Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has donated $4 million worth of USD Coin (USDC) to the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to support the development of a pandemic detection tool. The capital, which equates to roughly 5.3 million Australian dollars, is part of Buterin’s self-described “moonshot anti-COVID effort” dubbed Balvi Filantropic Fund in partnership with the Shiba Inu (SHIB) memecoin project and Crypto Relief. The funds will further support the development of the Shiba Inu Open-Source Intelligence- (OISNT)-based EPIWATCH tool, which utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and open-source data to create early pandemic warning signs. Created by Kirby Institute professor and …

Colin Miles, the newly-appointed CEO of TZ APAC, expects blockchain and Web3 curricula to start becoming an integral part of secondary and tertiary education within the next three to five years. “I would think it’s that classic medium-term, three-to-five timeline,” said Miles. Miles spoke to Cointelegraph after the announcement of TZ APAC’s partnership deal with the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) School of Computing on Tuesday, which will see the Tezos agency supporting the development of the university’s new center for nurturing computing excellence. Miles said: “If you have a dedicated center in NUS, which runs blockchain courses every day …

The world of digital assets saw a significant rise last year. The total cryptocurrency market cap reached $3 trillion, making more people, governments and universities take a closer look at the asset class. The presence of crypto in the world’s major economies has created a big opportunity for diverse startups in the industry, leading to a massive demand for digital assets. This newly born market has helped develop more working and educational opportunities, among other things. Furthermore, some of the world’s top universities and educational institutions including MIT, the University of Oxford and Harvard University, have added pieces of the …

Non-profit organization Cardano Foundation has announced a three-year collaboration with the Blockchain Center of the University of Zurich (UZH BCC) to further research initiatives and explore blockchain education development. Through the partnership, the foundation will work with the Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies (BDLT) Group at the University of Zurich to explore research topics like the efficacy of consensus protocols and analyze attack vectors specific to Ouroboros, among many others. According to Cardano Foundation CEO Frederik Gregaard, the partnership allows the foundation to provide information to UZH BCC to expand the university's knowledge of the Cardano platform and at the …

A debate has surfaced online following claims that Cardano founder and Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson may have fudged the specifics of his educational background. While the issue is a hardly a major scandal, it concerns conflicting reports around whether Hoskinson dropped out of a Number Theory focused PhD program – as he suggested – or if he embellished the story. Crypto journalist and Unchained Podcast host Laura Shin suggested in her new book and on social media that he never finished an undergraduate degree or enrolled for a PhD. The dispute started on March 6 after a Twitter user stated …

The University of Cambridge is collaborating with some of the world’s top banking institutions and private companies to introduce a new project targeting cryptocurrency research. The Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance, or CCAF, has launched a research initiative aiming to bring more insights on the rapidly growing digital asset industry, the CCAF announced to Cointelegraph on Monday. Dubbed the Cambridge Digital Assets Programme, or CDAP, the project is a public-private collaboration with 16 companies including public institutions like the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub and the International Monetary Fund. The initiative also includes banks like Goldman Sachs, financial giants …

Back in October 2021, The Campanile Foundation (TCF), an auxiliary of the San Diego State University (SDSU), accepted its first crypto donation. Now, the university announced that it is welcoming digital currency donations in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH). TCF Chief Financial Officer David Fuhriman said one percent of the total crypto holdings would be withdrawn quarterly to fund campus activities that aim to discover how the university could interact with crypto, such as working on a system that permits broader digital transactions within the university. Meanwhile, the rest of the funds will be converted into BTC and will not …

Bitcoin (BTC), the world’s most-valued cryptocurrency, has replaced gold as an inflation hedge for young investors, according to Wharton’s finance professor. Gold’s performance was “disappointing” in 2021, Wharton School’s finance professor Jeremy Siegel said in a CNBC Squawk Box last Friday. On the other hand, BTC has been increasingly emerging as an inflation hedge among younger investors, Siegel argued: “Let’s face the fact, I think Bitcoin as an inflation hedge in the minds of many of the younger investors has replaced gold. Digital coins are the new gold for the millennials. I think that the story of gold is a …

On Thursday, BitDAO, one of the world's largest decentralized autonomous organizations with over $2.5 billion assets under management, and its partner Mirana ventures announced the creation of EduDAO with eight of the world's top universities including University of California Berkeley, MIT, Harvard and Oxford University. EduDAO is financed by the BitDAO treasury, and will allocate $11 million in funding each year project grants, research, and standalone product development with $33 million in initial capital. The funds will go to academic research for next-generation blockchain and Web 3 technologies. EduDAO is financed by the BitDAO treasury, and will allocate $11 million …

Decentralized finance, or DeFi, has become one of the fastest-growing sectors within the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Data shows that the total value locked (TVL) in all DeFi protocols is now around $130 billion. This is an important metric, as some analysts view TVL as one of the best ways to measure sentiment within the DeFi sector. While growth is apparent, many individuals may still wonder what DeFi is and how it can be applied today. Piers Ridyard, chief executive officer of Radix DLT — a secure decentralized network — stated that DeFi currently only caters to users with sufficient knowledge of …

The Chinese University of Hong Kong has partnered with Ethereum developer ConsenSys to launch the Medoxie COVID-19 Digital Health Passport. Blockchain-based, this new product could help healthcare workers combat the pandemic. The passport utilizes blockchain technology to record a patient’s COVID-19-related events — including test results, temperature checks and vaccinations — to provide a safe pathway to full economic reopening post-pandemic. Information held on the passport is said to be stored securely and privately. Initially, the digital passport will be accessed by medical professionals and academics within Hong Kong’s healthcare industry, paving the way for a new mobile app that …

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the need for candidates specializing in cryptocurrency and blockchain has become more apparent than ever before. This could be attributed to the fact that major companies are announcing job positions for candidates who are knowledgeable in alternative payments and emerging technologies. For example, global software giant Apple has recently announced plans to recruit a new business development manager with alternative payment experience. Other leading companies, such as PayPal, Venmo and Tesla, have also been seeking out talent with blockchain and cryptocurrency expertise. Colleges ramp up blockchain and crypto courses Several colleges and universities …