Florida International University’s (FIU) Chapman Graduate School of Business now collaborates with the Cryptocurrency Certification Consortium (known as C4) to bring the Certified Bitcoin Professional (CBP) designation to FIU’s online Master of Science in Finance degree program.

Students in FIU’s master’s level Financial Innovation course are taught by Florent Rouxelin, Assistant Professor of Finance, about Bitcoin and open blockchains, in part using C4’s CBP exam prep book. Students sit for the CBP exam during the semester and leave the course as Certified Bitcoin Professionals, with the proof to show prospective employers that they understand this new, revolutionary technology.

Though some folks are still skeptical of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, Bitcoin’s impact on international markets is undeniable. Bitcoin’s total Market Capitalization surpassed $1 trillion in February 2021. In October 2021, BITO — the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF that tracks bitcoin price predictions — amassed $1.1 billion under management after just two days of trading. As a growing currency constantly expanding its usage and value, bitcoin has captured the attention of Fortune 500 Companies and countries all over the world. JP Morgan, Apple, PayPal, and Amazon all recently posted job listings looking for professionals versed in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.

For those unfamiliar, bitcoin is a form of digital money where transactions are recorded in a hash-linked data structure called a blockchain, which is secured through a game-theoretical consensus mechanism called proof-of-work. In essence, bitcoin is a peer-to-peer, borderless, open, public, and censorship-resistant digital currency that lives on the Bitcoin blockchain. Bitcoin with an upper-case ‘B’ refers to the network, and bitcoin with a lower-case ‘b’ refers to the currency.

Over 70 million blockchain wallets — the digital wallets used to store bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies — are currently in use. However, many of those wallets belong to people with very little knowledge of how to use or invest cryptocurrency (or cryptocurrency in general).

To keep up with this emerging market, educational resources, courses, and certifications are needed to validate people’s claims that they are professionals who understand the complex world of cryptocurrency.

The CryptoCurrency Certification Consortium (C4) is a nonprofit dedicated to establishing cryptocurrency standards. C4 provides this confirmation through the Certified Bitcoin Professional (CBP) and Certified Ethereum Professional (CEP) exams. Companies and hiring managers can feel reassured that those certified by C4 possess the knowledge necessary to work with cryptocurrencies. By being one of the first schools to work together with C4 to acknowledge the power and huge growth of cryptocurrencies in the world market, FIU’s Chapman Graduate School of Business will cultivate the leaders of the new era in finance being ushered in by open blockchain technology.