Early last week, the University of Wyoming (UW) opened the Center for Blockchain and Digital Innovation, joining a handful of universities in the US dedicated to the nascent fintech industry.
Studies at the center will be connected to UW’s colleges of Business; Engineering and Applied Science; Agriculture and Natural Resources; and Law. The center is working to establish an undergraduate minor by the fall semester of this year and the university will be offering technical graduate certificates as well as a joint law and master’s degree in the future.
“This new center supports three of the four pillars we’ve established to guide the university: being more computational, interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial,” UW President Ed Seidel said.
Steven Lupien, adjunct professor of finance and the center’s director, explained in the university’s announcement that blockchain will likely have a massive impact on how future businesses and consumers operate in the same way the internet did at the turn of the century.
Construction of Blockchain Lab Completed
Apart from the construction of the center, UW also established a blockchain laboratory in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. This was made possible by a $500,000 gift paid in ADA cryptocurrency by leading tech company IOHK, a gift which was later matched by the state to total $1 million.
The blockchain laboratory will be used in cooperation with UW corporate partners.
Wyoming Intent on Growing With Crypto
Wyoming is one of the most active states in developing the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry. It previously passed legislation to create a regulatory environment for the emerging industry and on diversifying the state’s economy.
Overall, Wyoming has 13 laws dedicated to providing regulatory clarity for the industry. It is the only US state thus far that has exerted extensive effort towards the creation of a legal framework for blockchain.
