"Last December, we signed a memorandum on the implementation of an educational program on blockchain technology in Kazakhstani universities. Today, the teachers are already prepared, and the course will start in universities in September. I would like to thank the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as the faculties, university management, and Binance for supporting this initiative," noted Magzhan Madiyev, the CEO of Astana Hub.

In total, more than 350 teachers from 22 universities in the country received certificates as part of the University Outreach Program, an academic blockchain initiative. They underwent comprehensive training over a period of 14 weeks in two programs: blockchain engineering and compliance. This is the first instance in history of launching an academic course at a national level. By 2024, the plan is to reach over 40,000 students across the country.

"During this time, we not only acquired knowledge and practical skills but also formed teams, worked on cases, defended projects, and made friends with teachers from other universities. We have developed disciplines in blockchain engineering in our educational programs at the bachelor's and master's levels, and currently, our programs are being updated. It was a special atmosphere that motivated us to train young specialists in these fields," shared Madina Mansurova, the head of the Artificial Intelligence Department at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.

The Decentrathon, the largest multi-location hackathon in which talented Web3 enthusiasts across the country developed blockchain product prototypes for three days, concluded with Arman Sergazin from Almaty winning first place and receiving $5,000. The Astana team Kumys-coin secured second place and won $3,500, while the team Undefined from Pavlodar received $1,500, taking third place.

It is worth noting that out of 250 participating teams, 40 teams submitted their work, which is a very high indicator considering that, according to the organizers, the tasks were so challenging that even having 10 submissions would have been excellent.

During Decentral Asia, various topics were also discussed, including digital currencies, decentralized finance, combating crypto crimes, and compliance for blockchain business models.

"Kazakhstan has great potential in the blockchain field. The head of state and the government support this industry. Kazakhstan is the first country in the region to establish a licensing regime for crypto players. The Ministry of Digital Development has developed a law on digital assets, and the MFCA actively develops English law. All these factors contribute to the development of human capital, attract investments, companies, and enterprises to our country. Therefore, I am confident that Kazakhstan will maintain its leadership in the region because human capital is a strong competitive advantage," emphasized Zhasslan Madiyev, the General Manager of Binance Kazakhstan.

Recall that the organizers of the large-scale event in the blockchain industry, Decentral Asia, are the international technopark Astana Hub, the National Payment Corporation of Kazakhstan, and the Blockchain Center.