A new OKX report has found that 90% of college students want crypto and blockchain included in financial education, even though only 28% of reviewed U.S. business schools offered related courses.
Crypto Education Demand Exceeds Course Availability
In its New Money Curriculum report shared on Aug. 26, OKX said support for crypto education extended across both generations surveyed, with 87% of parents joining 90% of students in saying colleges should teach crypto and blockchain. Some respondents wanted more than an optional course, with 27% of students and 32% of parents saying crypto and blockchain education should be required for college students. A separate 2025 study examined 533 U.S. universities with business schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
Researchers found that 151 institutions, or approximately 28%, offered at least one blockchain-related course. Course depth also varied between institutions, with only 76 having two or more courses and two universities offering at least 10. This gap between demand and supply reflects the broader challenge of crypto literacy, a theme also relevant to the complexity of XRP ETF filings that require investor understanding.
Social Media Has Become Students' Main Crypto Teacher
With formal classes available at a minority of the universities reviewed, students named social media and influencers as their leading source of crypto information. OKX reported that 33% of students considered social media or influencers their most important source, nearly five times the 7% who selected schools, teachers, or professors. Financial advisers ranked second at 17%, followed by crypto platforms and apps at 12%. Traditional news ranked last at 6%.
Parents followed a different pattern, with crypto platforms and apps ranking first among that group at 21%. Students were almost twice as likely as parents to depend primarily on social media for crypto information. The survey did not test whether respondents understood specific subjects such as wallet security, private-key management, or fraud. This informal learning environment mirrors the self-directed approach many retail investors take, as seen in the CFTC enforcement actions against individual traders.
Students Are Teaching Parents About Crypto
Although students often learned outside college, many carried the information back into their households. 47% said they had taught a parent or guardian something about crypto or investing, while 43% of parents said their college-aged child had taught them. About one-quarter of students said their lessons specifically covered crypto. Perceptions of knowledge followed the same pattern: 53% of students said college students understood crypto better than their parents, and 51% of parents agreed.
Allocation preferences were more restrained than the acceptance figures suggest. While 89% of students said some crypto exposure could form part of a responsible portfolio, 11% said the appropriate allocation was zero. 56% of students would accept 20% of their salary in Bitcoin. Both groups tended to view crypto as an investment instead of entertainment, with 52% of students describing buying crypto as a long-term investment.
