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The Silicon Valley company Ripple achieved this milestone through its University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI).
Ripple Labs, the California-based company responsible for the Ripple network, has funded over 45 university partnerships and more than 1,000 research projects through its University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) since 2018.
The company highlighted the milestone in a recent tweet, pointing out the initiative’s significance in bolstering blockchain research and the development of blockchain protocols.
Since 2018, #UBRI has funded 45+ university partnerships & supported 1000+ research projects to drive critical blockchain research and development around the globe.
See how UBRI helps develop the next generation of global changemakers. https://t.co/v2qGCBtN9s
— Ripple (@Ripple) April 11, 2023
As part of the broader Ripple Impact program, the University Blockchain Research Institute was launched in June 2018 to support and accelerate academic research, technical development, and innovation in blockchain, cryptography, fintech, and the digital asset space.
The initiative provides financial and technical resources to universities and research institutions worldwide to help them develop curricula, conduct research, and collaborate with industry experts on blockchain technology and its applications. Ripple committed over $50 million to the initiative upon launch.
Notably, the company has funded partnerships with over 45 universities across 20 countries through UBRI. Moreover, up to 345 courses have been introduced or expanded with the initiative, with more than 1,050 blockchain research projects funded so far.
UBRI Continues to Expand
The initiative began with 17 universities back in 2018 but expanded to support 29 different schools in early 2019 after Ripple inked partnerships with 11 more universities, including Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Kansas, the National University of Singapore, and Cornell University, among others.
The United States SEC’s litigation which began in December 2020, did little to hamper the initiative’s expansion, as Ripple continued to make further collaborations despite battling with the financial regulator.
In April 2021, the Silicon Valley company added support for three more universities on three different continents. These universities were Reykjavik University, University of Cape Town and NY University Abu Dhabi.
Ripple’s Footprint in Academia
Ripple’s impact on the academic scene transcends the UBRI program, as the company has continued to ink partnerships and provide funding to help bolster blockchain development and adoption in academia. In April 2022, Ripple became the sponsor of the Carnegie Mellon University blockchain summit.
The company also partnered with the University of Wyoming last May to introduce the “Ripple Blockchain Collaboratory,” which was aimed at providing support for research projects across several departments in the university.