Program offers opportunity for students to become bitcoin-certified
KU students interested in furthering their knowledge about cryptocurrency and becoming bitcoin-certified now can, thanks to a new extracurricular “mini-course” in the School of Business.
The Brandmeyer Cryptocurrency Colloquium, open to all KU students, was created in fall 2021 to meet growing interest and employer demand in the cryptocurrency space. It originally began as a fellowship program and has since evolved to a colloquium.
The mini-course meets once a week each fall and spring semester for presentations and guest speakers. These weekly sessions prepare students to take the Bitcoin Certification Exam at the end of the semester and potentially earn the title of Certified Bitcoin Professional (CBP). The exam is offered through the CryptoCurrency Certification Consortium, or C4, a nonprofit organization providing certifications to professionals who perform cryptocurrency-related services.
Assistant teaching professor Art Hall oversees the program along with assistant teaching professor Rob Szarka. Hall says that the goal of the colloquium is to help students become competent in the rapidly evolving field of digital assets. Students can gain experience with software tools used to trade and store cryptocurrencies and learn about various cryptocurrency projects and industry trends.
“In general, hiring in the crypto space is trending upward, and students with a bitcoin certification can stand out from their peers,” Hall said. “The colloquium offers a nice line item on a resume that could be a conversation-starter.”
School of Business students who participate in the weekly sessions can earn ePoints in the school’s Professionalism Program both for regular participation and for passing the Bitcoin Certification Exam. Costs associated with participation in the Brandmeyer Cryptocurrency Colloquium are covered.
The C4 exam includes 75 questions and is time-limited to 20 minutes. It covers general technical and history-oriented competence related to blockchain technology and its bitcoin-specific implementation. Participants must receive at least a 70% in order to apply for certification. So far, 30 KU students have passed the exam.
Students interested in participating in the Brandmeyer Colloquium during the fall 2022 semester should email arthall@ku.edu.
