Crypto Firms Call for More DeFi Courses in US Colleges
Twenty-one crypto firms have signed an open letter urging US colleges to include decentralized finance in their curriculum, saying there will be a huge demand for crypto talent on Wall Street.
“The purpose of this letter is simple: to respectfully urge higher education institutions across the United States to integrate digital assets, blockchain and decentralized finance into their business and legal curricula,” the open letter was published on Wednesday.
The campaign was led by decentralized protocol aggregator 1inch, Solana Policy Institute, Blockchain Association, DeFi Education Fund and crypto platforms including signatories such as Aave, MyEtherWallet, Delphi Digital and Messari.
Acknowledging that 1inch Diffie is offered in some schools, he argues that current curricula are largely theoretical, and that students need to gain a more practical understanding of “an integral part of the global financial ecosystem”.
“It's a mistake to think, as some do, that DeFi and crypto technologies have no practical uses or are somehow deviating from the public good,” 1inch said.
“The theoretical phase is over. Ideas have already become infrastructure.”
In comments to Cointelegraph, 1inch is pushing for more Diff courses to be taught in classrooms because opportunities are expanding beyond developer roles into more business and legal roles.
“It's not just hoodies anymore; it's fit and bonding,” 1inch said, noting that Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs and PwC are looking for crypto talent beyond tech-savvy programmers.
“The goal is not just among tomorrow's developers, but CEOs and CLOs to build on these advanced DeFi understanding and practical knowledge.”
The open letter calls for a more “basic course” in blockchain architecture and DeFi as a core module rather than an elective course.
1inch also suggests that students engage directly with DeFi systems to “get a real-world understanding of how DeFi works.”
The biggest Wall Street companies are looking for DeFi experts
BlackRock, Fidelity Investments, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have all been seen posting job postings for DeFi-related roles.
This is also reflected in Google's search statistics, which says that 1inch will grow by 84% in Google search volume between 2024 and 2026 for “blockchain jobs”.
More specialized roles are accelerating even faster, according to 1inch, with a 270% increase in “DeFi developer jobs” to nearly 246,000 results.
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DeFi has had limited exposure to some US Ivy League colleges in the past.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology In 2014, he conducted the “MIT Digital Currency Experiment”, which involved distributing Bitcoin (BTC) to students, but later gave courses on blockchain ethics and distributed ledger technology.
Harvard Extension School offers a blockchain innovation course, while Texas A&M offers a Bitcoin Protocol course for business and engineering students in 2023.
On Tuesday, Bitcoin bull Michael Saylor said the Florida Department of Education approved Saylor Academy — a nonprofit educational platform — to operate as Saylor University.
Saylor Academy is now Saylor University.
The Florida Department of Education has awarded @saylordotorg university status—a major milestone in our mission to provide free, world-class higher education for all.pic.twitter.com/SbimeofUkQ
— Michael Saylor (@saylor) March 17, 2026
The move will allow students to earn tuition-free master's degrees, including programs that teach about Bitcoin and blockchain technology.
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