64% of US blockchain-savvy parents want crypto education in schools: survey

Over two-thirds of American parents and college graduates with an understanding or involvement in crypto believe that crypto should be taught in schools for students to “learn about the future of our economy,” a new study has found.

In a recently released survey by online education platform Study.com, the firm found that 64% of parents and 67% of college students surveyed believed that cryptocurrencies should be part of mandatory education.

Both groups had a slightly different view when it came to the blockchain, Metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), but only around 40% believed that these subjects should also be included in the curriculum.

To participate in the survey, the parents and college students were screened to ensure that the subjects had an adequate level of understanding of blockchain technology, crypto, NFTs and Metaverse and disqualified anyone who did not understand the topics from participation. The survey included 884 American parents and 210 American college graduates

The results come amid the growing awareness and use of cryptocurrencies in the United States. According to data research center Pew, around 88% of Americans have at least heard of cryptocurrencies, while 16% of US residents have invested or traded cryptocurrencies at some point in their lives.

The survey found that both parents and college graduates who had invested in crypto are likely to contribute money to crypto education, with three-quarters of crypto-holding parents contributing an average of $766 to their children’s crypto education, while over three-quarters of crypto education. -Invested graduates spent an average of $1,086 on education.

The University of Connecticut and Arizona State University are among US-based colleges that have introduced introductory courses in blockchain technology and crypto applications. According to Connecticut professor Marianne Lewis, the university’s 14-week elective class is designed to help students “learn how to manage cryptocurrencies and how such digital assets affect our economy.”

Prestigious universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University have also started offering similar courses.

Related: Top universities have added crypto to their curriculum

The survey also found that both groups agreed that learning about “the future of our economy” was most important, as well as a means of “diversifying investments,” “creating opportunities” and “developing an investment mindset.”

In an interview with Cointelegraph in May, CEO of TZ APAC Colin Miles suggests that crypto could be incorporated into middle and high school curricula within three to five years, saying:

“Overall, this trend will become a pillar because a large number of exciting new jobs will come from the Web3 environment. It is therefore incumbent on educational institutions to help prepare their student cohorts for this important shift.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams also said in an interview last year that local schools should embrace blockchain technology and digital assets:

“We must open our schools to teach [blockchain] technology, to learn this new way of thinking.”