FinTech News

4th National HBCU Blockchain and FinTech Conference Agenda (Downloadable) We are pleased to announce the 4th National Blockchain and FinTech Conference, scheduled for October 27 & 28, 2023, in Baltimore, Maryland. The conference brings together academics, industry leaders, and experts to discuss the latest developments and trends in the blockchain and FinTech industries. This year's conference will focus on the critical role of technology in advancing environmental sustainability and the theme of "Digital Transformation and Sustainability" will explore and [...]

Dr. Ali Emdad is the Associate Dean of the Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. He oversees all daily operations in the Graves School and assists the Dean in setting the vision and strategic priorities for the School. He is the Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Blockchain and Financial Technology (The FinTech Center) [...]

Conference Agenda The Annual National HBCU Blockchain and FinTech Conference is the FinTech Center’s premier event for connecting with university leaders, faculty, and students discussing today’s challenges and opportunities, and shaping the future of FinTech education and research. The Annual National HBCU Blockchain and FinTech  Conference, November 06-08, 2022 will provide a forum for the faculty, students, and administrators in the FinTech Center’s HBCU Consortium to hear [...]

You don’t want to miss this! DEMYSTIFYING THE METAVERSE The National FinTech Center at Morgan State University and The Hyperledger Foundation invite HBCU faculty, students, and alumni to attend a four-part webinar series this Summer and Fall. The first event titled The Path to the Metaverse (Visions, History, Orientation & Components) will be a virtual panel discussion on Thursday, July 28, 2022, from 12:00-1:00 pm ET. The panel will feature members of The Hyperledger Foundation Community. You [...]

Build Your Own NFT with Hyperledger Fabric Time: Thursday, March 24 from 11 AM to 1 PM Eastern https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyEegXLrNr4 Thursday, March 31 from 11 AM to 2 PM Eastern https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGXOM3KxDyw For more information...  

Dr. Ali Emdad is the Associate Dean of the Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. He oversees all daily operations in the Graves School and assists the Dean in setting the vision and strategic priorities for the School. He is the Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Blockchain and Financial Technology (The FinTech Center) [...]

HBCU Students Inform the Block Kickstart Students and faculty joined the FinTech Center and Alabama State University for the HBCU Students Inform the Block Kickstart Event on July 16, 2021 After viewing this video, you will better understand the basics of blockchain technology and the issues it raises from the perspectives of philosophy, economics, policy, and law. Outline and discussion board questions are included in the video. [...]

The FinTech Center at Morgan State University is pleased to OFFER FINANCIAL INCENTIVES to Morgan State University's faculty for innovative course modifications to integrate Blockchain into existing courses. To learn how Blockchain could relate to your discipline, join us for an interactive workshop, for faculty of all disciplines, that will raise awareness of use cases for Blockchain and how the technology is transforming every industry. Morgan State University’s own Dr. [...]

Inform the Block (Downloadable Word Doc)  Inform the Block (Downloadable PDF) Are you an undergraduate student enrolled at a Historically Black college and University (HBCU)? Do you know a thing or two about blockchain and financial technology? Then, we have an opportunity for you to HBCU Students Inform the Block and share your knowledge through video. What is Inform the Block, you ask? Good question. Inform the Block [...]

Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett represents the at-large district of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the United States House of Representatives. Plaskett is best known for her understanding of economic development and public-private partnerships. She previously worked at the Justice Department as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division, where she worked on initiatives to increase the number of minority and women attorneys at the Justice Department. [...]

Edwin Aoki is a PayPal Technology Fellow and the CTO of the PayPal’s Blockchain, Crypto, and Digital Currencies (BCDC) unit, where he is responsible for driving sustained growth and innovation in digital asset technology. Previously, he spent nearly a decade as the company’s Chief Architect, tasked with defining the company’s long-term technical roadmap and architecture and advancing the technologies and technologists that have enabled PayPal to become a [...]

Anoop Nannra is the Global Blockchain Segment Leader in AWS’ Partner Organization. Anoop is focused on identifying disruptive technologies and accelerating their adoption through business incubation via co-development, co-innovation, and partnerships. Anoop has a proven track record of leadership in corporations and start-ups, delivering world-class innovations in security, optics, media and entertainment, communications, IoT, and blockchain. As AWS’s Global Blockchain Segment Leader, Anoop is responsible for strategy [...]

Catherine Coley is the CEO of Binance.US, a digital asset marketplace built for easy and secure access to buy, trade, and stake digital assets in America. As a seasoned fintech veteran, Coley comes to Binance.US with combined experience at the crossroads of global capital and cryptocurrency markets. She brings over five years of sales & trading experience from Morgan Stanley Foreign Exchange in Hong Kong and London, combined with her treasury [...]

Cuy Sheffield is the Head of Crypto at Visa, leading the global crypto product team within the fintech product organization. Cuy is a fellow at the Visa Economic Empowerment Institute, a co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cryptocurrencies and a member of the advisory group for the Digital Dollar Project. Before Visa, Cuy worked on business development and partnerships for TrialPay, a fintech [...]

Dr. Oriol Caudevilla works as a Management Consultant at AirHelp, Advisor for a Hong Kong-based FinTech company, ixFintech, Strategic Advisor at a Hong Kong-based WealthTech company, ETFCool, Strategic Advisor at Alpha Bright Asset Management (Hong Kong) Strategic Advisor at ScallopX, Scientific Advisor at the Israeli Blockchain Association, Mentor at R3 (Singapore), Mentor at Cyberport (Hong Kong), FinTech Mentor at F10 Incubator & Accelerator [...]

The Center for the Study of Blockchain and Financial Technology (The FinTech Center) at Morgan State University wants you to join us for  the (Virtual) HBCU Blockchain Research and Innovation Conference 2020 on Friday, November 13th, 2020 from 9:30am to 2:00pm and Saturday, November 14th, 2020 from 10am-2pm. The Virtual HBCU Blockchain Research and Innovation Conference, November 13-14, 2020 will provide a forum for the faculty, students, and administrators [...]

Craig Fischer is an Innovation Program Manager within the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service who is mainly focused on understanding the impact emerging trends and technologies will have on government finance. Craig leads the agency’s blockchain work where he and his team have carried out three proofs of concept over the past three years. Prior to FIT, Craig held positions with a “Big Four” consulting firm, the Chief Financial Officer’s (CFO) [...]

From biased algorithms and cloaked websites to digital redlining and pay-to-play advertising, today’s internet has not only left behind but further oppressed already marginalized communities. What was once a collaborative ecosystem full of possibility has evolved into a network controlled by tech monopolies that benefits only a fraction of the population. In building the Internet Computer — a nonproprietary, decentralized computing platform — the DFINITY Foundation is dedicated to making [...]

The FinTech Center and Binance. US are joining forces to present a pilot project "HBCU Students Battle for the Cryptos" this fall semester. We encourage all HBCU students to participate.  Student participants will receive funds in a Binance. US® wallet*  and use them to trade cryptocurrencies and compete for cash prizes. They will learn about cryptocurrency investing, trading, and portfolio management. First come first serve. Space is limited. Competition [...]

  The FinTech Center presented Jessica Schultzman at The Graves School of Business on Tuesday, October 22, 2019. Dr. Schultzman shared her knowledge of the "criminal activity" that may take place on the blockchain with MSU undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Schultzman is the Bureau Chief -Financial Crimes Unit for the District Attorney's office in Kingston, NY. She specializes in "Big Data", "AI", FinTech and Cryptocurrency. Member of the Blockchain Alliance - an organization of [...]

    The FinTech Center presented Dawn Talbott at The Graves School of Business on Saturday, October 19, 2019 from 9am to 1pm. Dr. Talbott has over 20 years of finance and technology experience. Most recently, Dawn joined the RiskSpan SmartLink Lab where she provides consulting on Blockchain and DLT implementation strategies. Prior to this, she analyzed emerging technical capabilities within the Freddie Mac Single Family Innovation Laboratory and establishing its “BlockLab”. As a FinTech expert, [...]

Brian Estes, CIO and Managing Partner at Off the Chain Capital, has helped finance, build, and mentor 4 blockchain companies whose combined value is over $10B today. Prior to his involvement in blockchain in 2014, Brian was a leading endowment and foundation asset manager, ranking in the top 1/10th of 1% of Morningstar asset managers. Brian has his BA from the University of Illinois and MBA with high honors [...]

Warren Davidson represents Ohio’s 8th Congressional District, serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the Congressional Blockchain Caucus. Congressman Davidson first enlisted in the Army after high school. He was stationed in Germany and witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall. Warren later earned an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated near the top of his class. After the Army, Congressman Davidson [...]

INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL GUIDELINES(Downloadable Word Doc) INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL GUIDELINES(Downloadable PDF) The Center for the Study of Blockchain and Financial Technology at Morgan State University is pleased to announce a competitive initiative to build awareness of and engagement with blockchain and FinTech at HBCUs. The FinTech Center is offering ten (10) competitive innovation grants of $10,000 each for [...]

Hester M. Peirce was appointed by President Donald J. Trump to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was sworn in on January 11, 2018. Prior to joining the SEC, Commissioner Peirce conducted research on the regulation of financial markets at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She was a Senior Counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, where she advised [...]

Richard Johnson founded Texture Capital in 2019 to take advantage of the emerging opportunities in the digital securities space. Texture Capital is in the process of applying to FINRA for broker-dealer registration. Richard’s career spans over 20 years having held senior roles in electronic trading at Societe Generale, Liquidnet, and ITG. Recognizing the revolutionary potential of the technology, Richard pivoted to the cryptocurrencies and blockchain space in [...]

Harry L. Williams serves as President & CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF’s 47 member-schools make up the publicly supported Historically Black Colleges (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) which represent nearly 300,000 students. Dr. Williams has served as President of Delaware State University and held senior positions at the University of North Carolina General Administration, Appalachian State University, [...]

Mr. Jai Singh Arun is a senior technology business executive and he has been driving IBM’s Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and Quantum Computing related innovations, solutions and services business strategy, development and go-to-market execution. He is a co-author of the book “Blockchain for Business” published in April 2019.  Mr. Arun  earned an MBA in Strategy, Marketing and Finance from Kenan-Flagler Business School at University North Carolina, Chapel [...]

Dr. Bina Ramamurthy Recipient of 2019 SUNY Chancellor’s Excellence in Teaching Award, is a Professor of Teaching in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY. She is the creator and instructor of a four-course blockchain specialization on Coursera online platform for a worldwide audience. She has written her own e-book on the technical and business aspects of blockchain, Blockchain in Action. Dr. Ramamurthy provided detailed information and hands-on experience: Building blocks of a blockchain using a live [...]

Our HBCU Blockchain Curriculum Development Institute brought together 45 faculty from over 30 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. They synthesized the latest research, trends, and breakthroughs in the blockchain space by working with mentors, brainstorming and sharing resources.  As a result of the Institute, over 1,000 students will  be taught simultaneously about blockchain and FinTech in the  Spring Semester of 2020. Many thanks to our mentors: Lee Reiners, the [...]

Our Inaugural Annual HBCU Blockchain Summit 2019 attracted 130 faculty and students from more than 30 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The two-day conference included speakers from academia, government, and the private sector.  Participants heard from industry representatives including Conduent, Ripple, Ourobors, LLP, Vanimals and Pundi X. Our keynote speaker was Kevin Werbach, Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at the Wharton School of Business at the University [...]

Morgan State University, March 1, 2018 A panel of national experts presented various perspectives on cryptocurrencies and their underlying technology, the blockchain. The panelists included Aram Barnett, CEO of Alluninate.io; Ms, Portia Burton, blockchain developer; Matthew Green, co-developer of Zerocash and Zerocoin and Johns Hopkins Professor of Computer Science. Yaya Fanusie, a Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, moderated the [...]