Binance Academy Lessons • Free • Self-Paced
Preparing for the Digital Economy
Learn the basics of crypto, blockchain, Web3, security, Bitcoin, trading concepts, and digital assets through lessons adapted from Binance Academy with permission.
People in prison do not have access to the internet. Yet the world they will return to continues changing through technology, digital finance, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and new forms of online commerce.
Through support from Changpeng Zhao, “CZ,” founder of Binance, Prison Professors is building this learning section to help people in custody develop a stronger understanding of the digital economy.
- •These lessons do not provide financial advice.
- •They do not encourage speculation or risky investing.
Intro video with Michael Santos & CZ coming soon
Why Digital Economy Education Matters
The economy changed rapidly over the past two decades. Smartphones, digital wallets, online banking, blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, and Web3 have changed how people communicate, work, save, build businesses, and exchange value.
For people preparing for release, these changes can feel overwhelming. A person may hear words like Bitcoin, blockchain, crypto wallet, private key, seed phrase, stablecoin, NFT, DeFi, or smart contract without knowing what those words mean.
This learning section gives students a place to begin.
Knowledge does not guarantee success, but it can help a person ask better questions, avoid preventable mistakes, and prepare more responsibly for life after prison.
Bringing Digital Literacy to People in Custody
Prison Professors creates self-directed learning resources for people before, during, and after prison. We encourage every participant to use time inside to build a record of preparation, discipline, accountability, and growth. We provide all learning resources to members of our community without charge to institutions or people serving their sentences.
Binance Academy publishes educational resources that help people learn about crypto, blockchain, and the digital economy. People in prison may not have access to the internet, but they may have access to courses from Prison Professors.
With authorization from CZ, Prison Professors will publish lessons based on educational materials prepared by Binance Academy. Members of our community may access these lessons, even though they do not have access to the internet. On our website, each lesson provides a link to the original article published on Binance Academy.
This collaboration helps us bring digital literacy to people who would otherwise be excluded from these conversations.
We believe education should reach people where they are. For people in prison, that means creating lessons they can read, study, discuss, and use to prepare for the next phase of life.
Start Learning
Choose a category below to begin building your understanding of the digital economy. Each section includes lessons adapted from Binance Academy and written in plain language for people who want to learn step by step.
Start Here: Crypto Basics
Learn the vocabulary and core ideas behind crypto, blockchain, Web3, digital assets, and decentralized finance. This section introduces the foundation — students will learn what cryptocurrency is, how blockchain works, how the internet evolved, why people talk about decentralization, and how basic crypto terms fit together.
Best Used For:
- •Learning basic crypto vocabulary
- •Understanding blockchain and decentralization
- •Building confidence before studying Bitcoin, wallets, security, or trading concepts
- •Preparing to document digital-literacy growth on a Prison Professors profile
Video coming soon
Bitcoin
Understand Bitcoin, how it works, why it became important, and how it changed conversations about money and technology. This section explains Bitcoin in clear terms — students will learn how Bitcoin started, how transactions work, what makes Bitcoin different from traditional financial systems, and why concepts like halving, forks, and limited supply became part of the digital-economy conversation.
Best Used For:
- •Understanding the first widely known cryptocurrency
- •Learning how Bitcoin transactions work
- •Studying decentralization, scarcity, and network security
- •Building digital-economy literacy without financial speculation
Video coming soon
Wallets and Security
Learn how people store digital assets, protect private information, and recognize scams or online risks. Security is one of the most important parts of digital literacy — this section teaches students about crypto wallets, custody, hot wallets, cold wallets, public keys, private keys, seed phrases, phishing, account takeovers, rug pulls, and other risks.
Best Used For:
- •Understanding wallets, custody, and private keys
- •Learning why seed phrases must be protected
- •Recognizing scams and fraud attempts
- •Developing safer online habits before reentry
Video coming soon
Crypto Types and Blockchain Tools
Explore different digital assets, blockchain networks, tokens, smart contracts, NFTs, stablecoins, staking, and other tools in the crypto ecosystem. Not all digital assets serve the same purpose — this section helps students compare categories of crypto assets and blockchain tools including Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Polygon, Avalanche, and VeChain.
Best Used For:
- •Comparing different types of crypto assets
- •Learning how tokens and blockchain networks may function
- •Understanding smart contracts, NFTs, stablecoins, and staking
- •Building broader awareness of the digital economy
Video coming soon
Trading Concepts and Risk
Learn common market terms, trading vocabulary, volatility, technical-analysis concepts, and risk-management principles. This section introduces trading-related ideas for educational purposes only — students will learn terms such as market orders, limit orders, candlestick charts, support and resistance, volatility, dollar-cost averaging, position size, and risk-reward ratio.
Best Used For:
- •Learning market vocabulary
- •Understanding volatility and risk
- •Recognizing the difference between education and speculation
- •Preparing to make more informed decisions after release
Video coming soon
How to Use These Lessons
Students should approach these lessons as a starting point. The digital economy includes opportunities, but it also includes risks. People who lack knowledge may become vulnerable to scams, hype, or poor decisions. People who study carefully can ask better questions, recognize warning signs, and prepare for more responsible participation after release.
We encourage every student to:
- 1Read each lesson carefully.
- 2Write down unfamiliar words.
- 3Complete the reflection questions.
- 4Connect each lesson to a personal release plan.
- 5Use Prison Professors Profiles to document learning.
- 6Ask how this knowledge could support employment, entrepreneurship, family stability, or safer decision-making after release.
Learning does not require money. It requires time, attention, discipline, and a willingness to grow.
Document What You Learn
At Prison Professors, we teach that people should build records that show preparation. A person who studies these lessons can do more than learn new vocabulary. That person can create written work that shows discipline, curiosity, and commitment to a better future.
After each lesson, students can strengthen their profiles by writing:
- •Journal entries about what they learned.
- •Lesson reports that summarize key ideas.
- •Release plan updates explaining how digital literacy may support future employment or entrepreneurship.
- •Reflections on how they will protect themselves from scams and irresponsible decisions.
Education, Not Financial Advice
These lessons are for educational purposes only. Prison Professors does not provide investment advice. Binance Academy lessons help explain concepts, vocabulary, risks, and technology. Students should not interpret these lessons as recommendations to buy, sell, trade, or invest in any digital asset.
The purpose is to help people become informed. A stronger understanding of the digital economy can help people ask better questions, avoid scams, and prepare for the modern workforce.
Prepare for the World You Will Enter
Technology will continue changing the economy. People who prepare will have more confidence when they return to their families, communities, and workplaces.
Start with the basics, then continue building your understanding one lesson at a time.