WTF are ETFs? Ed3 World Newsletter Issue #28
This monthly newsletter serves as your bridge from the real world to the advancements of AI & web3, specifically contextualized for education.?For previous issues, check out ed3world.substack.com. All new issues will be published on both LinkedIn & Substack.
Dear Educators & Friends,
Happy new year! Last year was quite a whirlwind for the planet. With the digital realm gaining consciousness, awful wars, and several impending elections with questionable outcomes, we’re in for another year of chaos. My optimism however, will continue to be fueled by the incredible work of educators around the world.
I was going to write a “2024 Predications” issue, but I felt oversaturated by the hundreds of others. Here is one I quite agreed with and one who’s breadth and imagination was fun & stimulating.
In the spirit and mission of this newsletter to educate you about the web3 world, let’s talk about ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds), and make some predictions about what could happen if they are approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), this week.
You may have noticed a sudden surge in Bitcoin prices in the last two months. Why? Major investment companies including BlackRock, Fidelity, Grayscale, and Bitwise, have filed proposals for a Bitcoin ETF. Let’s break this down. Please note, this is not financial advice and mostly speculative.
Exchange-Traded Funds are like a group of investments you can buy and sell on the stock market. They follow the ups and downs of things like a group of companies or gold prices, instead of just one company. Bitcoin ETFs basically turn crypto into a stock option, making it easier to trade legally.
It is likely (but not confirmed) that Bitcoin ETFs will be approved. This could be a watershed moment for the cryptocurrency industry, leading to…
?? Increased legitimacy and mainstream adoption of Bitcoin: Approval by a regulatory body like the SEC would enhance the legitimacy of Bitcoin in the eyes of the public and institutional investors. It could lead to increased mainstream adoption of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies by those who were previously skeptical ????. Globally, this may trigger a regulatory domino effect for other countries.
?? Higher liquidity and stability: Bitcoin ETFs could increase market liquidity, as they provide an easy way for investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin. This could potentially lead to more stability in Bitcoin's price, as the market would be more influenced by institutional investors.
? Increased scrutiny and regulation: With the entry of Bitcoin into more regulated markets, there could be increased scrutiny and potential regulation of the cryptocurrency space. This could lead to more stringent compliance requirements for other aspects of the crypto market, which may ironically, defeat the purpose of Bitcoin in the first place.
?? Impact on Web3 development: Web3, the decentralized web, relies heavily on blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies. The approval of Bitcoin ETFs could accelerate the development and adoption of web3 technologies.
?? Tokenomics and DeFi legitimacy: Alternative models of funding, investment and membership using tokenomics and decentralized finance (DeFi) could be more widely accepted.
? Increase in scams: Of course, the more ubiquitous crypto is, the more “Nigerian Prince emails” you’ll find.
Image reference: Promptbox; How BTC ETFs can strengthen the crypto ecosystem
Ultimately, this means that the web3 infrastructure and innovation that started in 2020 may experience it’s renaissance now, for better and for worse.
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Okay so most of us here are educators. Why does this matter to us?
?? Curriculum changes in Finance and Economics: With Bitcoin legitimacy, educational institutions may update their finance and economics curricula to include cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. They may also invest research in these areas to explore implications across various sectors.
?? Career opportunities for graduates: With the growth of the cryptocurrency market, there would likely be more career opportunities in this sector. Graduates with knowledge of blockchain and digital currencies could find themselves in high demand.
?? Alternative models for financing education projects: In 2022, I wrote two articles about how web3 can change financial models for education funding. The ideas in these articles will have more legitimacy than ever before and we can start thinking outside of the box for education. (1) How DeFi can Reform Schooling Funding Models & (2) The Transformation of Charity through Web3.
No matter what happens, if you’re not part of the web3 ecosystem, you’ll be victim to it.
I’ve been pretty adamant about this since 2020. Educators should be the first to understand what’s happening in the tech and finance world because while we’re off being superheroes for humanity, we haven’t benefited from the evolution of the market and technology. The more we know, the more we’ll sow.
To dive into this ETF wormhole, check out the articles below. Happy wriggling.
Warmly yours,
Vriti Saraf
Learn about Bitcoin ETFs
Bitcoin ETF GPT
I couldn’t help myself. I created a GPT to answer questions about Bitcoin ETFs and generate lesson plans to explain to kids. Check it out here.
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I’m Vriti and I lead two organizations in service of web3 & education. Ed3 DAO is a community for educators to learn about emerging technologies. k20 Educators builds metaverse worlds for learning.
This month’s Ed3 World?newsletter is about Bitcoin. More to come on other web3 & emerging tech topics. We’re excited to help you leverage the web3 opportunities in this new digital world!
President | Chief Tinkerer | Learner | PhD in Exceptional Learning
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10 个月Bitcoin ETF approval will be a game changer for Crypto industry and WEB3.
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10 个月Cade Bergman
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10 个月Great read, this part gets me excited "educational institutions may update their finance and economics curricula to include cryptocurrency and blockchain technology." One thing to note that I just learned is that similar financial products have been available in some European markets under the name "exchange-traded products." So in some respects, we have been lagging behind them in access to crypto via the stock market. Here's a little info on that: https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2022/03/01/crypto-exchange-traded-products-are-blossoming-in-europe/
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10 个月Thanks for Sharing.