Andrew Greve is currently finishing his Ph.D. in Political Science at Rutgers University. He is an avid technophile, and has a strong interest in the intersection of governance and technology. Andrew holds degrees in History and Asia-Pacific Studies from Rowan University and NSYSU, respectively. Andrew is currently based in Taipei, Taiwan.

On joining IOTA

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to extend the IOTA Foundation’s engagement with the academic and policy worlds. Open discussion about both the near and long term vision of IOTA is essential to gaining adoption. I deeply appreciate for the foresight of the IOTA Foundation to engage professionals from across the spectrum in what I believe are necessary discussions about the future of IOTA.

The IOTA ethos straddles the two distinct worlds of cutting-edge technological development and adoption, and visionary thought about how IOTA can impact our answers to age-old questions in economy and society. Our primary focus must remain on development and adoption in the present. However, even at this early stage, we must not eschew the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the more long-term social implications of the “real time” economy enabled by IOTA. The idea that distributed ledger technologies may “change the world” is a common trope among crypto-enthusiasts — but serious discussion about such topics among academics and policy makers is still in a nascent stage.

We all share a common need to better understand of how these new technologies can impact society. At the IOTA Foundation, our Social Impact division has been deeply engaged in numerous “social impact” projects, with partners ranging from UNOPS to Peace Innovation Foundation. There are already numerous IOTA-based projects addressing important social needs). These ongoing efforts, which are supported directly by the Foundation as well as our robust ecosystem of independent developers, showcase the present value of IOTA in providing novel technical solutions that offer immediate social impact value.

As a legally registered non-profit organization (stiftung) in Germany, the promotion of science and research is part of the IOTA Foundation’s DNA. We are proud to announce that Andrew Greve will be serving these purposes of the Foundation in his capacity as a Social Science Researcher. We believe that open discussion with all relevant stakeholders about the potential longer term impacts of IOTA is indeed indispensable to ensuring adoption in the present. Likewise, these discussions and debates help ensure that the Foundation’s efforts are in the long-term public interest. Andrew will be performing internal research, as well as engaging with external stakeholders to increase the IOTA Foundation’s presence within the broader academic, professional, and regulatory spaces that are key to ensuring adoption. We are all delighted to have Andrew come into this new role at the IOTA Foundation! Give him a warm welcome.