Crypto firms have urged US universities to expand education on decentralised finance, citing growing demand for blockchain talent across Wall Street and traditional finance.
A group of 21 organisations, led by 1Inch, called on higher education institutions to integrate DeFi, blockchain and digital assets into business and legal curricula.
The open letter argues that DeFi has moved beyond theory into real-world infrastructure, with applications in payments, lending and tokenised asset markets.
“Our purpose with this letter is simple: to respectfully urge higher education institutions across the United States to further integrate digital assets, blockchain, and decentralised finance into their business and legal curricula,”
The letter said.
Industry participants say current teaching is too theoretical and fails to equip students with practical skills needed for emerging roles beyond software development.
“It’s no longer just hoodies; it’s suits and ties too,”
1Inch said, highlighting growing demand for non-technical roles such as executives and legal professionals.
Major financial institutions including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and BlackRock are increasingly hiring for DeFi-related roles, reflecting broader industry adoption.
The letter also calls for DeFi to be taught as a core subject, covering areas such as automated market makers, decentralised governance and smart contract risks.
Rising interest is reflected in job market trends, with searches for blockchain roles increasing sharply and specialised DeFi positions growing even faster.
The initiative underscores a shift toward mainstream adoption, as traditional finance and education systems adapt to the expanding role of blockchain technology.