Blockchain Collaborative innovates, opens technological doors

Blockchain is defined as a system for recording information that makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack or cheat a system. This is also what makes cryptocurrency work; an example of cryptocurrency is bitcoin.

“Blockchain is a pioneering work in computer science,” said Houston junior Nathan Galindo, who serves as the organization’s co-president and chief of engineering. “It will change the world forever, even though it may not seem that way at the moment.”

Nairobi, Kenya, senior Nathan Hennigh, who serves as the organization’s co-president and chief research officer, said students should develop an understanding of blockchain at a conceptual level, including how it works and why it matters.

“We want to demystify blockchain, to make our club a public education for really anyone with any experience — zero or super experienced,” Hennigh said. “We really see blockchain as the future in pretty much every industry.”

The organization has also set a mission to make the world a better place, according to its website.

“We are realizing our vision by advancing the blockchain community through our passions for research, education and engineering,” the website states.

The organization collaborated with an already existing club at Baylor, the Baylor InfoSec Club, and debuted the rebranding this semester as well.

According to Hennigh, there are meetings every Tuesday, and he and Galindo alternate who leads from week to week.

Hennigh said that when he leads, he explains what blockchain is conceptually, providing a basic understanding of how it works, its applications, how it affects them and what the future looks like.

Conversely, Hennigh said that when Galindo leads, he handles more of the technical side.

“This Tuesday, after we finish our meeting, I’ll be holding a workshop teaching students how to build applications on the blockchain itself using programming languages ​​like Rust and TypeScript,” Galindo said.

Hennigh said he had knowledge of blockchain since high school, but really got into it in late 2020.

Galindo said he was also introduced to blockchain in high school and got even more into it in 2020 while doing an internship where his company did research related to blockchain.

“It told me that blockchain technology is not a fad,” Galindo said. “I had a lot of respect for the presidents of the firm, and it inspired me to do my own research on blockchain technology.”

Hennigh said he also had personal experience with blockchain and it has become important to him because of the impact of his experiences, especially in Eastern Kenya. He said there are about one million people in Kenya who are not officially registered. Hennigh said this means they don’t have access to any government programs or traditional economic systems, which creates many problems.

Cardano, a peer-reviewed blockchain platform, is a testament to the effort with a mission to “bank the unbanked,” Hennigh said.

“They’re trying to give digital identities to everyone in the country, to more easily … give them access to financial systems, either directly through the government or just through the global crypto market,” Hennigh said.

Hennigh said he currently runs a business in Kenya and one of the people he works with has a 20% annual loan – unsustainable for an economy trying to stimulate start-ups and new businesses.

“With access to global financial systems through cryptocurrency … this can be completely eliminated and fair pricing can be easily established,” Hennigh said.

Galindo said the organization likes to keep its doors open to anyone interested in joining.

“We’re trying to bridge that gap in education and awareness,” Hennigh said.

To learn more about the organization and what it does, students can check out Blockchain Collaborative’s Discord.