- Blockchain and cryptocurrencies being assimilated into mainstream finance
- Equity analysts must now study blockchain and cryptocurrencies
- CIIX offers course in cryptocurrency trading in New York City
From 2019, aspiring Chartered Financial Analysts (CFAs) will have to tackle topics on cryptocurrencies and blockchain as part of a new curriculum covering ‘Fintech in Investment Management’, for the CFA Institute has updated its syllabus in response to intense interest from the equity research and fund management communities. Referring to blockchain, the technology that underlies bitcoin and other alt-currencies, Stephen Horan, managing director for general education and curriculum at the CFA Institute, commented, “This is not a passing fad. We saw the field advancing more quickly than other fields and we also saw it as more durable”, according to a Bloomberg report (http://ibn.fm/1Xp9W). So did ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX), which in April 2018 announced plans to launch its Bitcoin Trading Academy. Now the company, which hosts a leading financial information portal for Chinese-speaking investors in mainland China and the Diasporas, has officially launched the program, which offers instruction in cryptocurrency trading (http://ibn.fm/cViRS). With the update to its programs, the CFA Institute appears to be following the lead set by CIIX.
That neither cryptocurrencies nor blockchain appear to be passing fads is becoming increasingly evident. Bitcoin futures were first traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) in December 2017, and contracts can now be bought and sold at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), the world’s largest futures exchange. Earlier this month, Blackrock CEO Larry Fink said that his firm had “assembled a working group to look at blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin,” according to Reuters (http://ibn.fm/EuLWi). Blackrock, with $6.3 trillion in assets under management (AUM), is the world’s largest asset manager.
The three-part course being offered by CIIX will offer investors some explanation of this surging interest in alt-currencies and bitcoin in particular. Part I also provide answers to a host of questions, such as how to open and trade on different cryptocurrency trading platforms, how to set up a cryptocurrency wallet, how to use bitcoin futures to properly hedge a bitcoin portfolio, and how to properly use beginner-friendly trading techniques. Bitcoin futures trading strategies, both long and short, will also be covered. Part II focuses on coins such as ethereum, including coins with significant underlying technology such as EOS, XLM, ADA and NEO, and altcoin trading platforms, such as Binance and Bittrex. Part III will teach students what to look for when vetting new cryptocurrency offerings, including how to read a white paper, how to analyze the professional teams and advisory boards associated with an offering, the role that technology and marketing trends play and what pitfalls to avoid.
The first live course offerings, in both Chinese and English, will be held in New York City. In the coming months, the course will be offered to markets in Asia.
CIIX’s educational course in cryptocurrency trading is just part of its foray into digital currencies. The company operates a bitcoin ATM at its San Gabriel, California, headquarters and has acquired high-powered machines for virtual currency mining at a datacenter near Seattle. The company also sponsors and hosts the Bitcoin Talk Show, which was launched in June, under a one-year contract with Phoenix North America. The show features local Chinese investors and business owners discussing developments and news in cryptocurrency and blockchain.
CIIX offers a range of intriguing consulting services, information products and web-based tools for investor education, including real-time market commentary, analysis and education in Chinese-language character sets.
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ChineseInvestors.com
