1/ University of Nicosia 2013: Accepted BTC for tuition 2014: First university course & degree on cryptocurrency TODAY: The first 100% on-chain university course "Introduction to NFTs and the Metaverse" co-led by @George Giaglis and @6529

2/ First, the amazing team that has gathered for this course. The leads are: Prof @George Giaglis who has been teaching/researching crypto since 2011 () @6529, the master of educational threads in the NFT and metaverse space And 30+ more guest / panelists to the course so far!

3/ In generative art, we have 4 legends joining us, each of whom are pushing the frontiers of contemporary generative art. @Erick / Snowfro / 🔱 / 🦩 / LAO / #️⃣ / 🔴 @Tyler Hobbs @Dmitri Cherniak @Matt DesLauriers

4/ From the world of 1 of 1 art, we have another set of extraordinary artists joining, each with unique stories, journeys and perspectives on their artistic accomplishments. @beeple @Claire Silver 🌸 @Reuben Wu @Drift

5/ From the world of PFPs, we will hear from @Garga.eth, the co-founder of @Yuga Labs, the dominant PFP universe, and a leading proponent of commercial rights NFTs We will also hear from @4156 ⌐◨-◨, a CC0 theorist and co-founder of nouns

6/ For a more historical perspective, we have two deeply respected writers, artists, collectors and founders joining. @Artnome - Bird and Worm Society @Misan Harriman

7/ From the venture capital side, we have some of the world's leading venture capital and web 3 investors sharing their perspectives on this rapidly changing space @Fred Wilson @cdixon.eth @KΞVIN R◎SE (🪹,🦉) @Thomas bailey

8/ From the traditional art side, we have @Michael Bouhanna and @Sebastian Fahey joining from @Sotheby's to share how NFTs interact with traditional art marketplaces

9/ On the metaverse side, @Yat Siu, the Chairman of @Animoca Brands has vast experience as an investor in many of today's leading metaverse platforms. We will also have @rayan ᴏɴᴄʏʙᴇʀ tell us how he is building towards an open metaverse

10/ In the broader ecosystem, @Aaron Wright will teach us about DAOs (he is a professor!), @Keith A. Grossman ⏰ will explain how Time Magazine is integrating Web 3 concepts, @Jeff Bandman will talk about regulatory matters and @Michael J. Casey will cover the space at large

11/ On the collector side, @Bharat Krymo, @batsoupyum, @AC and @VonMises can share what has made them successful collectors of NFTs, each with their different styles, and how they see the field evolving.

12/ @gmoney.eth will tell us about his journey into NFTs and how NFTs may impact the fashion business. @bonafidehan.eth 🔟 ⬛ can share how @Deca 🟥 🟪 🟩 ⬛ is trying to build a social network based on art appreciation

13/ Last but not least, we cannot wait to see @Balaji Srinivasan and @6529 explore the intersection of the network state and the open metaverse (And there are a few more guests that might also join)

14/ We are immensely grateful to the instructors and guests who agreed to join this course. This is an extraordinary set of people, at the heart of the space and community, and we all are looking forward to learning from them.

15/ Now, what do we mean "100% on-chain?". We were challenged by @6529 to see if we could it and we think we can. a) you join the course by minting a free NFT b) classroom teaching will be in @OM c) we are working to see how we can do exams on-chain

16/ The course is free to join and attend. For the students who pass the exam and would like a certficate of completion from @University Nicosia, there will be a fee of 0.25ETH. The certificate will, of course, be an NFT. (We have been putting degrees on chain since 2014)

17/ As we mentioned at the beginning, we have been accepting crypto since 2013. In this case, this course is not "crypto accepted" but "crypto required". We believe students have to live the practical experience of being able to operate in an NFT environment.

18/ The course page is here: https://www.unic.ac.cy/openmetaverse/mooc-nfts-metaverse/… The start date is October 3. To join, you just need to mint a free NFT here: https://mint.unic.ac.cy/… and watch this account for announcements

19/ If you do not know how to mint an NFT, there is a free pre-course here starting September 12th to teach you how to do that. For that course, you sign up the traditional way. https://www.unic.ac.cy/openmetaverse/ethereum-starter-course/…

20/ We also offer an MSc in Blockchain and Digital Currency https://www.unic.ac.cy/blockchain/msc-digital-currency/… and an MSc in Computer Science with a Blockchain concentration https://www.unic.ac.cy/blockchain/msc-in-computer-science/… And hopefully an MSc in Metaverse Systems by Spring 2023

21/ We cannot wait to start this course. We think it is going to be a historical course, both in how it is delivered and both in terms of the caliber of instructors, a special moment for NFTs, the metaverse and academia. We hope to see you soon!