Next Big Crypto Innovations Likely to Emerge from College Campuses
Crypto companies often emerge from informal settings rather than traditional environments. A notable example is the Blockchain Education Network (BEN), founded in 2014, which grew to over 160 chapters globally within a year, fostering innovation among student builders.
Key points include:
- Projects from BEN reached peak valuations over $20 billion, including IOTA and Optimism.
- Dropout Capital was co-founded to support young founders acting quickly in the crypto space.
- Many influential crypto founders dropped out of college, including:
- Vitalik Buterin - Ethereum
- Charles Hoskinson - Cardano
- Jed McCaleb - Ripple
- Jesse Powell - Kraken
- Joey Krug - Augur
- Dropout Capital has invested in early-stage projects like Vana and Tenderize.
The crypto sector thrives on urgency and early action, with successful ventures built by founders who take risks ahead of institutional recognition.