The Algorand Foundation today announced the appointment of Dr. Tal Rabin as the head of research. Named on Forbes World Top 50 Women in Tech 2018 and a member of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Tal Rabin has spent decades pioneering research on cryptographic theory. Dr. Rabin will bring her wealth of experience, specifically around multiparty computations and the design of efficient and provably secure cryptographic protocols, to her work at the foundation.

With core beliefs in the establishment of an open, public and permissionless blockchain, the Algorand Foundation has a vision for an inclusive ecosystem that provides an opportunity for everyone to harness the potential of an equitable and truly borderless economy. With the appointment of Dr. Tal Rabin as the head of research, the foundation is poised to make that vision a reality with broad participation and a focus on cutting-edge research and innovation.

A first-of-its-kind permissionless, pure proof-of-stake blockchain, the Algorand protocol was designed by MIT professor, cryptography pioneer and Turing Award-winner Silvio Micali to support the scale, open participation, and transaction finality needed by users to build opportunity and fulfill the promise of blockchain technology. The Algorand Foundation directs its global efforts from Singapore and is focused on building technology and community around decentralized networks. The foundation, along with the Algorand community, will help launch the Algorand blockchain network while also assisting with research efforts, collaborative roadmap development, and continued growth of the global community.

“Given Dr. Rabin’s experience and academic accomplishments, the Algorand Foundation will be able to take a leadership role in research related to fair access, social justice for all, as well as zero knowledge and secure computation,” said Silvio Micali, founder of Algorand, Inc. “Tal brings tremendous energy to these issues, and I have always admired her passion for philanthropic efforts enabled by technology and innovation, particularly when it comes to her unwavering commitment to gender equality. I am thrilled she has agreed to join the Algorand community.”

“I’ve always believed in the concept of making our world a fairer place, and I trust the Algorand blockchain can create the economic opportunity needed to make that world a reality,” said Rabin. “Our work at the Algorand Foundation will ensure that equitable access to opportunity through decentralized technologies exists, transactions flow freely and everyone has control over their data. I’m excited to start working toward that goal with the accomplished team at the Algorand Foundation.”

In the coming weeks, the Algorand Foundation will share more details about the public network, including the distribution of Algos – the official native token of the Algorand protocol – as well as information about grants for research and development, growth, and economic guidance.

About Algorand Foundation

The Algorand Foundation is providing the trusted infrastructure needed to support the growth of the borderless economy. With research led by Dr. Tal Rabin, a 2018 Forbes World Top 50 Women in Tech, the Algorand Foundation is incorporated in the Republic of Singapore.

For more information, visit https://algorand.foundation.

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