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Students stand outdoors discussing notes and using their phones during a group activity.

Bitcoin and AI: Unlocking the Future of Finance and Technology

Become a Summer Trojan and earn college credit.

Program Overview

“Bitcoin and AI” begins with monetary history and an overview of today’s dollar-based financial system, then explores Bitcoin’s origins and technical components, including public-key cryptography and mining.

Students will learn about AI’s rapid introduction into the global economy — as well as the industries it will disrupt for years to come.

Finally, the course will speculate on the intersection between Bitcoin, stablecoins and government digital currencies in the future.

Three students review notes together outside on campus, one writing on a clipboard.

Key Information

Topics of Study

History of today’s financial system
Origins of Bitcoin and technical components
AI’s industry disruption
Valuation methodologies using data of Bitcoin’s blockchain
The market value of Bitcoin as an asset class relative to the rest of the financial system
Bitcoin’s impact on financial inclusion, energy consumption and the environment

Learning Highlights

Understand how Bitcoin addresses existing problems in the current monetary and financial infrastructure
Grasp the evolution of the international monetary system and our current dollar-based monetary system
Explore Bitcoin’s technical components and network infrastructure
Investigate the breakthrough of AI as a technological force on the global economy
Predict the evolution of AI and how it could change business practices and economic processes
Explore Lightning Network, Bitcoin’s secondary layer of payments and scaling solution
Understand how central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and stablecoins are changing monetary policy and banking payment infrastructure

Requirements

Students must bring their own laptops
Please bring one day’s worth of business casual attire for the JP Morgan field trip. Business formal is also welcome.

Week	Focus	Key Topics	Assignments and Activities
1	Introduction to Finance, Money and Cryptography	Overview of corporate finance; introduction to investment theory and how money works; history of cryptography	Explore the concept of Layered Money, a unique framework for understanding our monetary system.
2	Bitcoin Mechanics and AI’s Impact on the Economy	Understand how Bitcoin works; explore the ways AI is rapidly changing how our economy functions	Take a field trip to JP Morgan to explore a career in finance and the impact AI is having on the global economy.
3	Bitcoin as a Financial Asset and Using AI to Create a Business	Learn all about the Bitcoin market and what drives its price; create a business idea and use AI to help you turn it into reality	“Vibe code” your own website/app and experience a workshop as an entrepreneur.
4	Leadership and Critical Thinking	Present on a Bitcoin/AI-related topic; share your business idea and forecast the future of the global economy and monetary system	Create a final presentation based on a thesis and argue your vision of the future.

Amazing class. [Our professor] utilized his financial and economic knowledge to showcase the importance of Bitcoin along with its protocol and reason for existence.

— USC Summer Programs student participant