Fintech is the new it in both technology and finance. There’s nothing surprising about it in hindsight. But think about it: just a decade ago, could you have imagined that you could manage your bank account directly from your smartphone? Could you have thought that one day, you’d use it to pay for things?
One thing is certain: Fintech is here to stay. Its adoption rate for banking and payments stands at 56% worldwide. And investors have taken notice – the global industry received $47.3 billion in investment in just one quarter (2Q2021).
So, if you’ve always been curious about Fintech, now is the right time to jump into it. But, contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to get a degree to start your career in this field. You can learn everything you’ll need on your own, without leaving the comfort of your home!
8 Things You Need to Learn About Fintech
Let’s kick things off with a brief roadmap that you can use to map out your learning path. Here are four basic hard skills that you’ll need to acquire:
- Finance fundamentals, such as financial analysis, ratios, time-series analysis;
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning: you’ll have to acquire basic Python coding skills;
- Blockchain and cryptocurrencies;
- Cybersecurity and cryptography.
Soft skills are no less important in the industry. Most recruiters in Fintech are looking for these four:
- Interpersonal skills: teamwork, collaboration, and communication;
- Adaptability and flexibility;
- Curiosity and a learner’s mindset;
- Analytical and research skills.
Looks like a lot to learn? Yes, it is. That’s why, if you’re serious about it, pace yourself and prepare for a long-term commitment to studying on your own.
Make time for it, too. For example, if you’re a student, you might need to offload some of your homework to services like EssayPro.com to free up more time. How else are you going to have time for applying all that theory to practice every step of the way?
5 Online Courses Worth Your Time
Now, let’s move on to the top five online course bundles that will teach you the basics of Fintech. All of them are designed by professional educators and experts in the field. And, they are as top-notch as full-time degree programs (that now have moved online anyway).
1. Fintech: Foundations & Applications of Financial Technology
- Platform: Coursera
- Curated by: Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
- Level: Beginner
- Pricing: free to audit, or $79 per month (full access + certification), or $59 per month (CourseraPlus subscription)
Brought to you by the teaching staff of Wharton, this specialization consists of four online courses. They will turn you from a complete beginner to an entry-level specialist:
- FinTech: Foundations, Payments, and Regulations;
- Cryptocurrency and Blockchain: An Introduction to Digital Currencies;
- Lending, Crowdfunding, and Modern Investing;
- Application of AI, InsurTech, and Real Estate Technology.
All of these courses are free to audit, but certification will cost you extra. The specialization is designed to take you four months to complete, provided you dedicate one hour per week to studying.
As for the key skills you’ll gain by the end of your journey with this specialization, expect to learn to:
- Use Modern Portfolio Theory to evaluate investment products;
- Evaluate blockchain products in the financial context;
- Discuss regulatory concerns regarding Fintech products.
2. Financial Technology Innovations
- Platform: Coursera
- Curated by: University of Michigan
- Level: Beginner
- Pricing: free to audit, or $79 per month (full access + certification), or $59 per month (CourseraPlus subscription)
Yes, it’s another Coursera specialization on the list. And this one also consists of four online courses that focus on:
- Payment technologies and their future;
- Blockchain and cryptocurrencies;
- Raising capital through coin offerings, crowdfunding, and credit tech;
- AI as an innovation in investment.
This specialization dedicates a fair share of time to the financial part of the field. You’ll explore concepts like the credit score, payment types (B2C, C2C, B2B), and capital raising methods. But it doesn’t omit the tech part, either. You’ll take a close look at blockchain and cryptocurrencies, coin offerings, and AI use cases.
The specialization is designed to take four months to finish, provided you spend two hours per week studying.
3. Decentralized Finance (DeFi): The Future of Finance
- Platform: Coursera
- Curated by: Duke University
- Level: Intermediate
- Pricing: free to audit, or $79 per month (full access + certification), or $59 per month (CourseraPlus subscription)
If you want to be at the forefront of the future of digital finances – and believe that peer-to-peer is it, – this specialization is for you. Over its four online courses, you’ll be able to discover:
- What Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is and what its infrastructure consists of;
- What DeFi primitives are and how they’re used in transactions;
- What leading protocols in DeFi are;
- How credit and lending, decentralized exchange, derivatives, and tokenization work;
- What opportunities and risks DeFi comes with.
The four courses will take about four months of your time if you go through them at the recommended pace (two hours per week).
4. FinTech for Finance and Business Leaders
- Platform: edX
- Curated by: ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)
- Level: Intermediate
- Pricing: free to audit, $597 for full program experience (certification + unlimited access)
If you already have experience in the finance sector and want to take a deep dive into how technology can transform it, this is the program for you. It consists of three courses, all of which are free to audit:
- Machine learning with Python;
- Manage the cyber threat;
- Robotic process and intelligent automation.
As you can see, these three courses are laser-focused on how machine learning and the likes can be applied to financial processes in practice. So, among other things, expect to gain basic Python coding skills and cybersecurity skills.
The whole program should take you three months to complete, with an estimated workload of three to five hours per week.
5. Blockchain Fundamentals
- Platform: edX
- Curated by: University of California, Berkeley
- Level: Beginner
- Pricing: free to audit, $198 for full program experience (certification + unlimited access)
Last but not least, if you’re passionate about blockchain, this two-part program is for you. Over its course, you’ll take an in-depth look into:
- Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies;
- Smart contracts and how they work;
- The Ethereum platform;
- How to build decentralized applications;
- Blockchain, distributed consensus mechanisms,
- Cryptoeconomics and enterprise-level blockchain products.
Both of the online courses are free if you choose to audit them. It should take you around three months to finish learning if you dedicate three to five hours per week to it.
Final Thoughts
These resources are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to studying Fintech. So, go ahead and visit Coursera and edX, as well as other online course platforms, to take in everything they have to offer you.
But while online courses are great to gain basic knowledge in the field, nothing beats practice. So, don’t forget to apply what you learn in real life. And, if you’re serious about building a career in this field, here are five more tips for jumpstarting it:
- Be proactive about developing your soft skills as much as the hard ones;
- Come up with side projects to polish off your practical skills;
- Network with specialists in the field: attend events, make connections, seek mentorship, and build a reputation for yourself;
- Jumpstart your career by landing an internship at a Fintech company;
- Consider going freelance to build a portfolio for yourself – and gain hands-on experience.