Change remains the only thing that is constant; yet when it is introduced it is always resisted.
But in the long run, everyone comes to embrace change as they see the positive side of things it brings. Even if you try to highlight the prospects, people would still take it with a pinch of salt.
The cryptocurrency world is no different. When Bitcoin was launched people did not take it seriously because they felt it was not possible to have a sort of bank online that would be controlled by the coin holders. It wasn’t simply possible for a currency to be run outside of the traditional regulatory system, so they thought. But today everyone knows better. Bitcoin is a reality after all! Everybody wants to have it including nations. It’s no longer a thing people think might be useful in the future; it has come to stay with us.
The decentralized, digital nature of cryptocurrencies, especially bitcoin is increasing the security of financial transactions, ensuring that payments are free of fraud and that middlemen no longer cut the shots. This is making the demand for cryptocurrencies to increase daily. This increase in demand is also increasing the need for more miners.
Miners play the role of adding ‘blocks’ to the ‘blockchain’ which guarantee transactions confirmation and prevent cryptocurrencies from vanishing without a trace. Every miner who creates a new block is compensated with priceless cryptocurrency.
Some savvy cryptocurrency traders already know that the best way to make huge money in the crypto-world is by being a miner, though cryptocurrency is relatively new as a money-making concept. This awareness is creating an increasing demand for university courses to teach the computer science of cryptocurrency as well as blockchain coding.
Startup of cryptocurrency societies have already been witnessed in some universities, with the Blockchain Education Network (BEN) playing the role of a focal point for ideas between student societies.
The crypto-world is full of fluctuations. It is really difficult to be an expert in the field of cryptocurrency without some kind of formal training. Some university courses are already emerging around cryptocurrency and one of such is the ‘Digital Currency, Blockchains and the Future of Financial Services’ at NYU Law.
Aggelos Kiavias, chair in cybersecurity and privacy and director of the blockchain technology laboratory at the Edinburgh University, told the Financial Times that the university is considering launching a cryptocurrency course that would be the first of its kind in Europe. He added that “Blockchain technology is a recent development and there is always a bit of a lag as academia catches up.”
The data received by the Financial Times from Linkedin revealed that in June alone, over 1,000 blockchain-related jobs were advertised, which is thrice the amount advertised in the previous year.
Speaking to the Study International, George Benton, the co-founder and co-president of Leeds University Union Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Society, said that “Students currently have the chance to be involved in the early stages of a technological revolution. The decentralized nature of blockchain technology resonates with my generation because of the power it gives to individuals.”
Blockchain technology and Financial Innovations Researcher, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Tamar Mentenshashvili, believes that blockchain is a technology with the possibility to upset several industries. Yet, it poses a lot of interesting intellectual riddles that must be cracked in order to realize its full potential.
With the potential that cryptocurrency promises to bring into the financial world and as more people embrace the blockchain technology, we expect to see more universities creating courses that are specifically targeted at producing more future digital miners.