Course Schedule and Catalog
Course Schedule - Spring Semester 2026
Meeting location information can now be found on student schedules in ESTHER (for students) or on the Course Roster in ESTHER (for faculty and instructors).Additional information available here.
Meeting location information can now be found on student schedules in ESTHER (for students) or on the Course Roster in ESTHER (for faculty and instructors).Additional information available here.
MGMT 655 001 (CRN: 25345)
FINTECH, CRYPTO, & BLOCKCHAIN
Long Title: FINTECH, CRYPTOCURRENCIES, AND BLOCKCHAIN: DIGITAL DISRUPTION IN FINANCE
Department: Management
Instructor: Sanchez Rodriguez, Manolo
Meetings:
6:15PM - 9:30PM R (15-JAN-2026 - 15-JAN-2026)
8:00AM - 6:00PM S (31-JAN-2026 - 31-JAN-2026)
6:15PM - 9:30PM R (26-FEB-2026 - 26-FEB-2026)
Part of Term: MBA ILE N
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Course Type: Intensive Learning Experience
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Method of Instruction: Face to Face
Credit Hours: .75
Course Syllabus:
Course Materials: Rice Campus Store
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Program(s):
MBA Hybrid
MBA for Professional Extended
MBA for Professionals
MBA for Professional Weekend
MBA - Executive Program
MBA
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Graduate Quadmester
Section Max Enrollment: 45
Section Enrolled: 37
Enrollment data as of: 25-NOV-2025 2:31AM
Final Exam: GR Course-Dept Schedules Exam
Description: We consider the financial services industry in an era of rapid disruption. We analyze how firms like Square, PayPal, Stripe, Affirm or Robinhood are disrupting the value chain in financial services.
Why are traditional incumbents missing out on innovation opportunities? What drives the development of new disruptive platforms for processing payments, loans or investments? What are the sources of funding for disruptors? How are Asian fintech dragons redefining financial services through e-commerce and social payments? How are these new technologies democratizing access and improving financial inclusion?
A wave of new technologies is accelerating the disruption: blockchain, cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence and robotics. In November of 2021, the market capitalization of crypto assets briefly surpassed the $3 trillion mark. With massive monetary stimuli around the globe because of the pandemic, bitcoin has attracted the attention of investors who consider it a reserve asset. Blockchain, the underlying technology of cryptocurrencies, is often characterized as the internet of value. Understand the design principles of the blockchain economy. Explore its potential impact on financial services and how it may empower new decentralized business models. Study the main types of crypto assets (bitcoin, ethereum, tokens, stablecoins and privacy), and how they are issued and held. Analyze the potential application of this “protocol of truth,” beyond currency. Understand the implementation challenges ahead.
Look into the next wave of technologies which are likely to further accelerate the disruption: embedded hardware IoT, API-based open connectivity, genAI and biometrics.