ZUG, Switzerland and NICOSIA, Cyprus, May 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aleph Zero, the highly scalable blockchain platform with zero-knowledge privacy, is delighted to announce a partnership with the University of Nicosia(UNIC), the first university to accept Bitcoin as a form of tuition and first institution to offer master’s degree in blockchain and digital currencies. This collaboration aims to fortify the blockchain ecosystem through research, education, and practical applications. “We are honored to partner with the University of Nicosia, the innovative university leading in blockchain research and education” said Antoni Żółciak, the co-founder of Aleph Zero. “This collaboration is a step forward in our mission to advance blockchain adoption through research and education.”

There are several exciting initiatives that both parties will explore. Firstly, Aleph Zero is proud to provide a research grant to the University of Nicosia. This commitment underscores Aleph Zero's dedication to fostering groundbreaking research within the blockchain sector.

Secondly, as part of the agreement, the University of Nicosia's Distributed Ledgers Research Centre (DLRC) under the Institute For the Future (IFF) will take a significant role in becoming an Aleph Zero validator node, further contributing to the decentralization of the network.

Another significant aspect of this partnership involves the joint effort to design an educational hands-on program for developers. Aleph Zero and the University of Nicosia will jointly work together toward that direction. This move reflects the shared ethos of both organizations – to democratize knowledge and make blockchain technology more accessible and understandable to everyone.

The challenges within the blockchain space are numerous and diverse. For instance, the disparity between the tools and development stacks of various Blockchains/Distributed Ledger Technologies(DLTs) can inhibit the technology's adoption by developers. The partnership between UNIC and Aleph Zero seeks to bridge these gaps.

Through the joint developer program and research initiatives, Aleph Zero and University of Nicosia aim to cultivate an environment where students can thrive, and the blockchain ecosystem can flourish. “The practical implications of this collaboration, UNIC as the validator node, will allow us to directly contribute to the growth of Aleph Zero.” said Dr. Klitos Christodoulou, the Research Manager at the University of Nicosia's Distributed Ledgers Research Centre (DLRC). A series of events, workshops, and research programs will be rolled out. Together, these initiatives will serve as platforms for exchanging knowledge, fostering innovation and promoting engagement within the blockchain community.

For more information about this partnership, please visit www.alephzero.org.

About Aleph Zero

Aleph Zero is a public, permissionless, and leaderless layer 1 blockchain built for use cases focused on optimal security, speed, and scalability. Aleph Zero can also support a variety of privacy-enhanced use cases through its Liminal technology. The goal of the platform is to enable builders from all verticals to benefit from a fundamentally improved distributed ledger design.

About University of Nicosia

The University of Nicosia (UNIC) is a global leader in blockchain education, research, and technological innovation. It became known for being the first university to accept tuition payments in Bitcoin, offer master’s degree in blockchain and digital currencies, and has issued the world's first massive open online course (MOOC) about blockchain that to date has attracted nearly 95,000+ enrollments from 120+ countries. UNIC has also been the first to deliver an on-chain course in the metaverse that amassed over 20,000 registrants. The “NFTs & the Metaverse'' course was honored with the 'Most Exciting Project in Education' award organized by the International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications (INATBA) in 2023.

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