US Ivy League University Rolls Out Online Course in Blockchain and Cryptocurrency

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has introduced an online program on financial technologies, including digital currencies, according to a press release published on May 30.

The new online program dubbed “Fintech: Foundations and Applications of Financial Technologies” features lectures and case studies on topics such as payments, cryptocurrency, blockchain technology and crowdfunding, among others.

Apart from the university lecturers, the course also features speakers from the leading industry companies, including payment processor Square, marketplace lender CommonBond, and investment advisory firm Vanguard.

Anne Trumbore, senior director of Wharton Online, said that the program was launched as part of the university’s multi-faceted approach to fintech education. Per the release, Wharton recently formed the Stevens Center for Innovation in Finance, which conducts research on financial technologies.

Wharton thus joins an array of educational establishments that have already introduced blockchain and fintech technologies into their curricula. Earlier this month, Turkish Bahçeşehir University reportedly opened a blockchain center at Boston's Northeastern University to provide informational support on blockchain technology.

In April, the National University of Colombia joined the global  blockchain consortium for science dubbed Bloxberg. The university along with other participating parties reportedly aim to establish an infrastructure that “broadens the scientific landscape of regionally and nationally governed blockchain networks to become the first truly globally maintained decentralized network by scientists for science.”