- University of Wyoming announced the launch of its Bitcoin Research Institute at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference in Nashville over the weekend.
- The institute’s purpose is to improve the quality of research into Bitcoin and cryptocurrency with the intention of better informing journalists, policymakers and the general public on the technology and its impacts.
Academic research into Bitcoin received a big boost at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville over the weekend, with the announcement that the University of Wyoming (UW) has launched its Bitcoin Research Institute (BRI). The BRI is the first research institute focussed solely on Bitcoin research. It will be led by Dr. Bradley Rettler, Associate Professor of Philosophy.
The purpose of the institute is to raise the quality of academic research into Bitcoin, with the intention of contributing to more well-informed media coverage and public policy around cryptocurrency.
Dr Rettler’s works on the philosophy of Bitcoin have been widely published, including the book Resistance Money: A Philosophical Case for Bitcoin and academic papers such as Philosophy, politics, and economics of cryptocurrency: Money without state.
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According to UW’s website, the BRI’s purpose is to output research on Bitcoin, with a focus on philosophy and economics:
The UW Bitcoin Research Institute, housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, exists to output peer-reviewed academic research on bitcoin and contribute to curriculum in philosophy, economics, and interdisciplinary courses.
Bitcoin Research Institute Page on UW WebsiteThe BRI webpage draws attention to the lack of high-quality research into Bitcoin, saying “the state of academic bitcoin research is poor” and claims this research vacuum leads to a widespread misunderstanding of the technology and its impacts:
In short, academics, journalists, policymakers, and the public lack access to good research on bitcoin. The Bitcoin Research Institute aims to provide it.
Bitcoin Research Institute Page on UW WebsiteThe BRI says it will cultivate the field of Bitcoin research by offering dedicated faculty roles, incentivising high impact academic work and having its research flow into course curriculum to develop a new generation of Bitcoin researchers and academics.
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The Institute also plans to run a range of events including annual summer workshops, research paper prizes, public writing prizes and public outreach events to publicise its research, with a particular focus on engaging with journalists and lawmakers to better inform media discourse and public policy around Bitcoin and cryptocurrency generally.
For anyone interested in contributing to Bitcoin research, the BRI is currently accepting tax-deductible donations, with the Institute saying all donated Bitcoin will be held and not sold.
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