The University of Lynchburg School of Business and Economics will host a panel discussion, “Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies — Your Questions Answered,” at 3:30 p.m. Monday, February 26, in Room 232 of Elliot and Rosel Schewel Hall. The public is invited, admission is free, and refreshments will be provided.
Two University of Lynchburg professors, Elmer Hoeksema and Dr. Michael Schnur, will answer questions about Bitcoin and crypto, or digital, currencies, including: What is Bitcoin? How does it work? Who uses Bitcoin? Can I make my own digital currency? How long will Bitcoin be around?
Hoeksema is co-director of Lynchburg’s Graduate Certificate Program in Cybersecurity, which was launched this past fall. He was an early investor in Bitcoin and has years of real-world experience in cybersecurity and the intersection of digital technology and commerce. He also is involved in developing a recently approved major in information technology with a strong cybersecurity focus.
Dr. Schnur, a professor of economics at Lynchburg, teaches classes on money and banking, among other topics. Prior to his career in academia, he worked in law enforcement and specialized in money laundering investigations.
Dr. Gerald Prante, assistant professor of economics at Lynchburg, said he suggested the College host the panel discussion after getting repeated questions from his students about Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.
“This has been in the news a lot recently and students have been asking about it: what it is, how it works, whether they should buy, etc.,” he said of Bitcoin which, as of February 20, had a value of about $11,000 per Bitcoin. “I remember, back in 2013, a few students actually asking about it. Hopefully, they bought then and sold it when it was at $18,000.”
