It wasn’t too long ago when courses in cryptocurrency and blockchain were right up there with Central Michigan’s offering of a Harry Potter course or Skidmore College’s sociology course on Miley Cyrus. However, as the hype around Bitcoin and the advancement of blockchain technology progress, so does the increase in demand for course offerings in these areas.
A prime example is a blockchain and financial services course taught by David Yermack, a finance department chair at the New York University Stern School of Business. In 2014, Yermack’s course garnered a paucity of interest with just 35 students–fast forward four years later, the number of enrollments reached 230.
“A process is well underway that will lead to the migration of most financial data to blockchain-based organizations,” he says. “Students will benefit greatly by studying this area.”
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According to a report from digital currency exchange Coinbase, top universities are already adding to their current course offerings in digital currencies and blockchain technology. Stanford University leads the pack with Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania is not too far in the rearview mirror.
The rise in demand for these courses does not identify itself with a single area of study, as Coinbase found that cryptocurrencies and blockchain span across various curriculums, such as anthropology and finance. Furthermore, a survey performed by Coinbase in conjunction with tech company Qriously showed that interest in the courses originated from students of various majors.
“Blockchain combines theory and practice and can lead to fundamental breakthroughs in many research areas,” says Dawn Song, a computer science professor at University of California, Berkeley. “It can have really profound and broad-scale impacts on society in many different industries.”
The world of academics is not the most expedient with respect to adopting principles and practices that buck the trend of the norm. However, that rigidity has been tested with the advancement of digital currencies and blockchain.
““You need to prepare your students for the future,” said Campbell Harvey, Professor of International Business at Duke University. “Blockchain is not going away.”
Bitcoin ETFs Still in Limbo
In the meantime, Bitcoin ETFs continue to face obstacles to legitimacy in the investment space and despite efforts by firms, the Securities and Exchange Commission stands firmly in the way. Nine Bitcoin-based exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications got the seemingly perfunctory rejections on Wednesday, preventing cryptos from gaining more acceptance from investors who are wary of the unregulated exchanges of cryptocurrencies.
Brian Kelly, founder and CEO of BKCM LLC, an investment firm focused on digital currencies, is optimistic that a Bitcoin ETF will come to fruition, but it will take time and must address certain issues:
- February 2019 is likely earliest for an ETF–the US Securities and Exchange Commission postponed their decision on a bitcoin ETF until late September, but Kelly foresees the decision getting pushed back further to February.
- SEC needs surveillance ability–how will the SEC monitor instances of fraud rather than prevent it
- Futures market is not mature enough
In an attempt to fall under the governmental regulation of the SEC, the cryptocurrency industry has been unable to bring this into fruition, starting with the Winklevoss Capital Management founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss application, which was rejected twice.
For more information on the cryptocurrency market, visit the Bitcoin category.