Key Takeaways
- The Bitcoin Research Institute is launched by Bitcoin enthusiasts at the University of Wyoming to advance Bitcoin-related academic research.
- The initiative aims to foster collaboration between academia and the Bitcoin community, promoting educational and technological advancements.
- Key figures in the Bitcoin community, including developers and researchers, are expected to contribute to the institute's mission.
Launch of the Bitcoin Research Institute
The Bitcoin Research Institute will open in August as part of the University of Wyoming’s College of Arts and Sciences.
The initiative aims to provide quality publications to ensure the public is properly informed about what Bitcoin is and how it works.
People who are involved with the initiative
Bradley Rettler, a Bitcoin activist and Associate Professor at the University of Wyoming will serve as the institute’s director, while Andrew M. Bailey, lead author of Resistance Money: A Philosophical Case for Bitcoin, will be one of the institute’s professors. Rettler is also named as an author of the book.
Rettler describes the current state of Bitcoin research as “poor” and stressed that the industry needs more “high-quality peer-reviewed” publications to ensure the public is properly informed about what Bitcoin is and how it works.
What the initiative will do
Classed as a nonprofit, the institute will run annual summer workshops, offer academic prizes and host weekly seminars. They are also accepting Bitcoin donations to assist research.
The launch of the institute is in line with Wyoming becoming a leading Bitcoin state in the United States, being home to prominent Bitcoin supporters like pro-Bitcoin Senator Cynthia Lummis and Caitlin Long, founder and CEO of Custodia Bank, which offers Bitcoin custody solutions.
The institute will officially open in August when the Fall semester for 2024-2025 begins.
