Step Into the Blockchain Industry
In this panel discussion on December 6th the blockchain event hosted in collaboration with Northeastern University’s Blockchain Organization and the Northeastern Alumni Office, we learned about how to step into this rapidly growing industry.
Hear about working in this unique space from Professor Felipe Cortes, Sydney Rice, S’18, and Toju Ometoruwa, DMSB’16 moderated by Bennett Thompson DSMB’24.
Get in touch with us: https://linktr.ee/NEUBlockchain
Event Recap
What brought you down the blockchain rabbit hole?
Toju: Saw the work in crypto and blockchain in Nigeria
Felipe: purely academic, saw Satoshi’s whitepaper and sparked interests
- Curious students, felt a sense of duty to educate the students
Sydney: tried to understand token-economics and started on the econ side
Utility behind crypto, not just a money-making scheme?
Toju: Crypto à Hedge against inflation, as a way to get access to other stable coins → Especially important in places with hyper inflation
- More adoption of smartphones and the emergence of fintech
- Payments & storage of value
Sydney: focus on involving institutions into crypto and blockchain
Saw the impact of blockchain on retail industry
Create more opportunities — DeFi, Web 3, etc.
- Mining, decentralized identify, and other on-chain stuff
Felipe: want to demystify the concept of blockchain
Knowing the blockchain application
Blockchain course next semester:
- Cryptography, how it works and its applications
- Decentralized finance & its applications
Toju: Horizon à networking of blockchains
Focus on scalability, securely decentralized but scalable at the same time
Someone can run their own blockchains that are interoperable with each other → Full customizable control
Favorite projects?
Sydney: on the brink (castle island ventures) podcast on spotify
- Crypto twitter, twitter spaces
- 2020 trends + future predictions
Felipe: so much information flowing around — how to process info in an efficient way
Toju: started as a blockchain journalist
- Most ppl don’t really start blockchain from the basics
What you’re excited for in the next 5–10 years?
Toju: excited about the metaverse
- Gaming industry + interoperability
Felipe:
1. Cryptography + quantum computing
2. Blockchain payments, especially cross-boarder payments and the adoption in emerging markets
Sydney:
1. Self-sovereignty aspect where you’re able to control your own data
a. Provides access into the blockchain world
b. Relates to metaverse
Advice for students, professionals, and alumni on how they can get involved?
Sydney:
1. You don’t need a background in CS
2. Look into DAO’s
Felipe:
1. Have a basic understanding and move onto the applications
2. Never forget finance behind the blockchain applications
Toju:
1. Write à try explaining the concepts yourself
2. Understand why blockchain/specific projects matter
Thanks for coming to our final event of the FIRST SEMESTER of our organization. We enjoyed all the memories and meeting all of you. We are excited to be growing and disrupting the industry more in 2022. We hope that you continue to join us and help Northeastern become a hub of blockchain innovation and research.
Written by Bennett Thompson & Alyson Liu
