Based on the ETS (European Training Strategy) Competence Model for Trainers, we can extract the following required main competencies required for trainers and educators, organised into seven main competence areas: 

• Understanding and facilitating individual and group learning processes; 

• Learning to learn; 

• Designing educational programmes; 

• Cooperating successfully in teams; 

• Communicating meaningfully with others; 

• Intercultural competence; and 

• Being civically engaged. 

Moreover, the SALTO-YOUTH network also offers a self-assessment tool covering these seven competencies. This tool, mainly based on an Excel document and forms, allows trainers and educators to use them to evaluate their competencies from a guided and autonomous perspective. 

If we focus on adult learners, it is most relevant to be able to: 

• Present and transmit ideas in a structured and straightforward way;

• Motivate students with different activities and methodologies, fostering discussion and personal thinking;

• Show the path of the course before the teaching, make the goals clear to the learner and help them understand why each concept is relevant in the course;

• Design educational programmes and adapt the concepts to the different backgrounds and levels of expertise

• Focus on (and use) images, diagrams, and illustrations rather than extensive amounts of text while explaining Blockchain's more complex concepts and terms;

• Be patient: Blockchain is a complex subject to understand for even tech-savvy individuals. When teaching non-expert adults, you might repeat the same concept more than once;

• Be curious and committed to learning: Blockchain is a relatively new field in constant development. It is essential to keep an open mind and be willing to develop your knowledge further.

• To have the technical knowledge and basic programming skills

• Understand the essential principles and concepts of blockchain technologies

• Understand the underlying security services and mechanisms required by blockchain technologies, such as hashes, digital signatures and consensus

• Know and understand the advantages and disadvantages of existing consensus mechanisms, such as proof-of-work and proofof-stake

• Know and understand the differences between public and private blockchain networks.

• Understand the technological challenges of blockchain, particularly regarding money laundering, the cost involved in traceability and scalability of data, and individual privacy

• Have a basic understanding of Cybersecurity and Cryptography

• Understand when using a blockchain makes sense and its most prominent use cases, assessing its feasibility and impact on the application scenario(s), their business model(s) and the sector in general

• Know the Industry: it is essential to stay up to date by reading new articles, blogs from peers, industry experts, blockchain discussions and Q&A sessions

How can one acquire these competencies?

Earning a university degree with a bachelor’s or a master's in computer science is one of the many ways to learn about Blockchain and Cryptocurrency technologies and enter the industry. However, there are other ways of learning beyond the traditional university route. Many Blockchain courses continuously increase in non-formal education in online and offline settings. 

One can find a basic understanding of the subject in free and paid online courses; for example, Coursera lists almost 200 courses on Blockchain covering different levels of detail. 

In addition, other blockchain-related companies offer various free resources to understand the main principles of blockchain and new projects that emerge in this area. 

Also, books are a highly recommended source of knowledge since they present information in a structured and knowledgeable way. Some of these books are open access, as well as an online network for practitioners