Student Organizing Blockchain Group

Joshua Howard, a sophomore in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, hopes to organize a University of Arkansas student group around the emerging technology of blockchain.

"The blockchain student organization will be committed to keeping students on the cutting edge of blockchain technology," Howard said. He said he was in the process of recruiting officers for the student organization and was working in collaboration with Mary Lacity, director of the university's Blockchain Center of Excellence, to craft group programs for the fall 2019 semester.

Howard, who is majoring in economics and finance with a minor in management, has put together a survey to gauge student interest. U of A students can fill out the survey.

"We will highlight the pros and cons of blockchain technology, current use cases like cryptocurrencies, the ideas behind core blockchain tech like distributed ledgers so students can use it, and how students will use the technology now and in the future," he said. 

Blockchain applications use technology to replace the functions traditionally performed by institutions, such as verifying identities, making sure accounts are funded before transferring value and attesting to the authenticity of an asset, giving blockchain the potential to make business processes more trustworthy, efficient and secure.