A formal degree in crypto? KC Futures DAO spearheads globe-spanning blockchain education collaboration

A trend-setting new partnership between Kansas City blockchain visionaries, local digital innovation advocates and global thought leaders at the University of Nicosia of Cyprus could bank tech-forward thinkers a new degree of expertise: think a master’s in crypto.

Troy Carlson, co-founder of KC Futures Dao, speaks in October during a panel event at Avila University; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

The opportunity comes as the KC Futures DAO, KC Digital Drive (KCDD) and the University of Nicosia plan what they believe could be a world-changing collaboration.

“(Nicosia looks) at Kansas City as a great place because of the DAO,” said Troy Carlson, co-founder of KC Futures DAO. “But, we’re also an area that’s just not cluttered with everything else, whether it’s Silicon Valley, Austin or even Florida and the Eastern Seaboard.”

The University of Nicosia has been a leader in education related to blockchain and related technologies since 2013 — it launched a free massive online open course, or MOOC, on blockchain-related topics in 2013, followed by a degree in blockchain and digital currencies in 2014.

So, given its lead in the space, why choose a flyover metro so far from either U.S. coast?

“With their vision to position Kansas City as a global hub for innovation — the DAO, KC Digital Drive — they represent a really promising and forward-thinking initiative that is already taking important steps in driving the blockchain Web3 education in the United States,” said Hazal Aripinar, business development and enrollment manager at the University of Nicosia.

“We were truly impacted by their vision to position Kansas City as a hub for innovation and blockchain development,” she continued. “And we wanted to help and improve their commitment to technology, to entrepreneurship and the digital economy.”

It’s truly a one-of-a-kind partnership, Aripinar and Carlson emphasized.

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What is the KC Futures DAO?

The KC Futures DAO’s purpose is to transform Kansas City into a premier global hub for entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, sustainability, research and the arts. By leveraging blockchain technology, the DAO will showcase and celebrate Kansas City’s diversity and abundance to foster and attract talent inventing the future, investors and global partnerships.

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What are the benefits to KC?

As part of the partnership, UNIC will offer its free Mastering Web3 MOOC starting in February 2025 to all KC Digital Drive members. 

The MOOC is a 12-week course providing a comprehensive overview of Web3 technologies, including blockchain, cryptocurrencies, NFTs and the metaverse. Successful participants receive a blockchain-verifiable certificate of accomplishment from UNIC. 

Beyond access to the MOOC, though, the real perk to this arrangement: KC Digital Drive and KC Futures DAO members will be eligible for exclusive discounts on UNIC’s online MSc in blockchain and Digital Currency, MSc in metaverse and various academic certification programs.

Scholarships are also under discussion — the partnership plans to introduce KC Futures DAO Scholarships members pursuing these programs. 

Additionally, KC Digital Drive staff will work alongside the DAO and UNIC to support area students and alumni in securing career opportunities within the blockchain and digital assets sectors.

Members of the KC Futures DAO group gather for a Crypto Mondays event at the Keystone CoLAB innovation space; courtesy photo

Supporting a connected future

So, how does a global partnership like this one — spanning several continents and time zones — actually work? 

The KC Futures DAO is perhaps the face of the partnership locally, while KC Digital Drive serves as the organizing body, and the partnership is codified in a memorandum of understanding between them and the university.

“Ultimately the goal is for the DAO to become its own legal entity,” said Jim Starcev, program manager for KC Digital Drive. “But for the at least intermediate period, we’re serving an administrative and 501c3 role.”

And why would KCDD take on this legal role for another entity? This work is in its coding, for lack of a better word.

KC Digital Drive is a civic-issues-focused nonprofit working “to make Kansas City a digital leader,” Starcev said, adding that the organization, with the DAO, has been striving to bring together a community of future-tech believers for some time.

Starcev and Aaron Deacon, managing director for KC Digital Drive, are even on the DAO’s founding team.

Activity within the local tech startup and blockchain community has been up and down, Starcev said, kind of in tune to the public’s opinions of crypto itself.

“There are a lot of different groups that have been functioning for a while, but trying to bring it kind of together as an ecosystem I think is something that is definitely in the early phase,” Starcev said.

“The whole blockchain idea, especially when it gets tied to crypto, is such an ebb and flow,” he added. “I’ve taught a couple of classes on the crypto winter and … you have the whole rise of the NFT and the collapse.” 

Starcev now believes that momentum is building across the U.S. and the globe, he said. At the local level, this multi-organization partnership would go a long way to building on the energy, Starcev added. 

Student sparks global partnership

Business and Quality Assurance Analyst Edward Manoukian has been a crypto and blockchain enthusiast since at least 2017. 

Edward Manoukian, CryptoGnosis

After a while, and after many hours of self-led study, he began looking for something more formal — a certification or degree. 

“I thought, ‘well, maybe I can find a master’s degree,’ and I did,” he said, speaking of the University of Nicosia’s programs. 

“At first I thought ‘There’s no way that this is real,’ but it turned out to be one of the most prestigious, and further-ahead (schools).” 

Even as a remote student, Manoukain felt he received a deep and useful education from Nicosia and its professors, and he developed strong connections with many of those professors and other students.

Upon finishing, as many students do, he wondered what was next.

“I started browsing further education, but then I realized that I’m living in Kansas City, and no one is offering these degrees that I just got from overseas,” Manoukain said. “I don’t even know really of any Midwestern school that actually has any innovation or hub addressing blockchain — maybe they have a couple of courses or lectures here and there, but nothing serious.”

Now serving as the founder and operator of blockchain advising firm CryptoGnosis, Manoukian is credited by all members of the partnership with bringing the parties together. 

“I thought to myself, ‘maybe this is where the visionary aspect comes in — maybe I can bridge and introduce my university to Troy and the DAO,’” Manoukain said.

“The DAO is kind of like a giant — it connects everything, all the projects and all the innovation in the area, and Troy and KC Digital Drive had the resources already,” he added.

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Haines Eason is the owner of startup media agency Freelance Kansas. He went into business for himself after a stint as a managing editor on the content marketing team at A Place for Mom. Among many other roles, he has worked as a communications professional at KU and as a journalist with work in places like The Guardian, Eater and KANSAS! Magazine. Learn about him and Freelance Kansas on LinkedIn and Facebook.