Blockchain, Cloud, and Data Infrastructure

This unit investigates how blockchain technologies, cloud computing, and data infrastructure converge to enable modern, scalable software systems. Students will study blockchain applications (supply chains, public-good projects, Web3 futures), major cloud providers and architectures, and design considerations for building data pipelines that fuel AI and future units in the pathway.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how blockchain architectures (consensus, immutability, smart contracts) are applied to transparent global supply chains and public-good initiatives, identifying benefits, limitations, and real-world constraints
• Evaluate Web3 models and emerging blockchain trajectories by assessing technical scalability, governance structures, decentralization trade-offs, and regulatory implications for software and system design
• Compare major cloud provider offerings (AWS, Azure, GCP) and cloud-native architectures, determining appropriate deployment, integration, and cost-performance patterns for blockchain and AI workloads
• Design a scalable data infrastructure plan—covering ingestion, storage, processing, and governance—that supports exponential data growth and AI workloads, specifying cloud services, pipeline patterns, and interoperability considerations