Cryptocurrency has been breaching the mainstream for years, with it now making its impact felt within the education sector. As the interest in cryptocurrency has grown, so has the need for further, more insightful education. A recent study has revealed that the universities of the world have been waking up to blockchain and cryptocurrency, with many leading institutions now offering classes on the subject. When you consider that not too long ago crypto was openly ignored by those within the education sector – even dismissed in some instances – this represents quite the turnaround.
An Interesting New Study
The study that’s unearthed this interesting data was carried out by Coinbase – one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges – with the help of Qriously. It revealed that 42% of leading universities offer a minimum of one class on either blockchain or cryptocurrency. 675 US college students were interviewed for the purpose of the study, while 50 universities had its courses examined. 172 crypto-related classes were discovered across a range of courses, most notably 4% were in social science departments, while 15% were offered by business, economics, law, and finance departments.
America Leads the Way
Crypto and blockchain related courses are most popular in America. Just 5 of the top 18 universities addressed during the study that operate internationally offered a single class or more on the topic. Surprisingly, it’s not crypto related courses that are experiencing the most popularity – it’s blockchain that seems to be commanding the most attention. Blockchain courses have become noticeably popular with students at Stanford University, Cornell University, and the University of Pennsylvania in particular.
Dawn Song – a leading Berkeley computer science professor – said that her course “Blockchain, Crypto Economics, and the Future of Technology, Business and Law” has been drawing in huge crowds. Over 200 students were actually turned away from the class, as the lecture space was only able to hold a maximum of 70. “Blockchain combines theory and practice and can lead to fundamental breakthroughs in many research areas. It can have really profound and broad-scale impacts on society in many different industries,” said Song.
Asia’s Crypto Fascination Continues
America is seeing the sharpest rise in blockchain and cryptocurrency interest from an educational standpoint. But, there is also a similar uptake occurring in Asia. Just recently, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School was awarded a $20 million research grant, which was directly linked to the university’s blockchain-related research. When you partner this with Bitcoin’s runaway popularity in Japan and South Korea, it’s evident that blockchain and crypto education in Asia will expand and grow in the coming years.
The Importance of Education
While acceptance and acknowledgment of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is crucial, the importance of proper and accessible education can’t be understated. It’s certainly encouraging to see classes being offered at leading universities, with more likely to be introduced soon. Who knows, should the uptake of these classes remain high, there is no reason as to why it can’t become a globally taught subject.
