In the latest sign of the American business establishment’s warming embrace of cryptocurrency, the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Wharton business school will accept crypto for tuition payment for an online program.

Fast facts

  • The Wharton School’s new executive education program “Economics of Blockchain and Digital Assets” plans to accept cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin for tuition payment.
  • The school is set to accept crypto payments via Coinbase.
  • While a handful of universities, such as University of Romania and a university in Paraguay, have announced similar plans, until now they’ve mostly been lower-profile institutions. This may be the first for a school of the reputation of Wharton, whose alumni list reads like a Who’s Who of finance, investing and corporate America.
  • Designed as a six-week online course, Wharton’s blockchain program costs US$3,800 and features modules centering around blockchain protocols, digital assets and decentralized finance, according to the program’s website.