Blockchain technology is revolutionizing art, and in the United Arab Emirates, one academic is leading the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage through Bitcoin SV.
Mohammed Al Hemairy is the lead researcher of a project launched in 2022 by the BSV Blockchain Association and the University of Sharjah. The project aims at preserving the UAE’s culture and heritage on a BSV-powered metaverse system.
Speaking to Al-Fanar Media, Al Hemairy revealed that the project will launch within the next six months.
“The platform’s reliance on blockchain technology will help prevent tampering with the ever-growing databases and allow for a secure exchange of valuable items displayed on the platform for sales, purchases, or exchange with other items,” commented Al Hemairy, who serves as University of Sharjah’s head of Technology Transfer Office.
The University of Sharjah has become one of the premier learning institutions in the Middle East for blockchain and related technologies. The highest-ranked university in the country, it has invested in blockchain technology in recent times, including through a BSV-powered solution to the $1 billion fake academic certificate scourge.
With the latest solution, Al Hemairy pointed out that users will be able to buy, rent, or exchange non-fungible tokens (NFTs) based on Arab and Emirati cultural legacies.
“The project research team will work on archiving rare photos and videos of the founders and leaders of the U.A.E., converting them into NFTs and preserving them on the blockchain network as a historical legacy,” he told the outlet.
The initiative will be executed in two phases; the first will focus on building and deploying the BSV-powered metaverse, while the second will center on global commercial marketing. Al Hemairy’s team is already in talks with government agencies and museums to display their heritage on the upcoming platform.
While the team initially targets the UAE, it aspires to take the platform to other regions globally, Manar Abu Talib told the outlet.
“The integrated system will use an open-source solution that will be shared with a huge community of developers, both individuals and institutions, to promote further improvements, enhancements, and community engagement,” stated Manar, an associate professor at the university.
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