Blockchain startup Educhain has graduated from Dubai Future Accelerators – a unique program run by Dubai Future Foundation in partnership with the government of Dubai.

Educhain has become the first blockchain company in education to graduate from the program. With this, a pilot project of the Educhain blockchain credentials and academic passport solution will be launched with selected institutions in Dubai in early 2018.

“We are honored to have received the encouragement of the government to continue exploring blockchain credentials in Dubai and the UAE. Throughout the program we were amazed by the speed at which the government operates and drives innovation. This has been reflected in multiple partnerships with academic institutions across all levels of education, and an agreement to launch a pilot in early 2018,” Mark Balovnev, CEO of Educhain, said.

Educhain aims to enable academic institutions to interface with a blockchain infrastructure of trust. Its flagship solution is a comprehensive digital passport of student achievement, secured by a blockchain, the release stated. It transforms the way academic institutions issue credentials – placing ownership of academic records into the hands of students, and providing them with global mobility while eliminating credential fraud.

“With education being one of the strategic sectors in the UAE, it was a pleasure to host Educhain as the first blockchain startup with the KHDA, and it is exciting to see such early progress with multiple partnerships signed over the course of the program. We look forward to continued success with implementation of a milestone pilot project in the coming months,” H.E. Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Accelerators, said.