Ethereum Foundation and Columbia University Launch Blockchain Research Center
The Ethereum Foundation and Columbia University have partnered to create a new research center in New York. The Columbia-Ethereum Research Center on Blockchain Protocol Design will focus on advancing blockchain infrastructure. It will also promote interdisciplinary research opportunities.
The center is hosted at Columbia Engineering and led by Tim Roughgarden, a well-known blockchain protocol expert. Its goal is to develop blockchain’s “infrastructure layer,” often described as a global “computer in the sky.”
The Ethereum Foundation confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that it will match up to $500,000 in annual donations for the first three years to support the center.
Funding and Strategic Goals
Columbia Engineering announced that the Ethereum Foundation will provide up to $6 million in funding. Philanthropic donations may add another $1.5 million.
The center will support fellowships, research grants, and industry residencies. It will connect Columbia’s faculty and students with leading researchers from academia and industry.
Hsiao-Wei Wang, co-executive director of the Ethereum Foundation, said, “Ethereum has always been about exploring what decentralized systems can enable, and research and education are essential to strengthening that foundation.”
Columbia Engineering Dean Shih-Fu Chang added, “By bringing together experts from different disciplines and industries, we can lead the development of the groundwork for breakthroughs.”
Programs to Foster Innovation and Education
- The center will offer graduate fellowships and competitive research proposal calls.
- It will host an annual summer bootcamp for junior researchers.
- The center will expand Columbia’s Digital Finance Seminar Series.
- It will co-host the Columbia Cryptoeconomics Workshop, a major event for scholars and practitioners.
Tim Roughgarden said, “The initiative will secure Columbia’s status as a global leader in the field of blockchain protocols and their applications.”
This partnership combines funding with deep research to shape the future of blockchain technology.
