Cardano Academy opens practicum for reviewed on-chain credentials

The Cardano Foundation announced the program in an X post on Nov. 12, 2026, describing a process in which participants submit work for assessment and claim a credential after acceptance. The announcement does not specify what participants need to hold or pay when claiming a credential, or whether any transaction costs are covered.

Andamio’s developer documentation describes a credential process involving commitments, assessment and claims. The platform offers tools to issue credentials, check which credentials a holder owns and restrict application features based on those credentials. Andamio says its infrastructure is live on Cardano mainnet and supports courses, lessons, assignments, project tasks and contributors, as well as transactions that record activity on the network.

The practicum adds to the Academy’s existing education and certification programs. The Foundation says more than 10,000 learners use its on-demand technical and business courses, masterclasses and professional certification offerings. Its certification program includes exam badges, course-completion badges and credentials for Venture Hub participation, masterclasses and academic programs at participating universities. Learners who pass exams at authorized Pearson VUE test centers receive certified badges; the Foundation uses Credly to share credentials and says badge metadata can be checked online.

The Academy’s refreshed Cardano Blockchain Certified Associate course has 26 units on topics including cryptography, consensus, governance, staking and Cardano architecture. The self-paced online course is described on its 2026 page as just under four hours of learning and is aimed at audiences including software engineers, IT decision-makers, lecturers, researchers and students. It also prepares candidates for a separate Pearson VUE certification exam.

The Foundation has also announced university initiatives. On Oct. 22, it said the Academy would teach Cardano fundamentals in the University of Nicosia’s Blockchain and Digital Assets course and sponsor 25 advanced-track places. The university lists Feb. 8, 2027, as the next start date; its introductory track lasts eight weeks, with advanced study continuing through week 12.

A September agreement with UCLA Anderson School of Management’s Venture Accelerator provides for Academy content in a business and finance course beginning in 2027, taught by Alex Nascimento. The arrangement includes five sponsored fellowships for selected early-stage companies in UCLA Accelerate and sponsorship of the 2027 UCLA Draper Innovation Showcase. The Foundation says fellows will receive funding, mentorship and access to the Cardano ecosystem.