The Institute of Decentralized Economics (IDE) has opened in London, the United Kingdom on Feb. 14, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph.

The think tank, which is dedicated to the study of blockchain-based economic systems and their impact on existing institutions, is backed by fintech company Sweetbridge. It is purportedly designed to investigate the potential of decentralized and autonomous systems and find real use cases.

Per the press release, the idea behind the IDE is to “help organizations better understand the economics that underlie the blockchain industry.” The IDE will also study the design and viability of stablecoins and how government policy and “crypto-economic” technologies interact.

Sweetbridge will ostensibly facilitate research and attract blockchain industry-related players with different backgrounds and expertise — including entrepreneurs, corporations, and governments — while the activities of the IDE will be set by the IDE Foundation Council.

In January, a major Chinese research university launched a blockchain research scholarship with the support of blockchain payment firm Ripple. The program reportedly intends to bring together the best graduate students in China in 2019 to study global blockchain regulations and industry development.

That same month, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced that it is opening its Blockchain Center in Manhattan, which will reportedly offer blockchain-oriented educational services to the general public, such as programming classes to lectures for software developers.