A non-profit organization focused on Bitcoin (BTC) education, operating out of El Salvador, has recently unveiled an updated version of its Bitcoin Diploma program. The initiative aims to promote wider adoption of the leading cryptocurrency and educate individuals about the benefits of understanding its underlying technology.

BTC Education Goes Mainstream

Known as “Mi Primer Bitcoin” or “My First Bitcoin,” the organization started offering BTC classes in El Salvador after the country implemented the Bitcoin Law in 2021. 

In June 2022, they launched the first 10-week educational program, enrolling 38 students from public schools in El Salvador. This initiative marked the first time a BTC Diploma program had been introduced in any public school system worldwide.

The non-profit organization now collaborates with the Ministry of Education in El Salvador, which has adopted the open-source workbook as the primary resource for its BTC-focused educational program.

Through a pilot program in collaboration with the government and in partnership with Bitcoin Beach, a project developed for a “sustainable BTC economic ecosystem” on the coast of El Salvador, the non-profit organization is currently training 700 public school teachers across the country. These teachers will subsequently deliver the BTC Diploma curriculum in their local schools.

In addition, My First Bitcoin established a self-governing “Node Network” of frontline BTC educators in March 2023, with over 29 educational projects from 18 countries already employing the Bitcoin Diploma. 

Financial Literacy For The Bitcoin Era

The release of the 2024 edition of the BTC Diploma represents a significant milestone in My First Bitcoin’s mission to promote global BTC adoption and financial empowerment. 

The curriculum covers various topics, including the history of money, the emergence of government-issued currency, the challenges associated with fiat money, and how BTC provides solutions to these issues. It also delves into the technical workings of BTC and the Lightning Network, the second-layer network that enables BTC’s smart contract functionality.  

The 175-page workbook is divided into ten chapters and designed for a ten-week learning program. All materials are publicly available on GitHub, and the organization actively encourages individuals to participate in translating the curriculum. 

The 2023 edition has been translated into 23 languages by a network of over 40 international educators, including Korean, Swahili, Luganda, Russian, Tamil, Japanese, and Hindi.

John Dennehy, founder and executive director of My First Bitcoin, emphasized the organization’s belief in the power of BTC education. He stated: 

We believe Bitcoin education will change the world, and this new edition is a big step in that direction. Learning financial literacy for the BTC Era is empowering and leads to significant second-order effects. That knowledge will encourage us to build, to create, and to plan further into the future–and that changes everything.

The largest cryptocurrency in the market is trading at $69,460, representing a price drop of 1.5% over the past 24 hours. 

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com