Ethereum Foundation and Columbia University launch blockchain research center

Ethereum Foundation and Columbia Engineering have teamed up to launch a new blockchain research hub to advance the development of blockchain infrastructure and protocols.

Columbia Engineering said in an announcement that the partnership with Ethereum Foundation involves the launch of a research center dubbed the Columbia-Ethereum Research Center for Blockchain Protocol Design.

The Ethereum Foundation will support the initiative with $6 million in funding, with the first three years seeing the organization that is helping build the Ethereum (ETH) network allocating $500,000 annually towards the new Center.

Tim Roughgarden, professor of computer science and blockchain protocol expert, will lead the center’s activities at Columbia Engineering. According to details, the mission is to tap into funding initiatives to advance development of core blockchain infrastructure, with the Center providing opportunities for academic research around blockchain technology.

“We are thrilled to launch this partnership with the Ethereum Foundation to advance foundational principles for blockchain,” said Shih-Fu Chang, Dean of Columbia Engineering. “By bringing together experts from different disciplines and industries, we can lead the development of the groundwork for breakthroughs in this transformative field.”

Strengthening the Ethereum blockchain ecosystem

As well as the $6 million in funding support from the EF, the Center will benefit from a further $1.5 million in philanthropic contributions. Funds will go into operations, competitive research proposals, and postdoctoral fellowships, among other activities and events.

Meanwhile, areas of focus will include computer science, engineering, policy, and economics, with education-focused bootcamps held every summer for junior researchers.

Commenting on the partnership, 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. Through this collaboration, we hope to inspire new ideas and breakthroughs that strengthen Ethereum’s infrastructure and support the growth of the broader blockchain ecosystem.”

The Ethereum Foundation has recently restructured its leadership and operations as it looks to streamline funding support for projects and entities helping to advance Ethereum’s network.

EF paused ecosystem grants applications in August, announced a new roadmap in early Sept. and launched dAI Team, a new group targeted at advancing artificial intelligence adoption on Ethereum.