Harvard Undergraduate Blockchain Club

Harvard Undergraduate Blockchain Club (HUBC) is a student-led organization based at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The club serves as the university's campus center for decentralized technology, aiming to foster the next generation of developers, builders, and leaders in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors. It provides educational resources, hands-on project experience, and a collaborative community for students interested in blockchain, Web3, and artificial intelligence (AI). ^[1] ^[2]

Overview

The Harvard Undergraduate Blockchain Club (HUBC) is an officially recognized student organization at Harvard College. It positions itself as a central hub for students to engage with emerging technologies. The club's activities are designed to provide both theoretical knowledge and practical, hands-on experience in building and deploying decentralized applications. While its foundational focus is on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, its scope has expanded to include the intersection of these fields with Web3 and artificial intelligence. The organization facilitates connections between students, industry professionals, and academic experts, aiming to create a collaborative environment for exploring real-world applications of these technologies. ^[1] ^[2]

Mission and Activities

The official mission of the Harvard Undergraduate Blockchain Club is to be a place where "campus builders learn, ship, and advance the frontier of crypto and blockchain." The club aims to create a space for future builders and leaders to connect, collaborate, and explore the practical applications of blockchain, Web3, and AI. ^[1] ^[2]

To achieve this mission, HUBC organizes several core activities for its members:

Technical Workshops: These are educational sessions focused on the technical fundamentals of blockchain technology, smart contract development, and other relevant programming skills.
Project Teams: Members collaborate in teams to work on developing and launching blockchain-based projects, providing them with hands-on experience in building decentralized applications.
Real-world Research: The club engages its members in practical research initiatives relevant to the current trends and challenges within the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry. ^[1]

Leadership

As of April 2025, the club's leadership consisted of students from various class years at Harvard College. The structure was designed to ensure continuity, with an incoming president serving as Vice President.

The leadership team during this period included:

President: Anika Lakhani (Class of 2025)
Vice President & Incoming President: Antonia Kolb (Class of 2028)
Event Organizers/Members: Finn Peters (Class of 2028) and Pierce Cousins (Class of 2025)

Antonia Kolb also served as the primary media contact for the organization. ^[2]

2025 Harvard Blockchain Conference (HBC)

In the spring of 2025, HUBC organized the Harvard Blockchain Conference (HBC), a major event that served as a focal point for the club's activities for the academic year. The conference took place from April 26-27, 2025, and brought together students, academics, and industry professionals from around the world. ^[2]

Conference Details

The theme of the 2025 conference was "Blockchain in Action," reflecting its focus on practical innovation and real-world use cases for blockchain and artificial intelligence. The event was a significant gathering, attracting over 350 attendees from more than 40 different universities. The conference aimed to move beyond theoretical discussions and showcase the work of the next generation of builders and entrepreneurs in the space. The agenda was structured to include keynote speeches, expert panel discussions, startup showcases, and networking opportunities. ^[2]

Conference Agenda and Topics

The conference agenda covered a wide range of subjects at the forefront of the blockchain and AI industries. The programming included keynote addresses, panel discussions, and competitions designed to highlight innovation. The main topics of discussion indicated the club's key areas of research and interest.

Key topics covered during the conference included:

DeFi and infrastructure: Sessions focused on the architecture of decentralized financial systems, including lending protocols and decentralized exchanges, as well as the technical infrastructure required to build and scale them securely.
Agentic AI and stablecoins: Discussions explored the integration of autonomous AI agents with blockchain systems and the role of stablecoins in providing stability and utility within decentralized economies.
Tokenization and on-chain finance: This topic covered the process of representing real-world assets (like real estate or securities) as digital tokens on a blockchain, enabling new forms of ownership and transfer.
Institutional adoption of blockchain: Panels addressed the increasing interest and adoption of blockchain technology by traditional financial institutions, corporations, and governments, and the challenges and opportunities this presents.
Building scalable smart contracts: Technical sessions delved into the methods and best practices for developing smart contracts that can handle a high volume of transactions efficiently and cost-effectively. ^[2]

Pitch Competition

A central feature of the 2025 Harvard Blockchain Conference was a startup pitch competition. This event provided a platform for emerging companies in the blockchain and Web3 space to present their projects to an audience of peers, investors, and industry experts. The competition highlighted early-stage ventures working on innovative applications of decentralized technology.

The startups that participated in the lightning pitch competition were:

AgentBall
Remora
Sparsity
Prinx ^[2]

Awards and Recognition

During the conference's awards ceremony, the Harvard Undergraduate Blockchain Club recognized several individuals and organizations for their contributions to the blockchain industry. One of the student-led startups from the pitch competition was also honored.

The awards presented at the 2025 conference were:

Best Blockchain Innovator Award: This award was presented to Justin Sun, the founder of the TRON blockchain.
Best Blockchain Impact Award: This award was given to the organization AION.
Student Excellence Award: The startup Remora received this award for its work on a real-estate tokenization platform. This award was supported by TRON. ^[2]

Partnerships and Supporters

The Harvard Undergraduate Blockchain Club actively collaborates with external organizations, which are referred to as "Supporters." These partnerships are crucial for funding events, providing mentorship to students, and connecting the club with the broader blockchain industry. ^[1]

The 2025 Harvard Blockchain Conference was made possible through the support of several key partners and sponsors from the blockchain ecosystem. These organizations contributed to the event's success and the awards presented.

Sponsors and partners for the 2025 conference included: