Blockchain developer ConsenSys, the Blockchain City Advisor for Smart Dubai, has announced the first graduates from its ConsenSys Academy Developer Program.

Over 150 blockchain developers have completed the course, including 25 participants from the United Arab Emirates.

The finalists will be flown to Dubai for a three-day hackathon followed by the graduation ceremony hosted in Dubai on 22 October 2017 in conjunction with the Smart Dubai Office (SDO). The graduation certificates will be issued on the Ethereum blockchain.

In March, Smart Dubai announced its city-wide blockchain strategy, to make Dubai the first ‘Blockchain-powered city;' by 2020, with ConsenSys appointed as the Blockchain City Advisor, to provide technical expertise.

The graduation ceremony and hackathon will be addressed by Joseph Lubin, Co-Founder of Ethereum and Founder and CEO of ConsenSys, Her Excellency Dr. Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of Smart Dubai Office, and Wesam Lootah, CEO of Smart Dubai Government Establishment, and top ConsenSys personnel.

"Dubai continues to lead the pack in technology innovation. Hosting the final stage of this first-of-its-kind developer program is another step towards bolstering the emirate's position as a global technology leader and the first blockchain-powered government," said Dr Aisha.

"We believe that sharing advanced Ethereum blockchain development know-how supports Smart Dubai's mission to implement the Dubai Blockchain Strategy 2020. We are proud to be an integral part of cultivating the blockchain ecosystem," added Lubin. "This is an important step of a very ambitious program that will reshape the economy's future."