US Foundations and Universities Begin Accumulating Bitcoin Amid President Trump’s Crypto Promises: Report

February 10, 2025 The Daily Hodl

IBM, Microsoft, others form post-quantum cryptography coalition

September 27, 2023 Coin Telegraph

The coalition includes Google sibling company SandboxAQ and the University of Waterloo.

IBM Quantum and Microsoft have formed a coalition to tackle post-quantum cryptography alongside not-for-profit research tank MITRE, U.K.-based cryptography firm PQShield, Google sibling company SandboxAQ, and the University of Waterloo.

We’re proud to be a part of a new community of cybersecurity organizations to accelerate adoption of post-quantum cryptography in commercial & open-source technologies.

Learn more about the #PQC Coalition.

https://t.co/pSrFX1qPPB | #QWC2023 #UWaterloo pic.twitter.com/vXG6CilQVx
— University of Waterloo (@UWaterloo) September 26, 2023

Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) addresses the potential threat posed by quantum computers of the future. Current cryptography schemes rely on mathematical problems to stymie decryption attempts.

Cracking or bypassing such encryption with a classical computer would be close to impossible. Some experts estimate that it would take a binary computer system roughly 300 trillion years to break a 1,024-bit or 2,048-bit RSA key.

RSA, named for the computer scientists who first discussed it, is largely considered the standard for encryption.

Theoretically speaking, however, a quantum computer with sufficient hardware and architecture should be able to break RSA and similar encryption schemes within a matter of weeks, days, or even hours.

According to a press release from MITRE:

“Preparing for a PQC transition includes developing standards for the algorithms; creating secure, reliable, and efficient implementations of those algorithms; and integrating the new post-quantum algorithms into cryptographic libraries and protocols.”

Technologies such as blockchain and cryptocurrency, which rely on mathematical encryption, could be particularly vulnerable to decryption attacks by the theoretical quantum computers of the future. However it's currently unclear how long it could be before such threats could come to fruition.

One study, conducted in 2022, determined that it would take a quantum computer with 300 million qubits (a very generalized measure of the potential processing power of a quantum system) to crack the Bitcoin blockchain fast enough to do any damage. By comparison, today’s most advanced quantum computers average a little over 100 qubits.

However, per the architecture described in that paper, it’s possible that more advanced qubit arrangements, chipsets, and optimization algorithms could significantly change the calculus involved and drop the theoretical 300-million-qubit requirement exponentially. For this reason, the global technology community is turning to quantum-safe encryption.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology chose four proposed post-quantum encryption algorithms in 2022, CRYSTALS-Kyber, CRYSTALS-Dilithium, SPHINCS+, and Falcon as candidates for a PQC-safe encryption standard.

On Aug. 24, 2023, NIST announced that three of the algorithms had been accepted for standardization with the fourth, Falcon, expected to follow suit in 2024.

Now that the algorithms have been accepted and (mostly) standardized, the coalition is set to begin its mission of using the deep knowledge and hands-on experience amassed by its members to ensure key institutions, such as government, banking, telecommunications, and transportation services are able to transition from current to post-quantum encryption.

Top UK university partners with AI startup to analyze crypto market

August 21, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Coin Telegraph

Imperial College London announced a collaboration with AI startup FluidAI to tackle major issues in the crypto market such as liquidity aggregation.

Imperial College London announced a partnership with the artificial intelligence (AI) startup FluidAI on Aug. 21 to help troubleshoot issues in the digital asset market using emerging technologies.

The university’s AI lab I-X will be working alongside FluidAI to improve the “tokenized market” for institutions, trading platforms and retail investors. Particularly, FluidAI says the crypto space’s issue of liquidity aggregation is of top priority.

Ahmed Ismail, the CEO of FluidAI, told Cointelegraph that solving liquidity issues in the industry was a primary motivator to start the company.

“Traditional Finance solutions tackling market aggregation use low-latency technology, so it's very fast to deliver the best prices. In crypto, that doesn't exist due to its cloud-based, decentralized nature."

He said the use of AI then helps to “eliminate the latency through prediction,” which could help provide “the best bid and ask prices in the market” from platforms to the liquidity providers or exchanges.

Imperial College London is one of the top-ranking universities in the United Kingdom and is also home to the Centre for Cryptocurrency Research and Engineering for research and application activity relating to cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

Cointelegraph reached out to the I-X team at Imperial College London for further information on the partnership.

The U.K. has been slowly pivoting itself to be ready for the penetration of AI-powered tools to hit its local industries.

On Aug. 21 the government announced that it plans to spend $130 million on AI chips in order to set up an AI resource.

This comes as many countries around the world scramble for resources to sustain and develop AI. A recent report claimed nearly 20% of firms don’t have access to enough computing power to power AI.

In June the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that Google, OpenAI and Anthropic have all agreed to provide the U.K. with early access to their AI models.

Collect this article as an NFT to preserve this moment in history and show your support for independent journalism in the crypto space.

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Universities are ‘critical players’ for the future of Web3 — Lbank Labs CEO

August 7, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Coin Telegraph

LBank Labs Czhang Lin said that it’s important for universities to understand Web3 and guide students toward the right vision.

Universities have a “critical” role to play in terms of nurturing the next generation of Web3 talent, and the academe must understand it to guide students toward the right vision, according to Czhang Lin, the CEO of Web3 venture fund LBank Labs.

On Aug 2, the venture capital firm announced the winners of its Summer Bootcamp competition for university students. Various participants from different academic institutions participated to win a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and mentorship opportunities from various crypto funds.

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the Summer Bootcamp retreat hosted by LBank Labs in Cabo!

16 teams from around the globe were chosen out of 70+ applicants from top global universities @Harvard @MIT @DukeU @Stanford @Cornell @Penn @imperialcollege @itu1773en…
— LBank Labs (@LBankLabs) August 2, 2023

In a statement sent to Cointelegraph, Lin highlighted the importance of universities when it comes to the future of Web3. According to Lin, universities are “critical players for new tech” like Web3 and are a typical source of talent. “It is important for unis to understand Web3 and guide students towards the right vision,” he shared.

While the markets are exhibiting signs of a bearish phase, Lin believes that it’s still the right time to build and invest. He said:

“The bear market is always the best time to build and to invest. During this period, VCs are more demanding and may bring bigger pressure to the startups from unis. However, we are a stronger believer that diamonds will shine either way and persistence is their best friend.”

When asked about hot trends among college students, Lin shared that there’s another “buzzword” that came into the mix, which is artificial intelligence (AI). However, despite the advent of AI, Lin believes that there shouldn’t be a problem as the two sectors can work together.

In terms of trends among the university students that participated in the competition, Lin shared that most of the applicants focused on decentralized finance (DeFi), liquid staking derivatives (LSD), zero-knowledge (ZK) and decentralized applications (DApps).

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Crypto and blockchain education becomes priority at top universities

February 24, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Coin Telegraph

As crypto adoption rises, more universities are offering crypto courses.

In a world where cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology make direct peer-to-peer transactions possible and transcend traditional financial norms, more people want to learn about them to keep up with the times.

Universities worldwide are beginning to offer cryptocurrency-related courses to cater to this new paradigm. Due to rising demand, many of the world’s top universities offer crypto-related courses.

There’s been a lot of hype regarding cryptocurrencies — mainly due to their disruptive potential — and the rise of crypto education has strongly coincided with this. According to a 2022 survey from Study.com, about two-thirds of American parents and college students conversant with cryptocurrencies thought the topic should be taught in schools as mandatory.

A recent poll conducted by Grayscale Investments, in conjunction with The Harris Poll, revealed that approximately 53% of Americans viewed cryptocurrencies as the future of finance.

Such positive perspectives regarding cryptocurrencies have given credence to introducing related courses in institutions of higher learning.

Why more people are seeking crypto education

Crypto’s decentralized nature and ease of acquisition have attracted speculative traders and long-term investors.

However, investing in digital currencies comes with significant risk, and more investors are looking to educate themselves before dabbling in the new asset class.

Some entrepreneurs and business managers looking to learn more about cryptocurrencies to transform their businesses have turned to crypto education, especially the latest crypto-based revenue-generation models.

Companies are also driving demand for crypto education. In recent years, several blue-chip firms, such as IBM, Oracle, Cisco, Amazon and Google, have actively sought hires with a crypto or blockchain orientation to help develop innovative blockchain products. This has increased the demand for related courses. Some companies have gone a step further and partnered with institutions offering courses to further crypto and blockchain research and support related programs.

Mary Lacity, a distinguished professor of information systems at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, told Cointelegraph that corporate companies were among the first drivers of the trend.

“The initial demand to start these programs came from our industry partners, including Walmart, J.B. Hunt, Tyson Foods, ArcBest and IBM,” Lacity said.

The professor highlighted that the burgeoning corporate clientele initially prompted the institution to focus on private blockchain courses. Still, the curriculum has since been revamped to cover public blockchains due to changing market dynamics.

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“Our students are interested in the opportunities to create their own decentralized applications,” she said.

Regarding the future of crypto education, Lacity said that demand was strong and was likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future.

What crypto courses cover

Crypto courses typically contain the essential areas that crypto users and investors seek to understand, like the basics of blockchain technology.

Understanding how blockchain systems function, and their advantages and disadvantages, is integral to understanding cryptocurrencies. Some cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin (BTC), are inherently deflationary, with mechanisms restricting supply and increasing mining difficulty. This, in turn, creates scarcity, raising BTC’s value and purchasing power over time.

Cryptocurrencies that lack such properties have limited upside price potential due to oversupply. Details like these help learners, especially investors, to make better-informed decisions when exploring crypto.

Crypto education also helps learners understand the risks involved when investing in cryptocurrencies, such as extreme volatility and the factors that trigger it, like regulatory changes and negative market sentiment.

Cryptocurrency courses designed for beginners usually cover the basics, such as obtaining and transacting with cryptocurrencies. The programs typically teach learners about crypto mining, regulation, taxation, safety measures when using custodial and noncustodial wallets, and how to spot scams.

More advanced courses related to crypto risk management typically cover risk management strategies and technical analysis. Such courses help learners understand the crypto market’s deeper mechanics and how to avoid significant losses.

Many major universities have unveiled crypto-related courses at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Some programs have been integrated across departments to allow students majoring in other subjects to join them.

The National University of Singapore

The National University of Singapore is among the top public universities in Singapore, ranked No. 11 in the QS World University Rankings 2023. The university has a wide variety of crypto and blockchain-related undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Among its most unique program is the blockchain commercial applications course, which examines blockchain features and its commercial use cases. The course is tailored for business professionals who wish to integrate the technology into their businesses to improve transparency and efficiency.

The course covers subjects such as distributed ledgers and smart contracts, blockchain resources and architecture, and the commercial application of blockchain.

The university also has crypto-centric courses covering token design, economics and crypto philosophy.

Cornell University

Cornell University is a private Ivy League university based in Ithaca, New York. The institution has a wide range of courses related to cryptocurrencies for both novice and advanced learners. The introduction to blockchains, cryptocurrencies and smart contracts course is among the most notable targeted at tech students.

*Cornell campus, as seen from the McGraw tower. Source: sach1tb*

Its syllabus examines the inner workings of cryptocurrencies, such as using digital signatures in transaction authentication. The course also has modules that cover cryptographic concepts, such as zero-knowledge proofs and smart contracts.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is a government-funded university in Hung Hom, Hong Kong. The institution offers a wide range of tertiary courses as well as crypto and blockchain-related programs.

Among the most advanced courses it offers is the Master of Science in Blockchain Technology. The course is set up for students already well-versed in crypto and blockchain technology, and teaches learners how to analyze, create and implement blockchain technologies in a way that supports fintech services.

The University of Nicosia

The University of Nicosia in Nicosia, Cyprus, offers unique cryptocurrency courses. Among the most noteworthy programs for advanced students is the Master of Science in Blockchain and Digital Currency. The program aims to help students become digital currency and blockchain professionals.

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The course curriculum covers various subjects, including blockchain systems and architectures, digital currency programming, cryptographic systems security, law and regulation in blockchain, and token economics.

EU Business School

The EU Business School is a private business school established in 1973, with numerous campuses worldwide. Its Geneva, Munich, Montreux and Barcelona campuses, among others, offer crypto-related courses. One of the most distinctive courses offered by the institution is the MBA in Blockchain Management.

This course covers the different use cases of blockchain technology and how it can help solve many of the problems in society today, such as transparency and fair trade. It also allows students to evaluate some of the technology’s more technical and fundamental aspects.

The future of crypto education

People looking to get involved in the crypto industry are increasingly seeking crypto education, which will likely increase the spectrum of courses and the number of institutions offering them.

Some crypto companies are also beginning to partner with learning institutions offering crypto courses to enhance research and work with qualified learners. The trend will likely continue for the foreseeable future due to synergistic benefits.

Canadian University Dubai backtracks on accepting crypto via Binance Pay

February 12, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Binance

Before hitting a technical roadblock, CUD was seemingly interested in collecting tuition and course fees in cryptocurrencies from both domestic and international students.

Not even 24 hours after the Canadian University Dubai (CUD) announced its partnership with Binance Pay to accept course fees in cryptocurrencies, a technical roadblock watered down the excitement behind the short-lived initiative.

CUD, a private university in Dubai, was seemingly interested in allowing students — both domestic and international — to pay their tuition and course fees in cryptocurrencies. This initiative would have allowed students from varied backgrounds easy access to the Canadian curriculum in Dubai.

Dear CUD Community,

For technical reasons, CUD will not be accepting cryptocurrency as a method of payment, until further notice.

We apologize for any inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/b9rERYHR7g
— CUDubai (@CUDUAE) February 10, 2023

Binance Pay, a payment gateway service launched by crypto exchange Binance, allows businesses to integrate support for cryptocurrency payments. According to the university’s initial announcement, the Binance partnership allowed the institution to “have adapted to the transforming digital payment space.”

#Binance helps bring crypto to @CUDUAE, a leading university in Dubai.

Prospective and current students can now pay their fees, including tuition fees, with crypto.

Powered by Binance Pay. pic.twitter.com/bqWuezZVKJ
— Binance (@binance) February 9, 2023

Binance Pay supports over 200 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Dogecoin (DOGE) and Ethereum (ETH), and charges 0 fees per transaction. On Feb. 7, Binance hosted a cryptocurrency workshop and information session for CUD wherein students were taught about blockchain fundamentals, crypto fundamentals, web3 and metaverse.

*Canadian University Dubai total number of students. Source: topuniversities.com*

As shown above, CUD is home to over 1800 domestic and international students — enrolled in one of the 25 undergraduate and six graduate programs — who pay a yearly tuition fee of $18,000.

Canadian University Dubai has not yet responded to Cointelegraph’s request for comment.

Right when Binance was eyeing a partnership with CUD, Dubai released crypto regulations for virtual asset service providers (VASPs) on Feb. 7. The Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) issued its “Full Market Product Regulations,” which include four compulsory rulebooks and activity-specific rulebooks that lay down the rules for operating VASPs.

⚠️Dubai News

Dubai's Vurtual Assets and Regulatory Authority issued the long-awaited Full Market Regulations for Vurtual Assets Services Providers (VASPs).
— Irina ₿. Heaver (@IrinaHeaver) February 7, 2023

“Regulatory certainty is very good for business. It is good for consumers, investors and for the Emirate of Dubai. The regulations are long-awaited and mostly welcomed,” said Irina Heaver, a crypto and blockchain lawyer based in the United Arab Emirates, speaking to Cointelegraph.

NYU to launch Web3 learning workshop in partnership with NEAR protocol

February 8, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Coin Telegraph

The course is exposing students to the technology underlying the industry, the industry at large and hands-on experience working with Web3 tools.

Education is a well-known barrier to entry for many when it comes to crypto and Web3 space. This is particularly true when it comes to understanding the underlying technology that powers these new innovations.

Joining in on the effort to spread crypto awareness, on Feb. 8, the New York University School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) — one of the schools and colleges that compose New York University — announced a partnership with the NEAR Foundation to introduce a new “Web3 Learning Workshop” for students and faculty, along with partners in the industry.

The course comes out of NYU SPS Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport. The workshop will have a specific angle looking at the intersection of Web3 and blockchain technologies and the sports industry.

Angie Kamath, the Dean of NYU SPS, said that universities have a responsibility to prepare their communities for “success in every industry.”

“Web3 and blockchain technologies will have a large role to play, not just in the sports industry but in every industry that touches our lives.”

The course is said to touch on the basics of blockchain and digital assets and its utility in the sports world. Those involved in the course will be exposed to hands-on experience, taught by co-founder of the NEAR ecosystem Michael Kelly.

Additionally, students involved in the NYU SPS will be eligible for new NFT rewards via a Dapp on the NEAR platform. While NYU is not the first school to introduce a curriculum on blockchain and Web3 technologies, it is one of the top universities in the United States.

Educators in Australia recently came out with a statement saying that there is a global lack of “qualified people'' with education in the Web3 industry.

The Blockchain Academy International’s Huxley Peckham highlighted that already 60 industries have implemented blockchain technology in some way and that blockchain education is important for “the next generation of strategists and consultants.”

Bitcoin mining in a university dorm: A cooler BTC story

January 20, 2023 Coin Telegraph

ASIC ANTMINER S9

Here is why a run-of-the-mill cooler is actually the perfect home for a dorm-based Bitcoin miner.

The humble university dorm is a place for students taking their undergraduate degrees to study, rest, make new friends, host wild dorm parties and, of course, mine Bitcoin (BTC).

A master’s student in market research and self-described “data guy,” Blake Kaufman, has hooked up an S9 Bitcoin miner to the Bitcoin network.

He won the S9 miner in a raffle at a mid-Michigan Bitcoin meetup and immediately set about learning how to use it.

Blake has consistently shown up to every https://t.co/2Q6OuIwW4O event with at least one friend, a tremendous attitude, and unmatched enthusiasm.

Glad you won the S9 raffle!

Hash away at those KYC free sats, and enjoy the heat this winter! https://t.co/AQNzDjnDGC
— Mid-Michigan Bitcoin (@517Bitcoin) November 17, 2022

During a video call with Cointelegraph, Blake joked that he knew next to nothing about mining prior to the raffle. The moment he won, he raced to the nearest place offering a power cable and an ethernet connection to try it out, his dad’s office.

“We turned it on, never hearing one [an S9] before. And if you know, when they start, they immediately rev up to 100% and we’re all just in the room like — oh my gosh — this thing is loud! We ran it for probably two hours and we walked into that office and it was hot.”

The hot and noisy realization kicked his brain into gear. The Michigan winter was fast approaching and his university provides free electricity. Why not mine Bitcoin from a dorm and take advantage of the waste heat? There was one minor but audible hurdle to overcome. “How can we fix the noise,” he questioned.

“I just looked up online, like, how to noise cancel S9, and this picture of a cooler on Pinterest popped up. Me and my Dad were like, ‘Let's build it. Why not?’ So we bought a $5 cooler on Facebook Marketplace and we had the tubes in our attic and we spent about two hours drilling holes and it ended up working.”

The pair constructed the Bitcoin mining cooler box, which now takes up residence in Blake’s dorm. The finished product would not look out of place in any dorm room and is “actually quieter than an air conditioning unit,” he explains.

*Two angles of the cooler-encased Bitcoin miner.*

But aren’t there rules against this sort of thing at university? Won’t the energy-hungry Bitcoin miner put a dent in the university’s electricity overhead?

“So the miner is about 900 watts an hour, a mini fridge is about 60 to 100 watts a day. So it’s pulling a decent amount of electricity there. I looked up all the rules and it didn’t say anywhere you couldn’t mine a Bitcoin or use a Bitcoin miner. So if they say you can’t do this, I’d be like, okay, you didn’t say I couldn’t.”

In a nutshell, Blake’s not breaking any rules. What’s more, one miner in one dorm in a large university home to thousands of students is unlikely to raise suspicion. It’s an ode to the famous saying attributed to Rear Admiral Grace Hopper that sometimes, “It is better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”

The ASIC S9 now whirrs away, generating roughly 0.000001 BTC or 100 satoshis — the smallest amount of a Bitcoin — per Bitcoin block, which occurs on average every 10 minutes. It translates to “about a dollar a day” in fiat-money terms. It’s a paltry amount but not to be sniffed at as a student.

Blake’s total outlay to start his Bitcoin mining venture was a coolbox and a few cables at less than $20 and he can probably reuse the cooler come summertime.

Incidentally, Blake’s next challenge is to work out what to do when the weather improves and the mercury rises. Peak summer days in Michigan can hit 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 Celsius). As a result, the outside air temperature will not cool the miner, a vital part of its operation:

“So I'll have to figure out something, maybe put it in a box of ice cubes and then something like that. I don't know yet.”

Blake has already considered using the Bitcoin miner to heat his family home after graduation. The idea, Blake explains, is to experiment with whether he can offset the gas cost at home and make it profitable. “It’s just unfortunate because, in Michigan, our electricity cost is $0.14 a kilowatt hour.”

*Michigan’s energy costs are relatively high in the United States, as shown by a darker purple color. Source: Chooseenergy.com*

Electricity and heating costs are higher in Michigan than in energy-producing states like Texas. Using the waste heat from Bitcoin mining could be a way of offsetting the energy costs.

Indeed, tapping into Bitcoin miner waste heat is a growing trend, particularly prevalent for at-home or “chicken shack miners,” as they’re known. Bitcoin Gandalf from the Braiins Marketing Team told Cointelegraph:

“Chicken shack” miners are the backbone of the Bitcoin network hash rate. It’s incredible to see all the different ways they come up with to mine. They provide an invaluable service in keeping hash rate decentralized.”

Armed with oodles of Bitcoin knowledge, Blake has since tried to orange pill his classmates and even professors. Unfortunately, some of them hold the belief that “Bitcoin is a scam.” He has taken it upon himself to set the record straight:

“I’m emailing those teachers being like, Hey, office hours, when are they? Let’s have a chat. You can’t just come out and say Bitcoin is a scam with a Bitcoiner in the room.”

In the meantime, the S9 is whirring away in his dorm room, contributing to a network Blake strongly supports and generating 100% “free money.“

Well, “Other than the $30,000-a-year tuition I pay, but it’s 100% free electricity,” he joked.

Binance Launches Blockchain Education Program in Kazakhstan

December 22, 2022 Bitcoin.com

Vietnam Businesses Urge for Blockchain Training of Students and IT Specialists

November 6, 2022 Bitcoin.com

universities

Why more people are seeking crypto education

What crypto courses cover

The National University of Singapore

Cornell University

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The University of Nicosia

EU Business School

The future of crypto education

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