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IDFE-DAProfessionalFree course

Certified Digital Assets Professional

Professional knowledge of digital-asset markets: venues and liquidity, institutional custody, tokenization, DeFi risks, accounting and global regulatory standards.

Modules
8
Lessons
40
Length
About 7 h
Pace
Self-paced
Languages
EN · ES · PT
Free · about 7 hStart course

Before you start

Detailed prerequisites are published with the first lessons.

Recommended pathBEDFDA·CCBA·CFA recommendation, not a rule: every course and exam is open to anyone, in any order.

How to get the most from it

Short, regular sessions work better than one long read.

  1. 1
    Go in order

    Each lesson builds on the one before, and later modules refer back to earlier ones.

  2. 2
    One module per sitting

    A module is about 20 minutes of reading. Add 10 minutes for the checks and your notes.

  3. 3
    Read the Exam focus box first

    It says what the exam expects from that lesson, so you read with a purpose.

  4. 4
    Answer before you look

    Commit to an answer in each knowledge check, then read the explanation, even when you were right.

  5. 5
    Redraw the diagram

    Every lesson has one diagram that sums it up. If you can sketch it from memory, you have the lesson.

  6. 6
    The cases are fictional

    People and companies in the examples are invented, and some of them come back across lessons.

  7. 7
    Sign in and come back

    Your place is kept and finished lessons are marked, so short sessions add up.

Course content

8 modules · 40 lessons · 4 h 54 min of reading. Each module shows the exam domains it prepares for.

01Digital asset market structure5 lessons · 38 minExam domain 01

Prepares for: 01 Market structure & infrastructure (20%)

  1. 1.1The digital asset market at a glance8 min
  2. 1.2Market participants and their roles8 min
  3. 1.3Trading venues, order books and price discovery7 min
  4. 1.4Exchange-traded products and institutional access8 min
  5. 1.5Derivatives: futures, perpetual swaps and options7 min
02Exchanges, brokers and liquidity5 lessons · 37 minExam domains 01 · 02

Prepares for: 01 Market structure & infrastructure (20%) · 02 Custody & operational security (18%)

  1. 2.1How a centralized exchange works7 min
  2. 2.2Liquidity, market making and market integrity8 min
  3. 2.3OTC desks, brokers and prime brokerage7 min
  4. 2.4Counterparty risk and proof of reserves7 min
  5. 2.5Stablecoins in market plumbing8 min
03Institutional custody and key management5 lessons · 37 minExam domain 02

Prepares for: 02 Custody & operational security (18%)

  1. 3.1Custody models and the legal side of holding assets8 min
  2. 3.2Key management technologies7 min
  3. 3.3Wallet tiers, transaction policy and signing workflows7 min
  4. 3.4Operational security threats and controls7 min
  5. 3.5Assurance, resilience and insurance8 min
04Tokenization and real-world assets5 lessons · 38 minExam domain 03

Prepares for: 03 Tokenization & real-world assets (15%)

  1. 4.1What tokenization is and is not7 min
  2. 4.2Legal structures for tokenized assets8 min
  3. 4.3Tokenized treasuries, funds and private credit8 min
  4. 4.4Tokenized deposits, wholesale settlement and CBDCs8 min
  5. 4.5Risk and due diligence for RWA tokens7 min
05DeFi protocols and their risks5 lessons · 35 minExam domain 04

Prepares for: 04 DeFi protocols & risk (17%)

  1. 5.1DeFi building blocks7 min
  2. 5.2Automated market makers and DEX trading7 min
  3. 5.3Lending, borrowing and liquidations7 min
  4. 5.4Staking, liquid staking and restaking7 min
  5. 5.5Assessing DeFi risk7 min
06Accounting, tax and reporting5 lessons · 36 minExam domain 05

Prepares for: 05 Governance, accounting & tax (18%)

  1. 6.1Accounting frameworks for crypto assets: IFRS and US GAAP compared8 min
  2. 6.2Accounting for stablecoins, staking and crypto lending7 min
  3. 6.3Tax principles for digital assets7 min
  4. 6.4Tax information reporting and the OECD CARF7 min
  5. 6.5Financial reporting controls and audit7 min
07Governance and DAOs5 lessons · 37 minExam domain 05

Prepares for: 05 Governance, accounting & tax (18%)

  1. 7.1How blockchain protocols are governed7 min
  2. 7.2DAOs and governance tokens7 min
  3. 7.3Legal wrappers and liability of DAOs8 min
  4. 7.4Governance attacks and failure modes7 min
  5. 7.5Corporate governance for digital asset firms8 min
08Global regulatory standards5 lessons · 36 minExam domain 06

Prepares for: 06 Global regulatory standards (12%)

  1. 8.1FATF standards and the Travel Rule8 min
  2. 8.2Licensing and conduct rules for crypto-asset service providers7 min
  3. 8.3Stablecoin regulation: global principles7 min
  4. 8.4Market integrity, sanctions and enforcement7 min
  5. 8.5Prudential treatment and building a compliance map7 min

Exam blueprint

The official exam domains and the weights used to draw questions. The modules column shows where the course prepares you for each one.

DomainCourse modulesWeight
01Market structure & infrastructure
0102
20%
02Custody & operational security
0203
18%
03Tokenization & real-world assets
04
15%
04DeFi protocols & risk
05
17%
05Governance, accounting & tax
0607
18%
06Global regulatory standards
08
12%
Total100%

Who it is for

Finance, risk, legal and technology professionals who work with digital assets day to day.

Questions

Is the course really free?

Yes. Every lesson is free to read, with or without an account. You only pay if you decide to take the certification exam.

Do I need the course to take the exam?

No. The exam is independent and open to anyone. The course covers every exam domain, with the weights shown under Course content.

Do I get a certificate for finishing the course?

No. Finishing marks the course as complete in your account. The IDFE-DA credential comes only from passing the exam.

Which languages is it in?

English, Spanish and Portuguese. Switch at any time with EN · ES · PT at the top of the page.