Andreas Vlachos
Growth and Community Manager for Binance, Greece & Cyprus
MSc in Blockchain and Digital Currency, Class of 2016
Cyprus
When I decided to do a little research on the technology and the concept behind it, I was purely fascinated. Within a couple of days, I took the decision to enroll in the MSc in Blockchain and Digital Currency program offered by the University of Nicosia. After a year I was among the first graduates in the world with a degree in blockchain technology!
In 2013, when I was studying in the U.K. for my Accounting and Finance undergraduate degree, the word “bitcoin” came up on my news feed several times. When I decided to do a little research on the technology and the concept behind it, I was purely fascinated. Within a couple of days, I took the decision to enroll in the MSc in Blockchain and Digital Currency program offered by the University of Nicosia. After a year I was among the first graduates in the world with a degree in blockchain technology!
After graduation, I got the opportunity to work at the University of Nicosia focusing on the blockchain initiative. I was managing the cooperation and partnerships with various blockchain organizations such as; Hyperledger, R3 and the EU Blockchain Observatory Forum. I also helped with the formation of “Decentralized” meetups around the world where people within the blockchain community regularly meet and host seminars. Throughout my employment, I also had the great privilege to work with the world-famous crypto figure, Andreas Antonopoulos, as the content developer of the free course “Introduction to Digital Currencies”.
In 2019, I decided that I wish to shift from academia and work at the heart of the crypto industry and I joined the San-Francisco-based startup, ODEM.io, as the Director of Business Development in Europe and the Middle East. I was using my reach and connectivity in the sector and made collaborations with the key stakeholders.
Another great opportunity came up for my career in 2021 and I joined one of the top Blockchain startups in the world, TrustSwap, as the Content Strategist. Meanwhile, I was serving as the Subject Matter Expert in blockchain technology at Emeritus, a company providing educational services in collaboration with top universities in the world like Cambridge, Princeton and Harvard.
I am now the Growth and Community Lead for Binance in Greece and Cyprus. I am the first hire of Binance in these regions with the aim to accelerate user growth, regulation engagement, business development operations and other community-related activities like Binance Angels meetups and recruitment.
My UNIC journey is also not over, as I am currently working towards completing my PhD thesis: “The Blockchain Readiness Index”!
