The rise of crypto in higher education

Coinbase coinbase
Aug 28, 2018 · 9 min read

Coinbase regularly engages with students and
Universities across the country
As part of recruiting efforts
We partnered with
Qriously to ask students directly
About their thoughts on
Crypto and blockchain and in this report
We outline findings on the growing
Roster of crypto and
Blockchain courses amid a steady
Rise in student interest key Findings

42 percent of the world’s top
50 universities now offer
At least one course on crypto or blockchain
Students from a range of majors arе
Interested in crypto and blockchain
Coursеs and universities are adding courses
Across a variety of departments
Original Coinbase research includes
A Qriously survey of 675 US students
A comprehensive review of courses
At 50 international universities
And interviews with professors and students

When David Yermack
The finance department chair at
New York University Stern School of Business
First offered his course on blockchain
And financial services
In 2014, 35 students signed up
Eight fewer than the
School’s typical elective

By spring 2018, the number of
Enrolled students climbed to 230
Forcing Stern to move the class to it's
Largest auditorium this academic year
Yermack will teach the blockchain course both
Semesters to meet interest from students

Yermack says he first developed the
Class because he was interested
In bitcoin and how quickly
Interest in the cryptocurrency
Was growing but other reasons soon emerged
Notably demand from
Companies for people who understood
Cryptocurrency-related issues now
He sees his class as a way to give students
The skills they’ll need for
Jobs in the future

"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"

Similar scenes are playing out at top
Universities around the world students
Are flocking to classes on cryptocurrency
And blockchain the "distributed ledger"
Technology that makes decentralized
Financial systems work
Motivated in part by a
Hot job market for graduates with
Training in those fields

Universities, in turn
Are forming research centers
And adding more crypto-related courses
In part to meet rising demand
And also because they now
See cryptocurrency as an area worthy
Of serious academic study

Coinbase reviewed course catalogs at the
Top 50 universities and
Found cryptocurrency classes across a
Variety of departments
Including anthropology and finance not
Only computer science

In fact
The rise in offerings across disciplines maps
To student interest: Students with
A diverse set of majors say they’d
Like to take cryptocurrency classes
According to a Coinbase survey conducted in
Partnership with Qriously nearly half of
All social science majors expressed interest
In taking a crypto class