Bitcoin Forum

Source: https://twitter.com/BitcoinMagazine/status/1562508362679726081 (https://twitter.com/BitcoinMagazine/status/1562508362679726081)

For years, I have imagined about Bitcoin and crypto being included in the curriculum of each university in the Philippines. Now it looks like that it will finally came to reality thanks to Binance's partnership.

Before the pandemic, I was so passionate about educating the students and teachers about Bitcoin in a few universities where I was invited as a keynote speaker. Now I am excited even more because of the latest developments that we have and the future is bright for Bitcoin and crypto here in the Philippines.

What are your honest thoughts and insights about this guys? Would love to hearing it from you. Thanks in advance.

What that comes my mind is 'more adoption'. Some people do not know how bitcoin works is the key reason they do not buy yet. If more Universities have bitcoin and crypto courses, this will increase the intention of people to be towards having something to do with bitcoin, like learning about it and holding it.

This is a much needed initiative. The same being done partnering with Binance makes the same successful and effective. Already Binance is much involved into spreading awareness all around the world. Earlier the prime focus was on African countries and now moving towards Asian country is really good. Earlier Binance organised a tour around Nigeria and few other countries. The same hasn't ended.

It's not new already that there are Bitcoin or crypto in general seminars and meetups done in PH universities for years now.

But to the point that it will consider as a course, that was new. Are those courses part of the curriculum that is approved by CHED?

Do you have a list of what those PH universities will offer that course?

I think they haven't disclosed it yet to public but I am sure that top universities like Ateneo, De La Salle, UP and many more will join this once in a life time chance to be part of a change. This is a good chance to spread the good news about cryptocurrency to the public to easily adopt as part of coming digitalization.

I still stand with the fact that filipinos need education on proper financing and investing in general, rather than focusing on crypto too soon.

But yea, I guess it's probably not realistic to expect Binance to focus on other supplementary things that are not crypto lol, since this is a business decision from their part in the first place. Still, I guess this is better than nothing.

I personally think that the steps taken by Philippine universities to offer bitcoin courses in partnership with binance are very helpful, because in this digital era, almost all jobs are digital, even since 2015 there has been a 200% job growth across the country, In the blockchain field and binance, this initiative has actually happened in Italian and French universities, maybe this will be a very good move because they have spread their wings to Asian countries.

Just yesterday there was news that a Binance representative was one of the invited resource persons in a senate committee on banks, financial institutions, and currencies hearing.^[1] As a matter of fact, CZ himself earlier expressed his potential approaches on how to conduct business in the country.^[2]

However, all this is happening amidst SEC itself investigating Binance for possible illegal operations in the country.^[3] And then there's also our central bank governor himself who publicly issued statements against Bitcoin, even calling it as something that is based on the greater fool theory.^[4]

So there's still a mixed feeling. I wouldn't go as far as saying that the "future is bright for Bitcoin and crypto here in the Philippines."

As a matter of fact, how do we even discuss Bitcoin and crypto here? If we discuss the technologies behind them, the technical aspects and not matters pertaining to its price value, trading, potential as an investment, and so on, it would be better since we're talking here of academic courses. But seldom do we actually appreciate Bitcoin in terms of its Proof-of-Work system, how it addressed double spending, how its network actually runs, how its security is unquestionable, and so on.

It is a good development, however, that some universities here have already integrated underlying technologies of Bitcoin like blockchain to their curriculum. In the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, for example, students have been reaping awards in international blockchain competitions.^[5][6] I guess this is the kind of approach that's best suited for our youngsters in the universities.

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[1] https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1652500/bsp-and-sec-eye-regulations-for-use-of-crypto-and-defi
[2] https://business.inquirer.net/349975/binance-chief-eyes-localized-services-in-ph-game-plan
[3] https://cointelegraph.com/news/sec-philippines-to-investigate-binance-over-alleged-illegal-operations
[4] https://www.bworldonline.com/top-stories/2022/06/20/455998/incoming-bsp-governor-not-keen-on-cryptocurrency/
[5] https://www.usc.edu.ph/usc-students-lone-rp-winners-in-international-blockchain-olympiad
[6] https://bitpinas.com/news/students-university-san-carlos-usc-cebu-wins-international-blockchain-olympiad/

Can we please include a proper introduction to general financing first or something?  Pretty sure it's skipping a few steps which may make it rather difficult for students to suddenly enter crypto-related courses. Are there specifics to how they're going to implement this or is it still on the works?

Hoping for the best for this though. I think a lot of the younger generation are rather interested in crypto but are afraid of actually entering it since you'd originally think it involves money, which it does, but only when you're investing. There's so much more involved in it in terms of development.

I think this decision was made in the first place since CZ went to the Philippines to handle the issue of the SEC? Iirc after the issue went up he tried to immediately fix it by applying for a license.

Maybe it will be useful if what is being taught is about crypto technology that can continue to be developed and provide benefits to the life sector, not teaching about how to trade crypto because in my opinion if this is taught, honestly I say it will be quite damaging especially if the one who accepts this teaching about trading is not enough knowledge and only in the lure about the profit that can be obtained.

I guess there's nothing wrong with it, the Philippines is turning out to be one of the biggest crypto friendly country in the Far East so I wouldn't be surprised if the newly appointed government will just continue what the Duterte government did as far as crypto adoption is concern.

But this one is taking it to the next direction, and with Binance also active in the Philippines and then their local coins.ph, it's good to hear that bitcoin/blockchain courses is going to be open to universities and hopefully this will be the standard in the next coming years.

In the first place that's very much interesting to see in universities, they are teaching bitcoin to people and this can be a good step forward to increase the bitcoin knowledge all over the world also I know the Philippines as a country where there are many bitcoin investors and cryptocurrency user so I expect to see a good demand from people to join these courses in the other hand the partnership with Binance can have many benefits to them to do advertising in the Philippines, especially for the people who are learning about bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.

Not going to knock this just for the sake of knocking Binance, but I still feel it would have been better to partner with an actual learning institution (thinking of accreditation here). Just learn from LKW uni in Malaysia who's been peddling tech degrees for decades, but is now losing all their accreditation when the level of crap they have is being uncovered.

But hey, any education has to be good, Binance know their stuff well enough. Just hope it doesn't lead to students paying for stuff.

It is part of achievements from the global trip of Changpeng Zao months ago, around the collapse of Terra in May. Philippines is one of destinations in his global business trip.

Binance knows that bear market is very good opportunity for them to expand their customer population and build up reputation. When weaker exchanges and competitors have troubles, they will take advantage of it to grow more, with less competition and less spent budget for the business deals.

Spending money for education is never wrong.

Isn't it though that the Philippine government have qualms about Binance?

Philippine SEC cautions the public not to invest with Binance (https://cointelegraph.com/news/philippine-sec-cautions-the-public-not-to-invest-with-binance)


So what gives? anyone let's see how it goes for the PH government, maybe this is a way for Binance to let the government know that they are for the education of the Filipinos as far as Blockchain tech and crypto.