library, and a wealth of learning resources. What’s more, this plan includes a personalized study plan and access to a dedicated counselor, making it the perfect choice for those seeking to launch a career in Blockchain.
Teams: Tailored to the needs of business owners, the Teams plan is aimed at creating proficient teams well-versed in blockchain and Web3 technologies. This plan offers robust features, including progress tracking for teams.
Pros of 101 Blockchains
Through our review, we found 101 Blockchains to have the following main advantages:
✅ Job-ready learning plans
101 Blockchains offers certifications that are geared toward specific jobs in the blockchain field. These certifications help individuals confidently enter the professional world and find roles they wish to pursue. For example, the CEBA certification is great for those interested in blockchain development or architecture jobs.
✅ Convenient learning
101 Blockchains enables its members to delve into the course material of different certifications at their own preferred pace, facilitating better retention and a comprehensive grasp of the content. The flexible timeframes assigned to each certification and course ease the learning process for members, enabling them to learn at a comfortable pace.
✅ Wide range of content
101 Blockchains is your one-stop solution for all blockchain-related inquiries and needs. The platform offers a rich array of resources to help you learn everything about blockchain. With this platform, you won’t have to look elsewhere to continue your education. It provides a wide range of learning content that caters to beginners and professionals alike, allowing members to choose courses according to their expertise. This ensures a tailored and effective learning experience for all.
✅ Rich learning material
The main form of teaching at 101 Blockchains is through pre-recorded video lectures. However, these video lectures include presentations and infographics that make the content more engaging. Besides the video content, there’s a plethora of text-based learning material on the platform for learners. This includes flashcards, blogs, and ebooks. This allows users to consume different media of learning for enhanced retention and understanding.
Cons of 101 Blockchains
❌ Insufficient advanced material
As the name suggests, 101 Blockchains is a great tool for providing a fundamental understanding of blockchain-related concepts to beginners and intermediate learners. However, there isn’t enough technical depth for advanced learners to benefit from.
❌ Only annual billing and restrictive refunds
As we’ve already mentioned, the membership billing is done yearly. This means that you have to pay a lump sum every year and can not avail of the membership for a smaller period. The policy on refunds is strictly a no, which means that in case you’re unsatisfied with the platform, all you can do is cancel your subscription before it gets renewed for another year. This can be a setback for many people who are not willing to invest in the platform without trying it out first.
❌ No multilingual support
As of now, 101 Blockchains only provides learning material in English. The videos are only in English, and there is no multilingual support for people who speak languages other than English. There are no subtitles on the videos either, making them harder to follow for people who don’t have English as their first language.
❌ Inactive community
101 Blockchains prides itself on its 60,000+ community of experts. However, this community is not very active, which decreases the value of the networking aspect of the platform. Users have also mentioned a lack of communication between students and mentors, which may hinder their learning progress.
Is 101 Blockchains worth it?
For those looking to get their career in blockchain started, 101 Blockchains courses and certifications are well worth the price. They help learners establish a solid foundation, particularly beneficial for beginners. The overall practical approach in the courses helps facilitate learners to effectively apply their knowledge within professional contexts.
For more advanced learners, the platform can still serve as a useful reference library for aspects of blockchain technology that you are less familiar with, but you may need to search elsewhere for learning opportunities that challenge you.
101 Blockchains offers a wide range of training materials and tools suitable for professionals at any experience level. Let’s have a look in a bit more detail.