Bitcoin: Finding the Future of Money

Digging in to find the future of money—cryptocurrency

Looking back, Audel Ochoa wishes he would have hung on to the Bitcoin he had when he was 13. After all, the current value of a single Bitcoin is about 400 times greater than it was five years ago.

However, in the currency that is experience and education, Ochoa is making up for it. After cultivating his interest in finance and cryptocurrency throughout high school—he built his own computer to “mine” for Bitcoin and Etherum cryptocurrencies—he found a way to connect his side hustle to his studies at North Central.

Had I gone to school anywhere else I really don’t think I’d be in this position. On a large campus I wouldn’t have been able to make this connection. We get to know our professors and can tap into their diverse backgrounds and experiences.            - Audel Ochoa, finance and economics

One of Ochoa’s teammates on the men’s wrestling team introduced him to Chetan Chawla, assistant professor of business and entrepreneurship. Chawla has been researching cryptocurrency since 2012 and, with the assistance of Ochoa and other students, is currently exploring how small individual investors can use cryptocurrency to help fund start-up projects.

Students get more excited when they are working on a real project and developing skills within a context that they are interested in. At the same time, they are helping research important questions that we don’t know the answers to. We’ll find out together.                                                                        -Dr. Chetan Chawla, assistant professor of business and entrepreneurship

Ochoa plans to present his findings at North Central’s Rall Symposium for Undergraduate Research. Ochoa and Chawla also led an on-campus informational session about cryptocurrency.