Blockchain, Digital Assets and Web3 Since 2013

The Institute For the Future (IFF) is an interdisciplinary research Centre at the University of Nicosia (UNIC), aimed at advancing emerging technologies and contributing to their effective application in industry, government and education as well as evaluating their impact on society at large.

WORLD LEADERS

In Crypto Education and Research

The Institute For the Future is a leading global provider of education and research in blockchain & crypto assets, metaverse and forecasting. IFF has educated over 145,000 students in academic and professional training courses, while hosting the world’s largest team of faculty and staff focused on crypto-assets and blockchains. It serves as the academic lead for the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum (EUBOF), a European Commission initiative to accelerate the development of blockchain within the EU.

UNIC IS THE 1st UNIVERSITY IN THE WORLD

TO ACCEPT BITCOIN FOR TUITION PAYMENTS

to publish blockchain-
verifiable academic certificates as NFTs

to offer crypto and web3 education

to publish academic diplomas on the blockchain

News & Events

  • January 31st, 2024

    UNIC’s Pioneering Blockchain & Digital Currency MOOC Evolves: Brand new curriculum, offering two free certificates

    On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, the world’s first MOOC on Digital Currencies offered by the University of Nicosia and its Institute of the Future (IFF), is undergoing a radical transformation.

Research

Advising the European Commission

on accelerating the development
of blockchain within the EU

€8m+
grants

in competitive European Commission research grants since 2017

World’s
largest team

of faculty and staff focused
on crypto-assets and blockchains

100+
Joint research

organizations

Overview

The IFF was founded to explore the hypothesis that exponential technologies will cause rapidly accelerating societal change. Technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence are highly disruptive, even individually. However, as they reach commercial maturity and start becoming synergistic, they are expected to have compounding effects on the economy, social structures, legal systems, income distribution, governance, education, and warfare – and raise fundamental questions on how future society is organised.

Blockchain & Crypto Assets

Our research initiatives examine the evolution and impact of decentralized technologies in a rapidly advancing digital economy.

  • Blockchain-based Certifications
  • Digital Asset Regulation & Policy
  • Blockchain Skills Development
  • Blockchain Adoption
  • Decentralized Social Media
  • Decentralized Energy Networks
  • Industrial Applications of Blockchains
  • Decentralized Science
  • Benchmarking Blockchain Protocols
  • Unifying LLMs & Knowledge Graphs for GenAI
  • Evolution of LLM Agents
  • Valuation of Non-Fungible Tokens

Forecasting

The Makridakis Open Forecasting Center (MOFC) conducts cutting-edge forecasting research, provides business support and training with emphasis on: Achieving accurate predictions, estimating the levels of uncertainty, avoiding costly mistakes and applying best forecasting practices to businesses.

  • M Competitions
  • M Conferences
  • M Publications

METAVERSE

The UNIC Open Metaverse Initiative is focused on the academic, research and policy issues relating to the metaverse.

  • Economic & Social Implications of the Metaverse
  • Metaverse Skills Development

EDUCATION & Training

Academic
Quality

Taught by leading faculty and industry practitioners from around the world

Student
Community

Largest blockchain and metaverse student community in the world

Professional
Development

Networking opportunities in the Blockchain and Metaverse industries

SCHOLARSHIPS

€300,000 in merit-based and need-based scholarships

Overview

The University of Nicosia has spearheaded cryptocurrency and blockchain education since launching the world’s first cryptocurrency degree in 2014.

With over 145,000 students and the globe’s most extensive crypto-focused faculty, UNIC leads the EU Blockchain Observatory and collaborates with the European Central Bank.

The recently inaugurated Open Metaverse Initiative (OMI) further showcases UNIC’s commitment, focusing on academic, research, and policy dimensions of the metaverse, emphasizing open public systems.

Programme highlight

FREE MOOC on Digital Currency

George Giaglis
Andreas Antonopoulos
Antonis Polemitis

A pioneering MOOC offering an in-depth overview of digital currencies and blockchain technology. Developed under the guidance of esteemed experts Andreas Antonopoulos, George Giaglis, and Antonis Polemitis, this course has engaged over 95,000 learners worldwide. Delving into both the technical intricacies of decentralized currencies such as Bitcoin and their broader implications within financial, legal, and economic spheres, the course is both accessible and academically rigorous. While tailored for participants without a prior background in cryptocurrencies or blockchain, the course also serves as an introduction to the more detailed subjects within the MSc in Digital Currency program. Successful completion may lead to credit opportunities for MSc enrollees, all without the need for supplementary resources or textbooks.

Building community:

Startups & Conferences

Emerging from the innovative ecosystem of the Institute for the Future (IFF) at the University of Nicosia, startups NFTValuations and Block.co represent direct spin-offs of our cutting-edge research and activities in blockchain and digital assets. NFTValuations is at the forefront of developing robust valuation methods for non-fungible tokens, while Block.co focuses on utilizing blockchain technology to enhance the security and verifiability of digital documents. These ventures underline IFF’s role in not just fostering academic exploration but also in translating research into tangible, impactful technological solutions.

Decentralized is the world’s premier learning conference on Blockchain and digital currencies.

Established in 2017 and and running annually, the conference brings together the world’s leading business executives and academic experts to debate current trends and future developments across three tracks: business, technology and academia.

Following annual M Competition, the M Conference presents and discusses the findings of the most accurate winning forecasting methods as well as suggests how what has been learned from the competition can be implemented into future forecasting methods.