Report: 56% of the world’s 50 top universities offer blockchain courses in 2019, a 25% increase from 2018

A Coinbase report finds that 56 percent of the top 50 universities in the world now offer at least one course on cryptocurrency or blockchain, a 25 percent increase from 2018. 

The courses cover multiple disciplines, including computer science, engineering, humanities, finance, and more. The report also ranks the top 50 universities by their involvement in the blockchain ecosystem. Cornell University took the top spot, offering 14 blockchain and cryptocurrency-related courses. It is followed by MIT and New York University. 

These top universities have also seen increasing demands for blockchain education from students. Out of the 735 students Coinbase surveyed, 34 percent expressed interest in taking a blockchain-related course, compared to 28 percent in 2018. 

Additionally, compared to last year, more students now are interested in applying blockchain technology to benefit society as well, with 20% of the surveyed students interested in learning about using blockchain for social justice. Coinciding with this rising interest, many universities are also offering cross-disciplinary courses that combine cryptocurrency, business, humanities, and other subjects. For example, the University of California-Berkeley offers a course that explores the legal implications and potential business models of blockchain technology. 

“Some of the students interested in this topic are ones who feel mistrustful of the current banking system,” says the University of Texas at Austin computer science professor Cesare Fracassi. “So they want to create an alternative system where the decision-making process isn’t centralized… Others are maybe a little more pragmatic, and interested in ways this technology can be used to improve companies’ performance and efficiency.”