Securing the Blockchain Built for Education

College DAO and Open Campus are excited to unveil the Open Campus University Validator Program, a pioneering initiative that represents a significant leap in our mission to bridge the gap between students and the blockchain industry.

Since our inception in 2022, we've consistently taken steps to drive deeper engagements between academia and the rapidly evolving world of blockchain technology. While we've successfully organized various events, hackathons, and hacker houses - the traditional pillars of tech community building - we believe it's time to push the boundaries even further.

The Open Campus Validator Program embodies this push, offering an unprecedented opportunity for students to gain hands-on, real-world blockchain experience.

This program will enable participating university clubs from across the globe to operate Principal nodes on the EDU Chain, providing them with the chance to contribute to a live blockchain network while earning network rewards and gaining practical knowledge in node operations, network security, and blockchain governance.

Program Overview

Over the coming months, some of the most engaged blockchain clubs in our network will collaborate with the Open Campus team to become Node operators. The program is structured to provide a comprehensive learning experience, focusing learning about and operating Principal Nodes - the validator nodes on the EDU Chain responsible for safeguarding the network by verifying the authenticity of transactions before they are confirmed to the chain.

The program is divided into three distinct phases:

1. Education Phase:

   • Connecting and onboarding student clubs and universities in our network.

   • Hosting workshops that delve into the intricacies of Principal Nodes.

   • Preparing participants for the practical aspects of node operation.

2. Testnet Phase:

   • Hands-on experience running testnet operations.

   • Simulating real-world scenarios to build practical skills.

   • Troubleshooting and optimizing node performance in a safe environment.

3. Mainnet Phase:

   • Distribution of unique NFTs to qualified participants, serving as digital credentials for node operators.

   • Configuration of nodes for mainnet operation.

   • Deployment of nodes on cloud platforms or university data centers.

   • Real-time monitoring and management of live blockchain operations.

A Synergistic Partnership

Open Campus is a decentralized platform tackling key challenges in the education sector. At its core, it's an ecosystem connecting learners, educators, content creators, and educational institutions, enabling innovative collaboration and value creation through blockchain technology. Beyond its role as a platform, Open Campus fosters a community that facilitates meaningful interactions and exchanges to improve outcomes for all stakeholders in the education sector.

EDU Chain, the first decentralized blockchain for education built by Open Campus, is designed to onboard real-world educational economies to blockchain. It creates an ecosystem of decentralized applications to establish an innovative "Learn Own Earn" model for education. This model aims to democratize education and empower all participants — learners, educators, and tech innovators — to contribute to and benefit from the future of education.

The partnership between College DAO and Open Campus is a natural synergy, born from a shared vision of transforming education through cutting-edge technology. Open Campus and EDU Chain's mission to create a more equitable, transparent, and efficient educational ecosystem aligns perfectly with College DAO's commitment to building educational infrastructure for frontier technologies.