Open Campus, a decentralized education protocol supported by several prominent partners, including Animoca Brands, has announced the receipt of a designated grant from the Arbitrum Foundation. This grant will facilitate the launch of EDU Chain, the first Layer 3 (L3) blockchain specifically tailored for education. EDU Chain will be built on the Arbitrum Orbit Stack, with an innovative "Learn Own Earn" model at its core.

Nina Rong, Head of Ecosystem Development at the Arbitrum Foundation, echoed this sentiment, saying, "We are thrilled that Open Campus will launch EDU Chain as an L3 on the Arbitrum Orbit Stack. EDU Chain marks an exciting step in the Arbitrum ecosystem, showcasing the Foundation's dedication to nurturing a decentralized educational hub within the Arbitrum network."

EDU Chain

About Open Campus

Open Campus is a community-led protocol for educators, content creators, parents, and students. It puts decisions about learning back into the hands of educators and their students by fostering a collaborative environment, enabling teachers to create materials that appeal to the exact needs of students. Additionally, Open Campus recognizes the achievements of teachers and content creators who help students seek new knowledge, opening new revenue streams for effective educators around the world.

EDU Chain: A Blockchain for Gamified Education

EDU Chain aims to create a robust ecosystem of decentralized applications (dapps) for learners and educators. Leveraging its extensive network of over 60 education and web3 partner companies, Open Campus seeks to engage 20 million learners in recording their learning achievements on-chain and expanding innovative education finance solutions. The EDU Chain initiative also focuses on encouraging the development and deployment of new dapps designed for education.

First L3 Blockchain for Education

Technical Framework and Advantages

EDU Chain will be an L3 Rollup, constructed on the Arbitrum Orbit Stack. This design will enable Layer 3 transactions to settle on Arbitrum’s Layer 2 (L2) scaling solution for Ethereum, ensuring Ethereum-level security with enhanced scalability through faster and more cost-effective transactions. According to L2Beats, Arbitrum currently boasts the highest Total Value Locked (TVL) among all L2 networks, approximately $17.15 billion, making it the fifth-largest blockchain protocol.

Partnerships and Educational Content Initiatives

The Arbitrum Foundation's grant will also support Open Campus in contributing to the Arbitrum Ambassador Program through educational content initiatives. The collaboration will involve participation in Arbitrum hackathons, incentivizing developers to create dapps for EDU Chain. Open Campus plans to connect its foundation with 96 active Arbitrum ambassadors and 26 affiliated universities to enhance content creation and expand its learner base.

List of Partners 

Focus on Gamified Learning and Diverse Resources

Open Campus is dedicated to learning through play, developing projects to host educational games and interactive learning experiences on EDU Chain. Content partners such as TinyTap, Yomi Games, EduCup, and KIP will launch educational games and gamified tools on the platform.

The resources on EDU Chain will include AI learning tools, video content, and traditional courses from top universities, all available in a comprehensive content hub upon the mainnet launch later this year. Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands and a member of the EDU Foundation Council, expressed enthusiasm about the grant's potential impact.

He stated: "This grant is an exciting step forward in the vision of Open Campus and EDU Chain to use blockchain technology to address current problems and challenges in education. The support of and collaboration with the Arbitrum Foundation positions us to redefine the education industry."

Roadmap for the Rest of 2024

Final Thoughts

The launch of EDU Chain represents a notable milestone in the integration of blockchain technology with education and gamification. Through the support of the Arbitrum Foundation and collaboration with numerous partners, Open Campus aims to enhance access to education, promote data sovereignty, and foster innovative learning solutions for the future. To learn more about EDU Chain, visit the Open Campus website.