-Jasmine Dyer-

Cousins!

Twitter co-founder and Block CEO Jack Dorsey has recently announced that he will be collaborating with billionaire hip-hop mogul and

Tidal founder Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter to launch a financial literacy program called ‘The Bitcoin Academy!’

The financial education program is intended to help less fortunate communities to reach financial independence with the world’s largest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin.

The program will be free for residents of Marcy Houses, the same Brooklyn housing complex where Jay-Z was raised.

Bitcoin Academy will offer free online and in-person classes from June 22 through Sept. 7. In-person classes will be held two evenings out of the week and all attendants will be served dinner. As stated by TechCrunch, the academy will provide smartphones and MiFi devices, including a one-year data plan, and will give participants a small sum of Bitcoin for educational purposes.

Fox Business confirmed that the curriculum will have lessons such as “What is Money?,” “What is Cryptocurrency?,” “What is Blockchain?,” and “How to Keep Yourself Safe from Scammers,” according to a spokesperson for the program. The billionaires also funded the “Crypto Kids Camp,” a weekend course for ages 5-17, to allow eager children and teens to learn about cryptocurrency.

This isn’t the first time Jay-Z and Dorsey have collaborated. The two entrepreneurs first worked together to create TIDAL, a subscription-based music, video, and podcast streaming service. Last year, the billionaires invested in the further development of cryptocurrency in India and Africa.

Jay-Z announced The Bitcoin Academy on Twitter last week, “The simple goal is to provide people tools to build independence for themselves and then the community around them.”

Shout out to @Jack. #Bitcoin Academy, starting in Marcy, a place that taught me so much, is hopefully the first of many. The simple goal is to provide people tools to build independence for themselves and then the community around them. https://t.co/4uHkCfdFZv

— Mr. Carter (@sc) June 9, 2022

Even though they’re intentions are good, many critics wonder if the academy will benefit the community due to the unpredictable way bitcoin shifts. 

Mr @sc and I are funding The #Bitcoin Academy, a program for residents of Marcy Houses in Brooklyn New York where Jay grew up, designed in collaboration with @CryptoPlug3 and @BlkBTCBillions: https://t.co/hKfq1jqii7

— jack (@jack) June 9, 2022

According to CNBC, the popular cryptocurrency has decreased by 52% in value in the past year, estimating about $21,000 per coin. But the duo are adamant about providing financial education to benefit participants and the economy. Dorsey has also addressed this concern in his June 9th Twitter announcement, “This isn’t just about bitcoin… it’s about long-term thinking, local economies, and self-confidence.”

Cousins, are you here for this?