Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo have joined Ripple’s University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) per CoinDesk Japan.
The 2018 program now boasts 33 participants including Princeton
University, Carnegie Mellon, and the National University of Singapore,
among others.
Ripple committed $50 million toward the project to develop
blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital network programs. Funds sent to
the Japanese universities will fuel undergraduate, graduate, and PhD
studies. The University of Tokyo will also issue scholarships with the
funds.
“University partners will continue to increase positive awareness of
the transformative impact that blockchain technology will have across
various industries,” SVP of Global Operations at Ripple Eric van
Miltenburg said. “As the industry matures, the academic community plays a
pivotal role in paving the road for innovative companies and
entrepreneurs leveraging blockchain technologies and digital assets.”
Academia continues to play a role in Ripple’s roadmap. The payment
network announced commitments to the Brazilian Universities of São Paulo
and Fundação Getulio Vargas in June
as part of a greater South America investment strategy. At the time,
Ripple reported it was adding two to three financial institutional
partners to RippleNet per week in the region.
Competition for the firm is greater than ever, however. A recent
testing report from dominant financial network SWIFT showed quickening
settlement speeds. Test runs through 17 participants averaged 25 seconds
per transfer. The fastest settlement took all of 13 seconds.
Still, quarterly sales for Ripple’s XRP are on the rise. Ripple’s Q2 numbers
were up 50% with $251.51 million XRP sold. Following inflation
criticisms, Ripple plans on slowing its sales across the board in Q3.
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