Jack Dorsey and Jay-Z launch ‘Bitcoin Academy’ in Brooklyn

Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and rapper Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter will fund a Bitcoin education program for residents of Marcy Houses, a public housing complex in Brooklyn where Jay-Z grew up. Dorsey said he thinks Bitcoin can be an important tool in empowering marginalized communities.

Starting this summer, residents of Marcy Houses in Brooklyn will be eligible to receive free Bitcoin education classes as part of a new initiative funded by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and rapper Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter.

Dorsey announced the project, called The Bitcoin Academy, in a series of tweets on Thursday. This isn’t just about bitcoin,” he said, “it’s about long-term thinking, local economies, and self-confidence.”

According to its website, The Bitcoin Academy “aims to provide education and empower the community with knowledge.” The classes were created in partnership with the Shawn Carter Foundation and Cash App, and instructors include Lamar Wilson of Black Bitcoin Billionaire and Najah J. Roberts of Crypto Blockchain Plug. Wilson is active in the crypto community and has spoken about the digital currency on Twitter, The Breakfast Club, and Medium, while Roberts has been featured on CNBC, KBLA, and others.

Classes will be offered online and in person from June 22 through September 7. The program will provide participants with mobile Wi-Fi devices and smartphones to access cryptocurrency tools. A kids program called “Crypto Kids Camp” will also be offered to children and teens at the complex.

The classes will teach residents about Bitcoin, how it works, why they should care, and how they can build their financial future. The initiative hopes to expand to other neighborhoods in the future.

On Thursday, Dorsey said that Bitcoin is “becoming a critical tool for many” in various parts of the world.

“Bitcoin is becoming a critical tool for many in Africa and Central and South America,” Dorsey said on Twitter. “We believe the same potential exists within communities in the US.”

Both Carter and Dorsey are active in the Web3 community. The hip-hop mogul features a CryptoPunk as his Twitter profile picture (PFP), while Dorsey has long been an advocate for Bitcoin and blockchain payments, recently changing the name of his company Square, Inc. to Block.

A year ago, Twitter’s founder had laid high hopes for Bitcoin, saying during a “The B Word” conference: “My hope is that it creates world peace or helps create world peace.”

Back in 2021, Dorsey and Jay also launched an endowment to fund Bitcoin development in Africa and India too.