Upbit said on Tuesday it will recruit schools through Feb. 13 for participation in the 2026 UP Class Junior programme.

UP Class Junior has had 153 schools and a total of 29,338 student participations over the past four years on a cumulative basis. In a satisfaction survey of teachers at participating schools in 2025, it received a 97 percent rating.

The 2026 UP Class Junior programme will start with 70 middle schools nationwide and add special lectures for third-year high school students after the college entrance exam. It plans to run the programme at 100 schools in total. This is double the scale of the previous year and expands operating regions to Jeolla, following the capital region, Chungcheong and Gyeongsang.

It will also newly introduce a course to develop regional specialist instructors. It plans to select top talent in finance and technology in each region and train them as specialist instructors for UP Class Junior, contributing to the creation of local jobs and strengthening educational infrastructure.

It strengthened participatory content such as an inter-school online quiz competition by combining economic literacy with advanced technology trends such as AI, blockchain and NFTs. It plans to provide snack trucks to top schools and support donations to local communities in the names of participating students.

Lee Seok (오경석), chief executive of Dunamu, said, "UP Class Junior is a companion that helps South Korean teenagers grow into key players who lead the future digital economy." He added, "Going forward, we will continue to fulfill our social responsibilities based on the knowledge and experience Upbit has and take the lead in creating a society with no financially marginalized groups."