Last week in review: Jay-Z and Jack Dorsey launch Bitcoin Academy focused on financial education

Despite recent inflation data from the US, the news featured a healthy mix of adoption stories from across the globe.

In South Africa, crypto investors are on the whole more positive about the future of Bitcoin than most other nationalities according to a recent report and Google Cloud is set to develop business use cases for developers of blockchain technology.

In the US, over 85% of retailers aim to accept crypto or stablecoin payments over the next two years, a Deloitte report has revealed and in a positive move for Bitcoin education, Jack Dorsey and Jay-Z have launched a Bitcoin Academy at a housing complex in the US aimed at providing free financial education to its residents.

As always, there is never a dull moment in crypto. Here are our top picks from last week’s headlines.

Google Looks to Blockchain Expansion to Diversify Revenue

What

Google Cloud is set to develop business use cases for developers of blockchain technology in a bid to add more revenue streams to Alphabet, Google’s parent company

Why

Alphabet has long relied on its advertising revenue from its products to turn a profit — such as Google and YouTube — and sees blockchain applications as a way to add new revenue streams

What Next?

Google’s Cloud Group is set to go on a hiring drive to expand its team for blockchain development. Richard Widmann, Head of Strategy for Digital Assets at Google Cloud, said “We think that if we do our jobs right, it will drive decentralisation”

Read the full story here

South Africans feeling good about Bitcoin, says Block report

What 

A recent report by Block, the Jack Dorsey-founded payments company, shows that South African crypto investors are on the whole more positive about the future of Bitcoin than most other nationalities

Why 

Nations from developing countries, where inflation and other factors have led to a crisis of confidence in the local currency, are generally more positive about Bitcoin and its future as a payments mechanism and holder of value

What next 

The report notes a close relationship between the inflation rate and attitudes towards Bitcoin. Inflation has steadily been rising across the globe as nations try and deal with the fallout from the pandemic and global political instability

Read the full story here

Over 85% of US retailers are prioritising crypto payments, Deloitte report shows

What

Over 85% of US retailers aim to accept crypto or stablecoin payments over the next two years, a Deloitte report has revealed

Why 

With growing customer interest, retailers are keen to capitalise on the rising adoption of digital currency payments

What next

Deloitte believes that education will provide regulators with more clarity, enabling wider adoption across a larger range of products and services

Read the full story here

Jay-Z and Jack Dorsey launch Bitcoin Academy focused on financial education

What

Jack Dorsey and Jay-Z have launched a Bitcoin Academy at a housing complex in the US aimed at providing free financial education to its residents

Why

The academy will run courses designed to provide financial freedom through education, with a focus on Bitcoin as a tool to achieve it

What next

The in-person and online classes will begin in late June through to September, with participants provided with smartphones, MiFi devices and a one-year data plan

Read the full story here

To catch up on other big stories from last week, be sure to check these headlines:

Staked ETH Hits New High of 12.7 Million Ahead of August Merge

New Code of Conduct for crypto service providers in Nigeria

What Are ENS Domains and Why Does Jay-Z Own One?

Mastercard Wants to Bring Card Payments on NFT Marketplaces