Universities in Belarus Offers Crypto Diploma Course Following Legalization

Belarus’ president Alexander Lukashenko has legalized cryptocurrencies, ICOs, and smart contracts. As news.Bitcoin.com reported last week, he signed the decree “On the Development of the Digital Economy” which also exempts crypto-related income from taxation for the next five years.

Following Lukashenko’s announcement, the Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU) announced a diploma course in the field of cryptocurrencies. Established in 1920, BNTU is a major technical university in Belarus. Its alumni include two former Belarusian prime ministers, Vyacheslav Kebich and Gennady Novitsky.

Belarus’ president Alexander Lukashenko has legalized cryptocurrencies, ICOs, and smart contracts. As news.Bitcoin.com reported last week, he signed the decree “On the Development of the Digital Economy” which also exempts crypto-related income from taxation for the next five years.

Following Lukashenko’s announcement, the Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU) announced a diploma course in the field of cryptocurrencies. Established in 1920, BNTU is a major technical university in Belarus. Its alumni include two former Belarusian prime ministers, Vyacheslav Kebich and Gennady Novitsky.

The institute explained that the course consists of not only cryptocurrencies but also various stock market instruments such as stocks and bonds, as well as methods of attracting investments. In addition, successful graduates will receive a state diploma “on retraining at the level of higher education” which will be impossible to issue if the course is shortened.

Nonetheless, many users on Facebook insist that they prefer quick knowledge to obtaining a diploma. A BNTU alumni who is now a project manager at Mobipay Belarus commented, “Please note – no one needs diplomas for a long time, knowledge is more important. What then should I do with this diploma and to whom should I show it [to]?”

Other users were interested in finding out about the cost of the course, who the teachers are, the interview process, and application requirements. Regarding the price, the university wrote:

The cost of training is 966 US dollars at the rate of the NBRB [National Bank of the Republic of Belarus].

However, one BNTU alumni commented, “it seems to me that $1,000 for a year is very, very, very high.” In addition, there are a number of free online courses in English for those interested in obtaining knowledge of cryptocurrencies such as on Coursera, Udemy, and the Khan Academy. The University of Nicosia also offers a free introductory course on cryptocurrencies, which lists Andreas Antonopoulos as one of the two teachers.

What do you think of BNTU’s diploma course? Do you think they should offer a shorter course? Let us know in the comments section below.