Ripple Labs recently announced that its University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) has formed more than 45 university alliances in 20 countries and funded more than 1,000 research projects since its inception in 2018.
UBRI, which was launched in June 2018, aims to accelerate academic research, technical growth and invention in blockchain, cryptography, financial technology and digital assets. The initiative has received more than $50 million in funding and provides financial and technical resources for universities and research institutes around the world to study the application of blockchain technology. This includes curriculum development, joint industry research and more.
Since its inception, UBRI has helped introduce or expand 345 courses. It started with 17 universities and quickly expanded its reach by signing up 11 more institutions, including such prominent ones as Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Kansas, the National University of Singapore and Cornell University.
Despite a lawsuit from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in December 2020, Ripple Labs has continued its UBRI programme, creating new alliances and strengthening ties in the education world.
