What's the Best Way to Get Into Financial Technology as a Student?

What do you think is the most effective way to get involved in the Blockchain/Fintech space as a student? originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.

Answer by Chris Larsen, CEO and Co-Founder of Ripple, on Quora.

There are so many ways you can educate yourself as a student about the Blockchain/Fintech space. This technology is so new and there are so many great minds working on it that you can still get in almost on the ground floor and teach yourself the basics. There are great books, like Nathaniel Popper's "Digital Gold," or the Tapscotts' "Blockchain Revolution." Start there, get the history and the basics of the technology, and then get involved in one of the community groups where people are actually doing the building on these systems. If you're at a school that has a Fintech club, join it. Look for internships in the space once you've got enough down to compete for one.

It's very early in the Fintech space -- or as we like to call it the Internet of Value -- it's like being a student in 1995 at the dawn of the Internet. You have plenty of time to make mistakes and drive down some dead ends -- as long as you're challenged and are working with smart, hard working people.

That said, the Internet of Value (IoV) has some important differences than the Internet of Information (IoI). Whereas the IoI primarily involved the tech domain, the IoV involves the domains of tech, capital and compliance. As a fintech student, you'll gain huge advantages by gaining experience in all three.

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