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By Mariah Bennett | Staff Writer<\/p>\n
The Blockchain Collaborative<\/a>, a student organization, debuted this semester with a mission to help the next generation of innovators develop into both technical and fundamental leaders on emerging technology and information security.<\/p>\n Blockchain <\/a>is defined<\/a> as a system of recording information that makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack or cheat a system. This is also what makes cryptocurrency work<\/a>; an example of cryptocurrency is bitcoin.<\/p>\n \u201cBlockchain is a seminal work in computer science,\u201d Houston junior Nathan Galindo, who serves as the organization\u2019s co-president and head of engineering, said. \u201cIt will change the world forever, even though it might not seem like it at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Nairobi, Kenya, senior Nathan Hennigh, who serves as the organization\u2019s co-president and head of research, said students should develop an understanding of blockchain on a conceptual level, including how it works and why it matters. <\/p>\n \u201cWe want to demystify blockchain, to just have our club be a public education for really anybody with any experience \u2014 zero or super experienced,\u201d Hennigh said. \u201cWe really see blockchain as the future in pretty much every industry.\u201d<\/p>\n The organization has also set a mission to make the world a better place, according to its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are realizing our vision by advancing the blockchain community through our passions for research, education and engineering,\u201d the website reads. <\/p>\n The organization co-opted an already existing club at Baylor, the Baylor InfoSec Club<\/a>, and debuted its rebranding this semester as well. <\/p>\n According to Hennigh, meetings occur every Tuesday, and he and Galindo alternate who leads on a week-to-week basis.<\/p>\n Hennigh said when he leads, he explains what blockchain is conceptually, giving a basic understanding of how it works, its applications, how it affects them and what its future looks like.<\/p>\n Conversely, Hennigh said when Galindo leads, he tackles more of the technical side.<\/p>\n \u201cThis Tuesday, when we get done with our meeting, I\u2019m going to be holding a workshop that teaches students how to build applications on the blockchain itself using programming languages like Rust and TypeScript,\u201d Galindo said.<\/p>\n Hennigh said he had knowledge about blockchain since high school but got really into it at the end of 2020. <\/p>\n Galindo said he was also introduced to blockchain in high school and got even more into it in 2020 while doing an internship in which his firm did research related to blockchain. <\/p>\n \u201cThat told me that blockchain technology is not a fad,\u201d Galindo said. \u201cI had a lot of respect for the presidents of the firm, and it inspired me to do my own research into blockchain technology.\u201d<\/p>\n Hennigh said he also had personal experience with blockchain, and it has become important to him due to the impact of his experiences, specifically in East Kenya. He said there are about a million people in Kenya who aren\u2019t officially registered. Hennigh said this means they don\u2019t have access to any government programs or traditional financial systems, creating many problems.<\/p>\n Cardano, a peer-reviewed blockchain platform<\/a>, is a proof-of-stake with a mission to \u201cbank the unbanked<\/a>,\u201d Hennigh said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re trying to give digital identities to everybody in the country, to more easily \u2026 give them access to financial systems, either directly through the government or through just the global crypto market,\u201d Hennigh said. <\/p>\n Hennigh said he currently runs a business in Kenya, and one of the people he is working with has a 20% annual loan \u2014 unsustainable for an economy trying to spur startups and new businesses. <\/p>\n \u201cWith access to global financial systems through cryptocurrency \u2026 that could be completely eliminated, and fair rates could be easily established,\u201d Hennigh said. <\/p>\n Galindo said the organization likes to keep its doors open for anyone who is interested in joining.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to bridge that gap in education and awareness,\u201d Hennigh said.<\/p>\n To learn more about the organization and what it does, students can check out the Blockchain Collaborative\u2019s Discord<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t(function(d){
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