Blockchain Certificate Program creates a space for new ideas and applications | VTx

With the support of a Go Virginia grant and a gift from Block.one, Virginia Tech’s Department of Computer Science has initiated several projects in the interest of exploring non-fungible tokens (NFT), cryptocurrency and blockchain more generally.

Blockchain acts as a digital ledger, said James Harder, project manager for external engagement at the Department of Computer Science.

“It works like a big interactive spreadsheet, similar to Excel or Google Sheets,” he said. “People have the ability to add things to the ledger, and those changes are accepted into the blockchain by distributed users. And what everyone generally accepts as the record becomes the blockchain.”

The technology is usually associated with things like banking and cryptocurrency, but it has the potential to be used for much more, which is one of the reasons why the department’s new Blockchain Certificate Program is so exciting to Harder.

The Blockchain Certificate Program, launched in the spring semester and offered again in the summer, gives participants—both professionals and mid-career students—the opportunity to better understand blockchain.

“We want participants to have the ability to understand the applications and the basic jargon surrounding the technology,” Harder said. “It is exciting to see students think up inspiring and exciting new applications and ideas. Students gain exposure to NFTs, blockchain ethics, business applications, decentralized autonomous organizations and fintech.

Neal Henshaw, technical director of the Calhoun Honors Discovery Program at Virginia Tech, said he participated in the program this spring to help his students better understand the use cases surrounding blockchain technology.

“When I first heard them mention blockchain, I was confused because like many people I had only associated it with Bitcoin,” Henshaw said. “I had no idea there were other uses for it. So I knew I needed to learn more. I now feel better equipped to help my students see it as a possible solution to one of their problems.”

Nelson Chu, CEO of Kinetic Ventures, was asked to sign on this past summer because the emerging technology has been on the company’s radar for several years.

“I’ve been in the venture capitalist business since 1998, and it’s part of our role to decide what types of companies to invest in,” Chu said. “In this class, there were many interesting applications that I hadn’t thought of before, such as simplifying processes for car loans or raising funds for new businesses. I am very glad I took the class. It was definitely worth the time.”

The program is taught by blockchain industry experts, including James Gatto, a partner at Sheppard Mullin; Greg Lee, Chief Operating Officer at nft42 who graduated in 1994 with degrees in computer science and economics; and John Fields, senior product manager at Capital One.

The Blockchain Certificate Program allows participants who may not necessarily have a computer science background to learn the technologies so they can apply them creatively in new areas such as art, education, business and finance.

Harder said there is growing interest from lawmakers and regulators around the use of blockchain. “They want to explore how this will work, and what will be some of the rules of blockchain. My background is actually in political science, so I’m excited to see where it goes.”

Virginia Tech will offer the Blockchain Certificate Program to both students and professionals in the spring. Visit this page for more information about the program and to register.

Written by Hannah Lee, intern at the Department of Computer Science