Excellent course! Highly recommended. I took this course as part of the four course specialization. Professor Harvey does an excellent job explaining many nuances to DeFi.

He uses a combination of powerpoint, visuals, analogies and case studies to make the content understandable. The professor teaches with clarity, and passion yet treats the subject fairly offering alternative points of view about the opportunities and risks of DeFi as compared to the current financial system.

I have been introduced to the cryptocurrency and DeFi space a little over 6 months ago. Since that time, I have "fallen down the rabbit hole" so to speak and cannot learn enough about it. These courses provide a strong foundation to explore further for personal investing, and or a career in the space.

Unlike the other courses I took on Coursera related to blockchain and cryptocurriencies (which were also pretty good), these courses felt much more up to date than the others. Being up to date in this space is essential because one year is like 10 years of another field in terms of innovation and how fast the landscape changes.

Specific to this course, it was really helpful to understand the mechanics behind the different DeFi protocols to understand the potential benefits and risks to the average retail investor.

Excellent

Another informative course that explores different options available to DeFi users. The beauty in these courses is that it explains concepts that to most people, won't know about since we are not DeFi professionals. Dr. Harvey has done an excellent job of providing cogent examples that are easy to understand and, more importantly, explain to others.

An excellent course that subtly talks of the disruption round the corner in banking and trading.

I’ve been exploring DeFi protocols including Compound, Aave, Uniswap, dYdX, Set Protocol, and Synthetix, and this module really helped me connect the mechanics across lending, trading, derivatives, and tokenization. What stood out most is how DeFi replaces trust and manual processes with transparent, algorithmic systems — from cTokens and rehypothecation, to AMMs, flash loans, perpetual futures, and synthetic assets. Seeing how these protocols interoperate like “DeFi Lego blocks” made the ecosystem much clearer. This learning experience deepened my understanding of how decentralized finance can democratize access to markets, liquidity, and sophisticated financial strategies that were previously limited to institutions.

The professor is clearly very passionate about the subject, and that really makes a difference. Even though some of the protocols covered aren't as widely used today (in 2025), the course still provides valuable foundational knowledge. The explanations are clear and straightforward, which helps a lot in understanding the concepts. I would have appreciated seeing more hands-on, mechanical examples using real tools, rather than focusing mostly on theory.

This course is wonderful for those who want to visualize the world of Defi. I have read the mentioned protocols' white papers. Yet, it was not until I participated in this course that I truly figured their key selling points and mechanisms. From the perspective of a non-finance, I think its difficulty is just right with carefully explained terms and examples from Prof Harvey.

This course is well designed. The professor has done an excellent job in explaining a complex subject with practical and easy to understand approach. It is also a great blance between theoritecal knowledge and practical real-life application. The addition of historical fun facts/stroies makes it even more perfect! Highly recommened it!

I'm not 100% convinced of the long term viability of DeFi simply because I do not underestimate the world's governments' desire to find a way to limit and tax said economy. I do feel, however, that as theory the course does a good job of delving into the long term possibilities of alternative finance.

Fantastic course. Professor Cam Harvey DeFi series on Coursera is essential learning for anyone wishing to know more about DeFi. Great range of topics and very useful examples. Best learning I have seen in this space.

Cam is fantastic communicator, he is a master of explaining conceptual elements, but he has a breadth of technical and financial acumen that means he will go deeper into topics and apply them to the real world.

Absolutely amazing course! The material is taught at the perfect pace and contains the perfect amount of detail. The professor is also fantastic and explains concepts very well and is easy to understand

Very useful and insightful course on a very new and exciting topic. I've expanded my vocabulary in this new world and learned a lot more new concepts. I'm looking forward for the following courses.

Excellent introduction to complex topics. This course doesn't go too deep into the details, but provide a great overview of the topics of DeFi derivatives and complex instruments.

The Deep Dive series took the knowledge up a notch as compared to the previous courses, which gives me a deeper understanding about what is the essence of the DeFi space.

Professor Harvey is the greatest lecturer I have seen ever. I highly recommend this course for everyone who desires to expand their knowledge on DeFi fields.

Very clearly and interestingly presented the concept of cryptocurrency and tokens by Professor Harvey with lots of examples. An excellent course !

More on the theory of About crypto nd it's existing functions in the Cryptoworld, also talks about what the future holds for the cryptocurrencies.

good overview of the major Defi protocols on ethereum. Provides detailed examples on these major Defi protocols work that are easy to understand.

The most comprehensive overview of this vast and complex topic. Campbell Harvey manages to make this accessible and easy to follow.