Bringing Blockchain Technologies to the Financial World
Parth Gargava joined Northeastern University in the Fall of 2016 as a MS in Information Systems student. Throughout his studies, Gargava focused on advanced data science, application development, machine learning, and artificial intelligence; but it was his passion for blockchain and cryptocurrency that ignited his career.
After graduating in August 2018 and completing his co-op with Fidelity Investments, Gargava started with Fidelity as a full-time blockchain developer. His career with Fidelity is striking, working primarily on the blockchain incubators of the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology. In April 2022, Gargava became the youngest professional with a director title at Fidelity when he was promoted to the role of Director – Product Architect, where he leads the engineering for Fidelity Labs’ DeFi products.
Gargava’s successful academic and professional careers have led him back to Northeastern as an adjunct faculty member. Beginning this summer, he has worked to bring his knowledge and experience straight to the classroom, teaching an Engineering of Advanced Cryptocurrency Systems course. In the course, students learn to address the programming and information systems aspects of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Students explore topics such as the fundamentals of Bitcoin mining, the theory of distributed consensus, principles of strong anonymity and un-traceability, smart contract security, and peer-to-peer networking. Students gain the opportunity to learn about current developments in – and the challenges facing – the use of cryptocurrencies in terms of the computing platform and systems integration by gaining practical experience through challenging programming projects.
The emerging nature of blockchain and smart contracts has brought new challenges for financial regulators grappling with the complexities of blockchain technology, while financial advisors are faced with a new urgency to offer those investments to their clients. As investors become more interested in cryptocurrencies, financial regulators are faced with new challenges brought by blockchain technologies, while financial advisors are faced with a new urgency to offer those investments to their clients. The MGEN department continues to develop courses in this quickly expanding space.