The University of Wyoming (UW) has established the UW Bitcoin Institute, the first academic institution dedicated to Bitcoin research. Dr. Bradley Lettler, assistant professor of philosophy and author Money of Resistance: The Philosophical Case for Bitcoin“I have been appointed as the inaugural director,” Lettler announced on the Genesis stage at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville.
The institute aims to increase the quality and impact of Bitcoin research by creating a faculty position for Bitcoin research, providing incentives and rewards for excellent academic research on Bitcoin, encouraging young scholars to pursue Bitcoin research projects, and providing workshops on relevant papers and books. It also connects researchers interested in Bitcoin, and provides peer-reviewed research for journalists, policymakers, and the public.
The current state of academic Bitcoin research is not of the highest quality, and this institute aims to address this issue by creating and providing more accurate and rigorous academic research on Bitcoin. This institute will strive to make high-quality, evidence-based research accessible to everyone.
The University of Wyoming is strategically positioned to lead this initiative due to its interdisciplinary academic collaboration, proximity to renewable energy sources, and supportive legislative and regulatory environment. The institute will also collaborate with a variety of university units, including the Department of Philosophy and Economics, the School of Computing, and the Center for Blockchain and Digital Innovation.
Anyone interested in supporting this research can donate to the UW Bitcoin Research Institute here. Donations are tax deductible and all BTC donated are kept in storage, the official page states.