The University of Hong Kong has officially announced that tuition fees can now be paid with Bitcoin!

Breaking news! The University of Hong Kong has just dropped a financial bombshell: its Business School has officially announced it will accept Bitcoin for tuition and donations. This marks the official entry of cryptocurrency into the traditional higher education system, accelerating the global adoption of Bitcoin.

This decision is no accident. According to Bitcoin Archive, the University of Hong Kong's Business School has become one of the first top financial education institutions in Asia to accept Bitcoin. Notably, HKU, ranked 17th in the world in the 2025 QS World University Rankings, is known as the "Asian Ivy League," and its Business School is a cradle of financial elites.

This public embrace of Bitcoin has far greater symbolic significance than simply being a payment method. It strongly suggests that Bitcoin is gradually shedding its purely speculative image and gaining recognition from mainstream institutions.

According to the official website, tuition fees for non-STEM majors at HKU for the 2025 academic year are approximately HK$198,000, while those for STEM majors are approximately HK$218,000.

Based on Bitcoin's current price of approximately US$97,852 (HKD 760,000), non-STEM tuition costs are equivalent to approximately 0.26 BTC. However, due to Bitcoin's high price volatility, students and parents should carefully choose their payment strategies—whether to buy low or directly use their existing Bitcoin holdings to complete transactions.

This trend is driven by the continued influx of institutional funds into Bitcoin. Since the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved a Bitcoin spot ETF in 2024, financial giants such as BlackRock, Fidelity, and Vanguard have all invested in it.

The convenience of ETFs has greatly stimulated market demand, driving up the price of the cryptocurrency—BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust has surpassed the largest gold ETF in terms of size. Currently, Bitcoin's total market capitalization has reached approximately US$1.92 trillion, surpassing silver to become the world's eighth-largest asset, and its influence is no longer negligible for traditional institutions.

Du Gankun, Chairman of the Hong Kong Investor and Financial Education Council, stated that stablecoins can significantly reduce cross-border payment costs, which is particularly beneficial for international students.

Compared to cryptocurrency-collateralized stablecoins, fiat-collateralized stablecoins offer lower volatility and clearer applications. While the University of Hong Kong isn't the first university globally to accept Bitcoin, this move further solidifies the growing trend of cryptocurrency payments.

Bitcoin's scarcity and decentralized nature align perfectly with the mission of higher education institutions to pursue long-term value and explore cutting-edge technologies. Furthermore, as blockchain is an emerging discipline, HKU's move represents both a payment innovation and a practical response to fintech education. BitMine Chairman Tom Lee believes Ethereum will be one of the most critical macro assets of the next decade, as Wall Street is reshaping financial infrastructure based on blockchain.

Stablecoins are the starting point for asset on-chain transactions, and artificial intelligence will further drive the development of the token economy. However, he emphasized that "Bitcoin remains the best store of value," a view increasingly shared by institutional investors.

Imagine scenarios where students pay tuition instantly via the Lightning Network, alumni give back to their alma mater with Bitcoin, and university endowments incorporate Bitcoin into their asset allocations—these scenarios may soon become a reality. HKU's decision is likely to be the starting point for universities around the world to follow suit. As Bitcoin ETFs near $14 billion in net inflows and Bitcoin's market capitalization surpasses silver...

these figures are no longer abstract concepts. The HKU Business School's choice clearly signals that crypto assets are moving from the periphery to the core, transforming from speculative symbols into true payment tools. As future financial elites begin paying tuition in Bitcoin, the prelude to a new era in finance is quietly opening.