• Ripple has invested $1 million in the National Fintech Center at Morgan State University to fund education, research and tech advancements as part of the company’s University Blockchain Research Initiative.
• Morgan State joins over 50 other institutions in 26 countries funded by Ripple to push blockchain innovation and education.

Ripple has invested $1 million in the National Fintech Center at Morgan State University as part of its initiative to promote blockchain research and development at leading universities globally.

The California company announced the new partnership on Tuesday, with the Baltimore, Maryland-based university stating that the funding would help it maintain its lead in fintech education and research.

This is not Ripple’s first investment in Morgan State. In February 2019, the company announced a multi-year fintech program at the university, which would include developing new curricula and expanding existing tech and finance courses to encompass blockchain. Morgan State would also be the headquarters of the company’s funding efforts for other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Commenting on the partnership, the university fintech’s founding director, Ali Emdad, described it as a catalyst “that propels our ability to innovate, collaborate, and prepare our students to be at the forefront of the FinTech revolution.”

“This partnership is geared towards equipping a new generation of business thinkers and innovators, ensuring they are well-versed in FinTech and blockchain technologies to meet upcoming industry demands,” added Emdad.

Lauren Weymouth, who spearheads university partnerships at Ripple, pledged the company’s continued support for Morgan State and other universities, stating that it’s rooted in “our vision that blockchain technology is a force for good.”

Weymouth commented:

As crypto and blockchain integrate further into our daily lives, these university partnerships become absolutely essential – we’re empowering the next generation with the tools they need to shape our financial future.

Ripple Shaping the Future of Fintech Through University Partnerships

The partnership with Morgan State is part of Ripple’s University Blockchain Research Initiative, which it launched six years ago. This initiative has seen the company fund over 50 universities in two dozen countries. It has resulted in the formation or expansion of over 600 courses and financed over 1,500 blockchain research projects.

Beyond the cheque, Ripple offers other forms of support for the universities. At Morgan State, it sponsored a student-led hackathon this year, drawing over 150 participants from HBCUs. The event included a workshop on the XRP Ledger, with a sustainability idea offering community-driven incentives emerging as the winner.

Eric van Miltenburg, the senior vice president for strategic initiatives at Ripple, commented:

The appetite for crypto and blockchain knowledge from our next generation is growing, and the HBCUs in the UBRI network are paving the way to ensure that interest is supported. We’re excited to see how Morgan State continues to empower its students and launch ambitious projects that will diversify the XRP Ledger ecosystem for years to come.

With the latest funding, the university will combine blockchain with AI and machine learning, enabling the students to innovate on three of today’s leading technologies.

XRP trades at $0.5099, and while it has gained a measly 1% in the past day, it has managed to stay above the $0.5 level, which offers critical support amid growing anticipation of new developments in the SEC case, as CNF reported.

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