As Bitcoin Interest Keeps Growing, Crypto Moves Into Campus Classes

Since cryptocurrency is steadily evolving from the corporate world, it makes sense for students to start learning about a potential investment that may affect them in the future. There are many top colleges and universities in the country that help students to understand the importance of Bitcoin, especially in a time when the price is getting lower.

Under the hope that Bitcoin continues to last throughout the years, major universities have begun to educate individuals about the technology and advancements of cryptocurrency. A few of the schools that have highlighted this information include Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Duke, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Maryland. However, it seems like this information is only for students that are at a graduate level.

One of the first professors to offer such education is David Yermack, who teaches business and law at New York University. His efforts began in 2014, though it was not met with open minds from colleagues. “There was some gentle ribbing from my colleagues when I began giving talks on Bitcoin. But within a few months, I was being invited to Basel to talk with central bankers, and the joking from my colleagues stopped after that.”

Though the first Cryptocurrency on Campus class was only meant to fill a lecture hall that could accommodate 180 students, but the obvious interest indicated that he needed more space, since 225 people signed up. Over at Princeton, there is a whole course on virtual currencies, which is taught by Arvind Narayanan. Right now, it is the fifth most popular course available on Coursera.

In January 2018, the first course on cryptocurrency took place at the Berkeley campus of the University of California. The course’s title was “Blockchain, Cryptoeconomics and the Future of Technology, Business and Law.” Urging students to sign up while they can, computer science Professor Dawn Song said, “This is a very precious opportunity for you to be able to sit in this class.

There are a bazillion other students who are waiting for your spot.” There were 25 places available each in the law school, business school, and engineering department, though hundreds of students were hoping for placement.

The rising prices of cryptocurrency are the main cause of the sudden interest, since it is apparent that this investment will be worthwhile. However, there are many aspects to the blockchain and the crypto world that go beyond the rising and declining value of bitcoin.

Much of the information about the currency requires consumers to know a little more about the history of money, and how law plays a role in gaining profits. While there are many campaigns and platforms now, Bitcoin is still credited as being the pioneer in this new investment opportunity. Because of the impact on the economy, there are many business schools that demand students to spend time learning about this investment opportunity.

At Duke’s business school, professor Campbell Harvey wants his students to be prepared for the changes in the industry. “The students in my class are from every possible discipline. They understand that this is going to disrupt many different areas of business, and they want to be the disrupters, not the disruptees.”

Unlike other areas of interest, this industry will have plenty of different opportunities. On websites like Indeed, there is a high demand for workers that understand the crypto industry.

In fact, there are entire websites dedicated to recruiting for crypto-related jobs. With clubs and classes available, this type of education is available to anyone, entering a new age of the economy.

As the demand increases, students are making requests to the schools themselves, helping them to get the education and preparation they want for their future investments.