This summer school offers a comprehensive immersion into blockchain, led by world-class experts and practitioners at Europe’s leading university in blockchain education (ranked No. 1 by CoinDesk in 2021 and 2022). Blockchain-based systems, most notably cryptocurrencies, have fundamentally transformed how we think about digital finance and related applications, including supply chains. By enabling the secure storage of sequential and verifiable information without reliance on centralised authorities or trusted intermediaries, blockchain technologies challenge traditional institutional structures.
To fully understand blockchain and its broad implications for real-world applications, a multidisciplinary perspective is essential. This is the core philosophy of this three-week programme. Participants will gain a deep understanding of the three foundational pillars of blockchain systems: technology, economics, and law. Building on this foundation, the course further explores emerging application domains, such as forensics and data analytics, providing a holistic, practice-oriented view of the blockchain ecosystem.
This is the 6th edition of the International Summer School: Deep Dive into Blockchain, held annually during the summer term (July) since 2022. The programme is taught by a diverse group of professors and lecturers from the University of Zurich, other leading universities worldwide, and distinguished practitioners from across the blockchain ecosystem.
Key Points
| Date: | 05 July – 24 July 2026 |
| Format: | On-Campus (Zurich), Off-site (Stellenbosch University, South Africa), Online |
| Hosting Institute: | UZH Blockchain Center |
| Course Director: | Prof. Dr Claudio J. Tessone |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Open to: | Advanced Bachelor students, Master students and early PhD candidates |
| Credits: | 6 ECTS |
| Grading: | Pass or Fail |
| Tuition Fee On-site/Off-site Campus (incl. Housing): | 3,500 Swiss Francs (excl. discounts) |
Course Highlights
Off-Site Campus
This course at the University of Zurich opens a new format of participation by providing students with the opportunity to travel to South Africa, and join the summer school program on an off-site campus. Off-site participants will attend sessions collectively at a designated classroom, creating an interactive learning environment. UZH staff (i.e. researchers and supervisors) will be on-site to coordinate the course and support students over the three weeks.
Students who join the program as off-site participants benefit from the aspects of the off-site format while still able to atttend a highly innovative and unique summer school course offered by Europe’s leading university in Blockchain research and teaching.
More information can be found on the official page
Course Information
Learning Outcomes
Fees and Discount
Helpful Links:
Partner Universities and Networks
(Please note: Students from economically disadvantaged countries may have priority in applying, to encourage diversity and inclusion.)
Assessment
Schedule and Classes
Entry Requirements
Course Organisers
Sponsors
Speakers – Academia
Prof. Dr Claudio J. Tessone
Chairman of Blockchain Center
University of Zurich
Course Organisation, Bitcoin and Derivatives, Cryptoeconomics
Prof. Dr Rolf Weber
Faculty of Law
University of Zurich
Crypto Assets Regulation
Dr Matija Piškorec
Division of Electronics
Ruđer Bošković Institute
Bitcoin/Ethereum Hands on
Dr Christian Badertscher
ZHAW School of Engineering
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Consensus
Dr Krzysztof Paruch
Token Engineering & Cryptoeconomist
Token Engineering Labs
Tokenomics & DeFi
Theodor Beutel
Academic Secretariat
Ethereum Foundation
Ethereum Governance
Prof. Dr Bryan Ford
Decentralised and Distributed Systems Lab
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL)
Cryptography and Identity
Dr Mark Ballandies
Department of Informatics
University of Zurich
Decentralised Autonomous Organisation Hands-on
Dr Krzysztof Gogol
Department of Informatics
University of Zurich
Stablecoins and Automated Market Making
Prof. Dr Yonggang Wen
School of Computer Science and Engineering
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
AI & Blockchain: Verifiable and Trustworthy Systems
Pavel Kulikov
PLL Legal & CBP
Regulation of DeFi and Financial Markets
Prof. Dr Thorsten Hens
Department of Finance
University of Zurich
Cryptocurrencies
Syed Muhammad Yasir
Department of Informatics
University of Zurich
Ethereum PoS/ Cardano Hands on
Guangyao Li
Department of Informatics
University of Zurich
UZH Cardano staking Hands on
Dr Shengnan Li
Department of Informatics
University of Zurich
Reward Incentives
Prof. Dr Alfred Taudes
Department of Information Systems and Operations Management
Vienna University of Economics and Business
Cryptoeconomics
Mohammad Benseddik
Department of Informatics
University of Zurich
Liquid Staking and DeFi in Practice
Dr Tao Yan
Department of Informatics
University of Zurich
Automated Market Making Hands-on
Parminder Kaur Makode
Department of Informatics
University of Zurich
Decentralised Autonomous Organisation
Eiman Al-Amri
Department of Informatics
University of Zurich
Regulatory landscape
Prof. Dr Moinak Maiti
School of Economics and Finance
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Blockchain Forensics in On-chain Financial Crime
Parminder Kaur Makode
Department of Informatics
University of Zurich
Decentralised Autonomous Organisation
Speakers – Industry
Ásgeir Thór Óskarsson
Managing Director
BSV Blockchain
Dr Thomas Moser
Alternate Member of the Governing Board
Swiss National Bank
Central Bank Digital Currency
Dr Manvir Schneider
Senior Research Scientist
Cardano Foundation
Cryptoeconomics & Game Theory
