Bitcoin CoinAcademy: Exclusive Interview
Nigel Dollentas · @https://twitter.com/nigeldollentas | Sep 10, 2014 | 14:15
The Rundown
CoinAcademy is an excellent resource if your new to the cryptocurrency game, and want to get up to speed ASAP. It is also free, which really leaves you with no reason to take them if your a veteran to cryptocurrency and just want to get a refresher, or are just starting out.
1. Why did you found CoinAcademy?
Stephen & I both feel that education will play a pivotal role in fostering mass adoption of digital currencies. Lack of comprehensive education that helps people over come the fear, uncertainty and doubt surrounding digital currency adoption. Yet, when we looked at the market, we saw only fragmentation and very few resources aimed at helping non-technical (or non-financial) people gain a useful understanding of the role digital currencies could play in their lives. Our views were reinforced through our experiences with people who were new to Bitcoin. We kept hearing people ask the same basic questions time and again. We felt we could help address that need.
2. Who do you feel CoinAcademy is for?
I think it’s for anyone who is curious about digital currencies and wants to know whether the time is right for them to get involved. We’re shying away from deeply technical materials, or giving investment advice. Our approach is educational and really aimed at helping people assess the opportunity and make better decisions about their involvement. Coming online later this week is a history of the movement, and we are working on a course in the philosophy behind the movement; those topics will likely be of interest to more advanced users.
3. When compiling the courses and materials, where did you find the information?
It’s just old fashioned research. Lots of time with the search engines and lots of reading. The “how to” and “primer” lessons reflect a lot of time spent trying out various technologies. For the curated collections, we spend hours watching video and trying to find the gems. Stephen also has extensive experience with alternative currencies and economic theory, which helps provide insights in the more arcane areas.
4. Do you charge a fee for taking courses?
No. We are not charging fees for access to the content. At present, we are using a donations model (Bitcoin accepted here!), but we are seeking sponsorship and will at some point be implementing display advertising. Our goal is to keep the resources free for the users.
5. How is CoinAcademy currently?
Response so far has been very encouraging. Since the launch on 1 September, we’ve served almost 15,000 page views and now have more than 500 active students. The media has also been quite supportive and we’ve had a few pleasant surprises, like some really nice social sharing via Tim Ferriss and others.
6. What can we expect in the future?
If we receive the support we need, you can expect a continuous addition of courses and lessons on all the major digital currencies as well as Bitcoin 2.0 and Blockchain 2.0 platforms. We will be releasing one new original course this week — our first course in a more academic style.
The other courses under development are being shaped by what we are learning right now about peoples’ interests. We will of course also be looking to revise existing courses as new information becomes available and our techniques evolve.
Photo Source: Provided by Coin Academy
For more information: http://coinacademy.co/
