With nearly one-third of U.S. adults ages 18-29 reporting that they have bought, traded, or used cryptocurrency, including the topic as part of a personal finance education is becoming more important. But because cryptocurrency seems, well, cryptic, to many, how can you get comfortable introducing it to your students? 

NGPF's Director of Partnerships and Educational Outreach, Yanely Espinal says, “Whether we teach it or not, they will hear about it, and rather than leave them susceptible to misinformation, we should educate them with facts.” Additionally, 64% of U.S. parents would like to see crypto education established in schools.

So where do you begin? 

Consider taking an objective approach to relieve some of the pressure when teaching crypto:

• Focus on informing and educating students so they understand what cryptocurrency is and how it works. Too many people buy cryptocurrency without truly understanding what it is. 
• Get students to think critically about buying cryptocurrency and make an informed decision about whether or not it is the right choice for them and their financial goals.
• Bring some balance to all the hype around buying crypto

This Decision Tree: Are You Ready to Invest in Crypto? (featured in Lesson 4 of our Cryptocurrency Mini-Unit) is a great way to bring a balanced approach to the topic. Asking questions like, “Can you afford to lose the cash you put in?” is a teacher-favorite from this resource! 

Use the Crypto Craze Arcade Game

The newest game in the NGPF Arcade, Crypto Craze teaches students important lessons about the extreme volatility of cryptocurrencies. 

View the game and worksheet.

Complete On-Demand Professional Development

Each of these modules takes about one hour to complete, can be done at any time, and counts for one hour of NGPF Academy credit. 

• Basics of Bitcoin
• Demystifying Blockchain Technology 

Take the Cryptocurrency Basics Certification Course

Certification Courses are NGPF’s most in-depth professional development format, combining 9 hours of live virtual sessions with a 1-hour assessment exam.

Check the next time Cryptocurrency Cert course is being offered

Listen to an NGPF Podcast episode all about cryptocurrency

Araceliz Gomes explains cryptocurrencies

Find all these resources and more in NGPF's Cryptocurrency Mini-Unit!

Check out our Cryptocurrency Mini-Unit for more activities as well as full lessons on the basics of cryptocurrency. 

About the Author

Hannah Rael

As NGPF's Marketing Communications Manager, Hannah (she/her) helps spread the word about NGPF's mission to improve the financial lives of the next generation of Americans.