Spain Launches World’s First Bitcoin Master’s Degree—Here’s Why It Matters
Barcelona’s Universitat Pompeu Fabra breaks new ground with a graduate program dedicated to Bitcoin economics, regulation, and tech—just as institutional adoption hits warp speed.
Program highlights: Macroeconomic theory meets mining mechanics, Lightning Network labs, and (of course) how to HODL through volatility. Because if Wall Street can rebrand speculation as ’alternative assets,’ academia might as well cash in too.
A Wide-Ranging Curriculum For Bitcoin Learners
The program is designed to cover everything from how Bitcoin works at the code level to what it could mean for the global economy. It will also explore the rules and policies shaping how Bitcoin is used around the world.
University of the Hespérides in Spain launches first Bitcoin Master’s degree to study #Bitcoin
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— mracrypto (@MRA_crypto) April 23, 2025
Course topics include Bitcoin’s origin story, its technological makeup, economic models, and the legal issues that surround its adoption. Business strategies related to Bitcoin are also part of the curriculum.
Program director Álvaro D. María said the goal is to close the information gap and give students the tools they need to engage with Bitcoin in a smart and responsible way.
“This program is intended to close that gap and train professionals who will engage with Bitcoin knowledgeably and responsibly,” María stated.More Than Just Buying And Selling
Unlike courses that focus solely on investment or speculation, this one will treat Bitcoin as a monetary system. Students will study how Bitcoin compares to traditional money and why it has attracted such a massive following worldwide.
The program will also endeavor to give students insight into what makes Bitcoin stand apart: supply limit, decentralized structure, working of the protocol, etc. Discussions will additionally include regulations that differ from one country to another and what that signifies for the future of Bitcoin.
Part Of A Growing Global TrendThe University of Hespérides is certainly not the only place adding Bitcoin to an expanding list of academic subjects. In the United States, the University of Cincinnati began incorporating Bitcoin and Web3 into its curriculum in 2022. In Central America, Mi Primer Bitcoin—an El Salvador-based non-profit—teamed up with the Ministry of Education in 2023 to offer Bitcoin courses.
Even schools outside the university system are getting involved. Lomond School in the UK became the first school in the country to accept Bitcoin for tuition. The school also plans to offer lessons on Bitcoin and blockchain starting in fall 2025.
Featured image from Gemini Imagen, chart from TradingView
