Blockchain technology is so hot right now — here's how to learn it on the cheap: Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission

Blockchain technology is so hot right now — here's how to learn it on the cheap: Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Image: Pixabay By TEAM COMMERCEMashable Deals2019-01-07 17:46:43 UTC CNBC talking head Jim Cramer echoed a popular perception of Bitcoin when he likened it to Monopoly Money on his finance show in 2017.  To the unfamiliar, Bitcoin sounds like an imaginary currency used solely by techies. And when you tell people that it was created in 2009 by a still-anonymous party who may or may not be dead? Seems very fake, but OK!  Spoiler alert: Bitcoin is very real. The same goes for the blockchain, the distributed, decentralized, and tamper-proof ledger on which Bitcoin transactions are recorded. Both are key players in the cryptocurrency world, that much is sure. But in terms of relevance to the average citizen, the blockchain wins out, as it's useful across all sorts of industries beyond finance, from healthcare to entertainment.  Among its recent adopters is none other than Walmart, which has ordered its salad growers to start using a private blockchain system to track their supplies as a safety measure. It's been predicted that 2019 will be an especially big year for blockchain technology — so much so that it'll "become mundane," claims the MIT Technology Review. That makes now the perfect time to start developing your blockchain skills by enrolling in an online course.  The 2019 Blockchain Developer Mastery Bundle is an eight-part training package designed to teach you how to create your own blockchain projects from scratch and is a great way to get started. Geared toward students of all skill levels, the bundle opens with classes covering the basic components of blockchain technology and the fundamentals of investing cryptocurrencies. From there, it expands upon your foundational knowledge with courses on NEM and EOS, two popular and beginner-friendly blockchain platforms. Rounding out the bundle is a pair of hands-on tutorials on JavaScript, a scripting language that plays a major role in blockchain development, which will show you how to use it to build your own cryptocurrencies. An $842 value, lifetime access to the 2019 Blockchain Developer Mastery Bundle just went on sale in the Mashable Shop for $19 — a 97% savings. Image: Pixabay (Why?) http://dlvr.it/QxgQPv