Blockchain, Cloud, and Data Infrastructure

This unit examines how blockchain technologies, Web3 concepts, and cloud computing jointly enable transparent, scalable data ecosystems that fuel AI. Students explore real-world supply-chain and public-good blockchain applications, compare major cloud providers and services, and design infrastructure patterns to support continuous, secure data growth.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze blockchain architectures (consensus mechanisms, immutability, smart contracts) and compare case studies to determine how they support transparent global supply chains and public-good applications
• Evaluate Web3 trends and future blockchain design trade-offs (scalability, energy use, interoperability) to predict impacts on decentralized services and governance
• Apply cloud computing concepts (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and managed data services) by designing a scalable cloud-based ingestion and storage blueprint to support high-volume AI data pipelines
• Demonstrate the ability to propose a secure, privacy-aware infrastructure that integrates cloud resources and appropriate blockchain features to enable continuous data flow for AI while addressing governance and ethical considerations