Memphis’ Largest Ethereum Hackathon Will Be Held at FedEx Institute of Technology

March 20, 2018 - ETHMemphis, the first Ethereum hackathon in the Southeast, will host its inaugural three-day event May 18-20 at the University of Memphis FedEx Institute of Technology. ETHMemphis is run by a volunteer group of hackers and enthusiasts of Ethereum, a blockchain-based technology leveraged across industries.

"Blockchain technology is the future, and it is important that the University of Memphis provide platforms that showcase our city as a destination for world-class technology innovation," said UofM President M. David Rudd. "EthMemphis is the first hackathon of its kind in the Southeast and helps establish Memphis as a destination for emerging technologies across industries."

Blockchain is a rapidly emerging technology, and both Bitcoin and Ethereum are type of public blockchain networks. While Bitcoin was the first of its kind, it can only handle very simple, direct transactions. Ethereum extended the concept to include a "turing complete" language that allows for more complex programs, like the kinds that can be run on a personal computer. The phrase "distributed application" refers to these more complex programs. While there are other important differences, this constitutes a fundamental divide between the two.

More than 100 applications from an international pool of applicants will come to Memphis to create decentralized applications using the Ethereum technology.

The keynote address will focus on the thriving Ethereum developer ecosystem and the future of the technology. The talk will take place Friday, May 18, at 8 p.m. at the FedEx Institute of Technology.

Participating hackers will be mentored by pioneers in the blockchain industry and founders of its largest projects. ETHMemphis will be the largest gathering developers in the Ethereum community in the Southeast to date. The hackathon's mission is to encourage as many developers as possible to learn about and to build decentralized applications on Ethereum.

On Sunday, May 20, participants will vie for the opportunity to present their work to a panel of the brightest minds in the blockchain industry. Judges will evaluate hacks based on creativity, technical difficulty, design and usefulness. The top 10 overall projects will demonstrate what they have built in front of all ETHMemphis during the closing ceremonies.

The year 2017 saw exponential growth in the blockchain industry that attracted the interest of world leaders, global investment banks and countries like Singapore, Thailand and Switzerland that are thinking of offering a digital version of their currency using Ethereum.

ETHMemphis also will host a public series of talks May 19-20 on the potential impact decentralized applications can have on key industries of value to the Memphis market including supply chain, healthcare, hospitality/tourism, education and agri-business. The event, held at the FedEx Institute of Technology, will feature speakers Steven McKie, founding partner of Amentum; Dr. Timothy Hnat, chief software architect with the Center of Excellence Mobile Sensor Date-to-Knowledge; Elena Sinelnikova, founder of CryptoChicks; Mark Beylin, founder of Bounties Network; Tatu Kärki, communications lead at Aragon; Kris Bennett, principal consultant at Neudesic; Dr. Dipankar Dasgupta, director for the UofM Center for Information Assurance; and Dr. Lan Wang, FedEx Institute of Technology DRONES Research Cluster Fellow and chair. Talks will be followed by a roundtable Q&A session.

For more information, speaker bios and detailed event schedule, visit www.ETHMemphis.com. For inquiries, contact Troy Parkes at 901.678.1596 or fedex@memphis.edu.

About the FedEx Institute of Technology

The FedEx Institute of Technology is an advanced technology and research organization that serves as the front door to the research infrastructure and innovation capabilities of the University of Memphis. It functions as a catalyst for interdisciplinary research and innovation in emerging technologies by supporting cross-campus research innovation clusters. The Institute is also home to the University's intellectual property and patent repository, which is the focal point of technology transfer and licensing operations. The Institute enjoys a unique innovation partnership with FedEx, which sponsors the Institute for advanced research purposes. The Institute is the central hub for efforts to maintain a cutting-edge innovative environment in the Mid-South.

CONTACT

Mary Ann Dawson l mdawson@memphis.edu l 901.678.1596