TLDR
- Twenty-one crypto organizations signed an open letter urging US colleges to expand DeFi education.
- 1Inch led the campaign and gathered support from major crypto platforms and policy groups.
- The letter calls on universities to make blockchain and DeFi core subjects instead of electives.
- The groups said Wall Street firms are increasing job listings for crypto-related roles.
- Google search data showed strong growth in searches for blockchain and DeFi developer jobs.
Twenty-one crypto organizations have urged US colleges to expand blockchain and DeFi education. The groups published an open letter on Wednesday and called for curriculum reform. They said Wall Street demand for crypto talent continues to rise.
The campaign centers on practical training rather than theory and targets business and law schools. 1Inch spearheaded the effort and gathered support from policy groups and crypto platforms. The letter asks universities to treat digital assets as core coursework instead of electives.
Industry Groups Call for DeFi as Core Curriculum
1Inch led the campaign and coordinated signatures from the Solana Policy Institute, Blockchain Association, and DeFi Education Fund. Aave, MyEtherWallet, Delphi Digital, and Messari also signed the letter. The organizations urged colleges to integrate digital assets, blockchain, and DeFi into business and legal programs.
The letter stated, “Our purpose with this letter is simple: to respectfully urge higher education institutions across the United States to further integrate digital assets, blockchain, and decentralized finance into their business and legal curricula.”
The groups argued that current courses treat DeFi as theory rather than infrastructure. They said students need direct exposure to automated market makers, liquidity provision, decentralized autonomous organizations, and smart contract risks.
1Inch said, “It is wrong to think, as some do, that DeFi and crypto technologies lack practical uses.” The firm added that stablecoins reduce cross-border payment friction and that lending protocols offer yield opportunities. It also said tokenized assets allow trading around the clock.
The letter called for foundational education in blockchain architecture as a core module. It asked universities to give students hands-on interaction with DeFi systems. 1Inch told Cointelegraph that roles now extend beyond developers to executives and legal officers.
Wall Street Demand and Academic Programs Expand
1Inch said Wall Street firms now seek crypto talent across business and compliance roles. It stated, “It’s no longer just hoodies; it’s suits and ties too.” The firm cited job advertisements from BlackRock, Fidelity Investments, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley.
The company also cited Google search data to support its claims. It said searches for “Blockchain jobs” rose 84% between 2024 and 2026. It added that “DeFi Developer Jobs” results increased nearly 270% to 246,000 listings.
Some universities have offered blockchain programs in recent years. Massachusetts Institute of Technology ran the “MIT Digital Currency Experiment” in 2014 and distributed BTC $71,362 to students. It later introduced courses on blockchain ethics and distributed ledger technology.
Harvard Extension School offers a blockchain innovation course. Texas A&M University taught a “Bitcoin Protocol” course to business and engineering students in 2023. These programs provided limited exposure to DeFi concepts.
On Tuesday, Michael Saylor said the Florida Department of Education approved Saylor Academy to operate as Saylor University. The platform will offer tuition-free master’s degrees that include Bitcoin and blockchain programs. The announcement followed the publication of the open letter.
