With bright blockchain future, Binance picks PHL as first stop of university tour

THE Philippines has a vast potential to become a leading blockchain and “Web3” hub—thanks to the initiative of Binance Academy which chose the country as the first stop of its recently concluded university rounds in Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific Regions.

The learning platform of the world’s blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider, Binance has visited 75 schools across 25 countries worldwide to spread global blockchain and digital-currency literacy, including its awareness.

From April 17 to 20 Binance Academy went to several higher education institutions: the Asian Institute of Management, the National University-Laguna (NUL), Enderun Colleges, University of Batangas and the Far Eastern University, where they met more than 1,000 students and faculty members. Binance Content and Partnerships Manager Adam Smurthwaite led the introductory training sessions on blockchain and cryptocurrency during the said visits.

At NUL, Binance Academy partnered with Yield Guild Games: a decentralized autonomous organization that invests in nonfungible token-gaming projects. It also shared more about Web3 gaming with the attendees. After which, 400 participants teamed up in groups to brainstorm and develop innovative ideas to gamify a learning platform, as the winning team received exclusive Binance merchandise.

The institution has likewise partnered with Enderun Colleges to expand the latter’s educational reach and increase crypto literacy among students and educators. For this visit, the Binance Academy team was joined by representatives from the Department of Information and Communications Technology, as well as the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center.

An alliance with Edukasyon.ph was also established to launch the “Binance Scholar Philippines Web3 Scholarship” program, aimed at increasing educational outreach in the market, and providing opportunities for Filipinos’ broader inclusion in the Web3 industry.

These are just some of Binance Academy’s initiatives for 2023. With its many undertakings, the Philippines has seen significant growth and interest in the Web3 ecosystem, with a proven Web3 and blockchain adoption track record.

“The Philippines is an obvious choice for the first stop of our Binance Academy Asia Tour, as we managed to get enthusiastic responses from our university-partners [through visits and holding] training sessions for their students,” Content and Partnerships Manager Adam Smurthwaite said. “Although nascent, blockchain technology is not foreign to many Filipinos due to the popularity of ‘GameFi’ in the country. By holding this tour, we hope to create a good entry point to Web3 for the younger minds.”

“By working together to build the Web3 infrastructure in the Philippines, we will be able to see more Web3 jobs being created and build a pipeline of local talents,” added General Manager Kenneth Stern of Binance in the Philippines. “This is [a good] time for young people to learn more about the technology, and the values…it can bring.”

The Binance Academy sessions gained positive feedback from university student-attendees. According to them, such learning efforts provide a strong platform for learning and developing knowledge in emerging technologies, as well as open networking opportunities with industry leaders and subject-matter experts. With this in mind, they expressed interest in continuing to join in similar initiatives and applying their newly acquired skills to create an impact on their communities.

“Education drives such as the ‘Binance Academy University Tour’ can help overcome preconceived notions and technological challenges for those who are just getting into blockchain and Web3,” said Timothy Shi, a student at Enderun Colleges.