2 weeks ago, we announced the inaugural IOTA@UCL student team.

Today we are pleased to introduce our second group of students working on IOTA projects. Without further ado, some introductions.

Laurence Tennant

I am studying towards an MSc in Computer Science, and have a passion for information security. I will be researching how private transactions might be implemented in IOTA. As more and more businesses get involved in cryptocurrency, the need for privacy and confidentiality is becoming increasingly apparent. Other cryptocurrencies can achieve certain levels of privacy, however this generally involves trade-offs in terms of fees, slower transaction speeds, or reduced transparency. IOTA’s zero fees make it uniquely suited for optional private transactions. Furthermore, the development team’s committed use of post-quantum cryptography reflects how far they are thinking ahead. It is exciting to work on such a future-proof project.

Charlie Varley

Charlie Varley

I am currently working towards a Masters in Computer Science. This project will form my thesis. I have held an interest in cryptocurrency since the early days of Bitcoin, and am very happy to finally contribute to the domain. I am in the process of developing a cross-platform (mobile and desktop) wallet for IOTA storage. IOTA itself is incredibly promising; not only will it form the backbone of device identity and M2M transactions, but by overcoming conventional blockchain scalability issues, IOTA also presents a seemingly unmatched prospect for financial sector adoption. Furthermore, the Tangle mitigates the energy demands associated with mining and the IOTA Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation. The project is exciting and refreshing, and I am proud to be a part of it.

Tom Vaupel

Tom Vaupel

I am currently working towards the completion of a MSc in Computer Science, and am excited about the changes new technologies bring. Over the course of this project I will be looking into the storage of personal data receipts on the IOTA distributed ledger. As more businesses need to adapt to the dangers of cybersecurity, conventional data storage may not be enough to ensure data integrity. IOTA offers what is needed for true scalability and has a low cost-profile, thus providing the perfect platform for keeping highly critical personal data. I am excited to work on a future-oriented project and look forward to exploring the possibilities that IOTA can provide.

There will be more information about each project in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

To find out more you, can contact the team via blockchain@cs.ucl.ac.uk or via the IOTA Slack (slack.iota.org).