Blockchain (n.)

Accuracy in the digital world.

About Us

Blockchain Institute is a 501(c)(3) Public Charity that provides education focused on blockchain, cryptocurrency, and distributed ledger technology. We offer online and In-person courses to help onboard those that are curious, prepare industry professionals, and support a new generation of developers that will build the internet of trust.

Education is the best tool to light the way forward. We invite you to join us as we show the world why blockchain is here to stay.

Learn Blockchain for Free Today!

We were founded in June of 2018 to promote the adoption, development, and use of blockchain technology by providing free education to the public. Throughout the first few months of our existence, we taught workshops and attended conferences such as Girlcon, Loyalty Live, and Voice of Blockchain. Our first online courses were made available in February 2019. Later that year on March 25 we were officially granted status as a 501(c)(3) Public Charity.

During August 2019 we moved into Hackhaus, a co-working space located in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. The new location gave us the ability to host in-person courses and meetups. Our first in-person class, the Crypto Curious Course, was previewed in November 2019 and premiered on January 25th, 2020.

We will continue to add to our collection of online and in-person classes and look for new ways to provide blockchain education to all.

More about the Crypto Curious Course!

Our Team

Alexander "Al" Morris

Technology After working in the automation and digital marketing sectors, Alex found his passion in decentralized and distributed systems. He leads technology at the Institute, and produces content and systems aimed at increasing privacy and autonomy for individuals online.

Corey DiNardo

Marketing & Communications Corey takes care of marketing, social media and also does copywriting for the Institute. Corey saw the need for more accessible blockchain education after having a friend try to explain bitcoin, blockchain, and ethereum numerous times, unsuccessfully. As he learned more, he was able to configure his computer to mine Ethereum and became an advocate for decentralization. He previously worked in product operations for a tech start-up in downtown Chicago. In his spare time, Corey enjoys spending time in nature and taking photos.

Jason Swearingen

Brand & UX Design Jason Swearingen is an illustrator and designer with a background in educational software development and degrees in Graphic Design and Creative Writing. They manage the brand identity and user experience at The Blockchain Institute, as well as merchandise creation, course illustrations, and graphic design. When they're not at the Institute, they can be found writing and performing music in the Chicagoland area, creating comic books, aiding local bands and businesses with their graphic design needs, and cuddling up with their dog, Nibbler.

Jeremy Cogan

Research & Analysis Jeremy first heard about blockchain technology in 2016. This sparked an interest that would lead to in-depth research on the potentials of blockchains and cryptocurrencies and becoming a founding team member of the Blockchain Institute. He spent 2017 following the numerous ICOs that occurred that year and has since been analyzing the impacts of blockchain technology. Jeremy also is a lead instructor for the institute and has designed several courses. His experience as an educator in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space and his enthusiastic outlook on the impact of new technology brings passion and energy to the team.

Our Board

Andrew Gordon

Director Andrew Gordon is an attorney and CPA at the Gordon Law Group. Andrew has been active in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space since 2013, both as an investor and a service provider.

Hannah Rosenberg

Director Hannah Rosenberg is a developer, economist and entrepreneur and alumni of the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is the founder of Velas Commerce, a Blockchain training and consultancy business, and is the organizer of Chicago’s largest blockchain community group, the Bitcoin and Open Blockchain Meetup.

Jason Kin Hoi Fang

Director Jason leads the venture investments and strategies at Sora Ventures. Prior to Sora, Jason was the Head of Global Business Development at Juzix (now PlatON), a leading blockchain company led by Wanxiang Holdings that focused on distributed ledger technology and multi-party computation. Jason joined the blockchain industry in early 2016 as an Investment Associate at Fenbushi Capital, Asia’s first blockchain venture capital firm where he managed dealflows and post management of companies in North America. He also founded Sora Foundation, an initiative that consists of blockchain development, community development, and Sora Summit. Jason is also an active mentor at Alchemist Accelerator in Silicon Valley and Startupbootcamp in China.

Taylor Gerring

Executive Director Taylor deployed and managed a variety of systems for large enterprise environments before ultimately joining the blockchain industry in 2012. After working on several Bitcoin applications, Taylor helped establish the Ethereum Foundation in 2014 before going on to establish himself as an international speaker, educator, and blockchain consultant. In 2018, Blockchain Institute was established to put these educational efforts to scale for a worldwide audience.

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