In what could be a world first, a billion-dollar blockchain company donated $500,000 in its own cryptocurrency to help fund the new Advanced Blockchain Research and Development Laboratory at the University of Wyoming.
The University of Wyoming Foundation converted the donation to dollars, thanks to new laws on the Wyoming books that allow it to take donations in cryptocurrency. A former donor who tried to give the University of Wyoming a large donation in bitcoin catalyzed and even lobbied for the law changes.
kAm%96 5@?2E:@? 5C6H >2E49:?8 7F?5D 7C@> E96 DE2E6 2?5 C6BF:C65 2 A2CE:2= >2E49 3J E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 (J@>:?8[ 32==@@?:?8 E@E2= 7F?5:?8 7@C E96 =23 E@ >@C6 E92? S`]b >:==:@? @FE @7 E96 82E6] %96 5@?@C[ x~wz[ >@G65 :ED @77:4:2= 9625BF2CE6CD E@ (J@>:?8 7C@> r@=@C25@ :? a_`h 3642FD6 @7 E96 DE2E6’D AC@8C6DD:G6 =2HD DFCC@F?5:?8 E96 H@C=5D @7 3=@4<492:? 2?5 4CJAE@4FCC6?4J]k^Am
kAm“x C62==J =@G6 E92E (J@>:?8 :D ECJ:?8 E@ >2<6 >J =:76 62D:6C 2D 2? 6?EC6AC6?6FC[” x~wz 4@\7@F?56C r92C=6D w@D<:?D@? D2:5 :? 2 a_`h :?E6CG:6H H:E9 (J@>:?8 qFD:?6DD #6A@CE] “%96D6 =2HD 2C6 AC6EEJ 7@CH2C5 E9:?<:?8]”k^Am
kAmx~wz’D >@G6 E@ (J@>:?8 H2D 5@?6 AFC6=J 3J A2A6CH@C<[ 2?5 :E 92D ?@ A9JD:42= AC6D6?46 :? E96 DE2E6[ 56DA:E6 92G:?8 `e_ 4@?EC24E@CD 2?5 6>A=@J66D DAC625 E9C@F89@FE E96 H@C=5 2D @7 a_`h]k^Am
kAm“!2CE @7 E96:C 8@2= :D E@ @A6? 2? @77:46 :? {2C2>:6 – <:?5 @7 2 ‘D<F?<H@C<D’ @A6C2E:@? 96C6 :? {2C2>:6[” D2:5 y:> r2=5H6==[ E96 7@C>6C 4@>AFE6C D4:6?46 56A2CE>6?E 9625 2E &( H9@ H:== 4@\=625 E96 ?6H =23] “qFE 4FCC6?E=J E96:C A6@A=6 2C6 5:DEC:3FE65 =:E6C2==J 2== 2C@F?5 E96 A=2?6E – :E’D :?D2?6] (96? x~wz 2D<65 ‘(9@ H2?ED E@ >@G6 E@ {2C2>:6n’ ?@3@5J C2:D65 E96:C 92?5]”k^Am
kAmu:?5:?8 E649\D2GGJ E2=6?E :D 2? @?8@:?8 AC@3=6> :? CFC2= (J@>:?8[ 3FE w@D<:?D@? 2?5 4@\7@F?56C y6C6>J (@@5 D2:5 :? a_`h E96J A=2??65 E@ @A6? E96 5@@C E@ H@C<:?8 H:E9 &(’D 4@>AFE6C D4:6?46 56A2CE>6?E 2?5 =2E6C :ED 3FD:?6DD D49@@=] %96 32D:4 A=2? 2E E96 E:>6 H2D E@ 4C62E6 E96 E649?@=@8J W2?5 E2=6?EX :? E96 4@>AFE6C D4:6?46 56A2CE>6?E[ E96? =62? @? E96 3FD:?6DD D49@@= E@ 96=A 4C62E6 3FD:?6DD >@56=D E92E 4@F=5 42A:E2=:K6 @? 3=@4<492:? E649?@=@8J]k^Am
kAm“%96J’== 8C@H A6@A=6 @FE @7 E96 &( AC@8C2> 96C6[” r2=5H6== D2:5] w6 DA64F=2E65 E92E E96 4@>A2?J 4@F=5 6?5 FA DE2CE:?8 :ED (J@>:?8 @77:46 :? E96 (J@>:?8 %649?@=@8J qFD:?6DD r6?E6C[ E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 (J@>:?8’D DE2CEFA :?4F32E@C[ 2?5 8C@H :ED DE2E6 AC6D6?46 7C@> E96C6]k^Am
kAm$:?46 x~wz’D A2A6C\32D65 >@G6 E@ E96 r@H3@J $E2E6[ E96 4@>A2?J’D >2C<6E 42A 7@C :ED :?\9@FD6 4CJAE@4FCC6?4J[ p52[ 92D 8C@H? 23@FE `a]dT E@ S`]bd 3:==:@?]k^Am
kAm~A6?\D@FC46 4@==23@C2E:@?k^Am
kAm%96 8:7E E@ &( @A6?D FA 2 ?6H <:?5 @7 4@==23@C2E:@? 7@C E96 F?:G6CD:EJ] |2?J DF49 8:7ED 4@>6 H:E9 >2DD:G6 DEC:?8D 2EE24965 E92E 6DD6?E:2==J >2<6 E96 F?:G6CD:EJ 2 E2=6?E 76656C E@ E96 8:G6C @7 E96 8:7E[ r2=5H6== 6IA=2:?65] (9:=6 E9:D 4@==23@C2E:@? H:== 5@ E92E ?2EFC2==J 2?5 A6C92AD AFD9 2 A9JD:42= AC6D6?46 :? (J@>:?8[ 2== E96 C6D62C49 H:== 36 @A6?\D@FC46[ >62?:?8 :E H:== 36 2446DD:3=6 E@ 2?J 4@>A2?J E92E 42? D66 2 H2J E@ AC@7:E 7C@> :E]k^Am
kAm“%96 :?E6==64EF2= AC@A6CEJ :D 2D :7 J@F H6C6 H@C<:?8 @? 2 7656C2= 8C2?E[ 7@C :?DE2?46[” r2=5H6== D2:5 @7 E96 2CC2?86>6?E[ 42==:?8 :E 2 A6C764E 7:E] “xE >2<6D :E 4=@D6C E@ E96 24256>:4 >@56= @7 C6D62C49] xE’D 2== :? E96 AF3=:4 5@>2:?[ 2?5 :E’D 7C66 7@C 2?J@?6 6=D6 E@ FD6]”k^Am
kAmr2>6C@? (C:89E[ :?E6C:> 562? @7 E96 r@==686 @7 t?8:?66C:?8 2?5 pAA=:65 $4:6?46[ H6=4@>65 E96 4@==23@C2E:@? :? 2 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am
kAm“%9:D 8:7E H:== 6?23=6 DEF56?ED 2?5 724F=EJ 24C@DD >F=E:A=6 56A2CE>6?ED :? E96 4@==686 E@ H@C< E@86E96C H:E9 x~wz E@ AFD9 E96 6?G6=@A6 @? 3=@4<492:? E649?@=@8J[ :?4=F5:?8 D@7EH2C6[ 92C5H2C6 2?5 ?6H 3=@4<492:? 2AA=:42E:@?D[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmr2=5H6== D2:5 E96 C6D62C49 H:== =6G6C286 9:D E96@C6> AC@G:?8 2?5 D@7EH2C6 G6C:7:42E:@? E@ AC@G6 E96 2=8@C:E9>D 2?5 AC@E@4@= H9:=6 C6=J:?8 @? 9:D 4@\=625[ |:<6 q@C@H4K2<[ 7@C :?4@CA@C2E:?8 2?5 AC@G:?8 92C5H2C6]k^Am
kAmq@C@H4K2< :D 2? 2DD:DE2?E AC@76DD@C :? E96 4@>AFE6C D4:6?46 AC@8C2> H:E9 D:>:=2C 6IA6CE:D6 :? 3=@4<492:? E649?@=@8J[ 3FE >@C6 6IA6C:6?46 @? E96 92C5H2C6 D:56] %96 A2:C H:== H@C< E@ 6IA2?5 E96 F?:G6CD:EJ’D 6IA6CE:D6 H:E9 G:D:E:?8 724F=EJ >6>36CD 2?5 E2=6?E65 !9]s] 2?5 A@DE5@4E@C2= DEF56?ED[ 2?5 6G6? F?56C8C25 C6D62C496CD]k^Am
kAm%96 C6D62C49 H:== =:<6=J 7@4FD 2C@F?5 :?E68C2E:?8 3=@4<492:? E649?@=@8J E@ D@=G6 H@C=5 AC@3=6>D] x? 9:D a_`h :?E6CG:6H H:E9 E96 qFD:?6DD #6A@CE[ w@D<:?D@? C676CC65 E@ 9:D p52 4CJAE@4FCC6?4J 2D 2 “E9:C5\86?6C2E:@? 4CJAE@4FCC6?4J[” H:E9 3:E4@:? 36:?8 E96 7:CDE[ 2?5 tE96C6F> H:E9 :ED AC@8C2>>23:=:EJ 36:?8 E96 D64@?5] w@D<:?D@? 4@\7@F?565 tE96C6F>[ 3FE =67E @G6C 2 A9:=@D@A9J D9:7E 2E E96 4@>A2?J]k^Am
kAmw:D E9:C5\86?6C2E:@? 4CJAE@4FCC6?4J 2?5 @E96CD[ 96 D2:5[ 2C6 4@?46AEF2=:K:?8 H2JD E@ H@C< H:E9 6DE23=:D965 DJDE6>D 2E D42=6 E@ 364@>6 E96 “7:?2?4:2= @A6C2E:?8 DJDE6> 7@C A=246D E92E 5@?’E 92G6 :E]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 x~wz’D AC@;64ED 5@?’E 2=H2JD D6CG6 E9@D6 :562=D – @?6 562= AFE 2 =:?6 @7 }6H q2=2?46 D9@6D @? E96 3=@4<492:? D@ E92E 2 D:>A=6 D42? H:E9 J@FC A9@?6 H@F=5 C6G62= :7 :E H2D 2 <?@4<@77 @C C62= – >2?J AC@;64ED 5@]k^Am
kAmr2=5H6==[ H9@ H:== 36 CF??:?8 E96 &( =23[ A@:?E65 E@ 2? x~wz AC@;64E :? E96 p55:D p3232[ E96 42A:E2= @7 tE9:@A:2]k^Am
kAm“%96J 3F:=E 2 DJDE6> E96C6 E@ =6E A6@A=6 A2J E96:C 6=64EC:4 3:==D FD:?8 2 D>2CE 42C5[” 96 D2:5] “q67@C6 E96J 42>6 :? 2?5 3F:=E E9:D E9:?8[ :E H@F=5 E2<6 2?J@?6 6:89E 9@FCD E@ A2J E96:C 6=64EC:4 3:==] %96J’5 92G6 E@ 8@ E@ E96 32?< 2?5 86E 42D9[ 2?5 >2J36 E96 32?< 5:5?’E 92G6 42D9[ D@ E96J’5 8@ E@ 2?@E96C 32?< E@ 86E >@C6 42D9] %96? E96J 925 E@ DE2?5 :? =:?6 2E E96 6=64EC:4 4@>A2?J] }@H E96J 5@ :E H:E9 E96:C A9@?6D]”k^Am
kAmp?5 E92E’D ;FDE E96 DE2CE @7 7FEFC6 2AA=:42E:@?D 7@C 3=@4<492:? E649?@=@8J E92E 4@F=5 DAC:?8 @FE @7 &( 2?5 3@=DE6C (J@>:?8’D E649?@=@8J D64E@C]k^Am
kAm“x7 J@F =@@< 2E :E – 5@F3=6\6?ECJ 3@@<<66A:?8 H2D :?G6?E65 :? E96 C6?2:DD2?46[” r2=5H6== D2:5] “x’G6 4=2:>65 E9:D :D 7:CDE D:8?:7:42?E E649?@=@8:42= 25G2?46 @? 5@F3=6 6?ECJ 3@@<<66A:?8 – 2 5:DEC:3FE65 =6586C :D G:CEF2==J :>A@DD:3=6 E@ 8@ 324< 2?5 492?86 6?EC:6D :? :E] %92E’D 2 AC6EEJ G2=F23=6 E@@= E92E 42? 36 FD65 :? 2 =@E @7 2AA=:42E:@?D H96C6 J@F 92G6 >F=E:A=6 A2CE:6D 2?5 D@>6 <:?5 @7 28C66>6?ED H96C6 E96J >2J ?@E ECFDE 6249 @E96C 4@>A=6E6=J]”k^Am