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Virginia colleges are beginning to embrace the idea of blockchain diplomas, as the ECPI University of Virginia Beach has joined a group of early adopters who distribute student titles through the same type of computer networks decentralized powering Bitcoins.
Virginia Tech, meanwhile, is in the early stages of its launch, according to Tech Mark spokesman Owczarski.
The concept behind the technology is virtually unchanged, with the exception of the ECPI which uses the blockchain to emit digital degrees rather than digital currencies.
They are stored in a vast network of computers, with each user checking the transactions from each other user. In this way it is virtually impossible to create fraudulent entries or manipulate the information stored in the blockchain.
So far, technology is better known as the foundation of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, but some tech enthusiasts say that one day it could be used to usher in a new era of computing.
April Price, director of ECPI's academic services, said that the university has loaded more than 1,000 blockchain diplomas since the university collaborated with the launch of the Learning Machine to launch the program in August .
As a backup, the university still offers paper certificates.
But a few weeks after graduation, students are now invited to download an app to request their digital diplomas. Once they have access, it remains in the blockchain forever. Students can post a link to their social media credentials or e-mail them to potential employers.
Because it is stored in the blockchain, employers can verify the diploma without ever contacting the university.
"It's there for life, they never have to call the marital office and order another diploma," Price said. "Students today are used to having things at their fingertips, being able to download it when they need it … This gives students what they want and meets them where they are today with technology."
Chris Jagers, CEO of Learning Machine, says that ECPI is the first university in Virginia to use the startup's commercial platform, but is beginning to gain a foothold in all geographic regions.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was one of the first in a high profile pilot program with Learning Machine last year. More recently, the Republic of Malta, Southern New Hampshire University and Central New Mexico Community College have joined together.
"We are very forward in technology here," Price said. "This is their world now, instead of giving them [students] what they have earned from university terms, we are giving them how they live today and what works today. "
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