APU Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Club Shines at ETH Seoul 2023

In an impressive display of skill and innovation, the Asia Pacific University Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Club (APUBCC) made its mark at ETH Seoul 2023, one of Asia's most prestigious blockchain events which was held from June 2 to 4, with its winning solution garnering recognition for its inventive approach to governance within the blockchain ecosystem.

The club's five talented members formed Team alphaQuality, representing Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) and emerged victorious as the Best Governance App Winner in the Ethereum blockchain hackathon.

As the only team representing a Malaysian university, alphaQuality's achievement reflects the exceptional talent nurtured at APU. The esteemed accolade earned the team a highly coveted prize of USD 3,000, equivalent to approximately RM14,000.

With participation from 48 teams comprising 250 Ethereum blockchain hackers hailing from 30 different countries, their remarkable feat at this event not only brings pride to APU and Malaysia but also highlights the university's commitment to nurturing talented individuals in this field.

Mentored by APU Chief Innovation and Enterprise Officer, Professor Dr. Vinesh Thiruchelvam, the team comprised its Lead Yudhishthra Sugumaran, a student in BSc (Hons) in Computer Science (Cyber Security); Vincent Owen Toniwan and Brian Joseph Keyrupan, both study a BSc (Hons) in Software Engineering degree; Gavin Owen Susanto, a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science with Specialism in Data Analytics student; and Viman Vinesh who studies a Foundation in Business programme.

On their winning project, a decentralised application (DApp) named Trustless Badge Membership Protocol, Yudhishthra expounded, “It is a system that allows users to suggest rules for badges (which is like virtual awards) through a voting process.

“By using the techniques of making the users publicly commit to fulfilling the requirements of the proposed badge rules, unique badges will be created. These badges can be used in certain apps to give special benefits to the people who have them.

“We were excited and challenged to compete and develop in this competition and hone our skills. Prof. Dr. Vinesh supported us on this hackathon and gave us directions and suggestions from past offline hackathons in that past teams had competed to prepare us for the hackathon.

As Prof. Vinesh lauded, “This achievement has solidified APU's strength in producing talents skilled in emerging technologies applications such as Blockchain Development.”

Mr. Suresh Naidu Sadasivan, the APUBCC consultant, affirmed, “This victory will help to raise the profile of APU and attract even more talented students from around the world. It will also help to inspire our current students to continue to strive for excellence. I am confident that this achievement will help train more similar talents at APU.”

Yudhishthra, who is also APUBCC Vice President said, “Given that the blockchain space is still new and constantly growing with new ideas and innovations every day, it can be challenging to keep up with these trends.

“Coping with these trends under pressure is a surefire way to learn a lot, network with brilliant people, and improve your perspective, making you a stand-out candidate from an employer’s perspective.

“It is, for this reason, I believe that more APU students should actively take part in these types of hackathons, both online or physical, and grab every opportunity they can,” he concluded.