Argentina’s RSK to start scholarship programme

One of Argentina’s most successful blockchain start-ups, RSK, is investing in education through the RSK scholarship programme.

The programme will finance solutions for the development of its ecosystem and will include preparing and training RSK specialists.

The RSK scholarship programme

The RSK project is responsible for the Bitcoin sidechain of the same name, and it has now opened its first scholarship programme for developers and teams that undertake projects on its blockchain.

The programme opened up on December 1 and will continue to receive applications until the end of 2020, according to RSK’s official blog.

The RSK scholarship programme is designed for developers, individuals, or teams that require financing to carry out any project that contributes to the growth of the RSK ecosystem.

These can be as diverse as browser wallets for decentralised applications (dApps), smart contracts, deploying tools on the chain, or any other development on the RSK sidechain.

So far, RSK has allocated $200,000 to the programme. The amount each scholarship recipient will receive will depend on the characteristics of their particular project.

Once interested parties register and submit their proposals, the RSK team will individually evaluate each project to determine if it meets the criteria and assess whether the applicant has the ability to carry out their plan.

In addition to new projects, the RSK scholarship programme also has a rewards programme for anyone with ideas to improve the developer experience using RSK.

This includes modifying nodes on the RSK network, creating dApps, implementing new services, or improving decentralised applications currently on RSK.

More about RSK

Created by Argentine developers, RSK Labs designed its RootStock (RSK) sidechain to make the execution of smart contracts with Bitcoin possible.

A year ago, it was integrated with RIF Labs in order to accelerate and enhance the development of the internet of value. In May of this year, RSK and RIF together launched a new brand called IOV Labs, designed to be the development arm of both platforms.

It is this new start-up that will be responsible for providing funds for the RSK scholarship programme.

According to the company, among the advantages of coding applications for its Bitcoin sidechain, RSK “allows developers to import, create, and implement their EVM-based dApps [Ethereum Virtual Machine]”, which offers perfect compatibility with the Ethereum network.

RSK also offers integration with Microsoft Azure since April 2019, as well as low transaction costs.

In addition to funding, selected participants will also receive tutoring that will give them access to a group of mentors selected by IOV. These specialists will support participants throughout the development of their idea through the programme.

Other blockchain projects in Argentina

Despite a worsening economy and recent change in leadership, the blockchain space in Argentina appears to be thriving. Beyond RSK, there are several innovative blockchain projects in the country including Experimental, Carnes Validadas, and Ripio.

Moreover, Argentina has so far shown a crypto-friendly stance, even allowing users to top up their public transport card, the SUBE, with BTC.

The latest funding offered by RSK shows that despite rising inflation and a less-than-favourable economic climate, blockchain start-ups are finding their feet.