Smart Donations - OxChain Showcase

Our research has revealed entirely new ways for the public to donate to causes based upon local and global events.

Blockchain technology promises to change the way we share and contribute to the things we value. By using this technology, OxChain has successfully carried out a pre-commercial trial in Australia that uses smart contracts to let donors pledge funds to insure against natural disasters happening, provide support when petitions gain momentum, or if prominent politicians tweet about crises.

Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Digital Economy theme, the research is led by three UK universities - Edinburgh, Lancaster and Northumbria - who have partnered with Oxfam Australia and Oxfam Great Britain to understand how new technologies like blockchain can change the future of giving. We are experts in designing and developing new technologies, and studying the ways people use them in real-world contexts.

This event invites leading figures from the charity sector, academics and policymakers to experience this new technology, live, and explore the potentials of those technologies for smarter donations.

This will be an on-line event filmed live at the Inspace Gallery in Edinburgh with a virtual tour of our Oxchain exhibition, live demos and a panel discussion.

Running order:

1.30pm Welcome from Chris Speed (Director of Oxchain and Chair of Design Informatics, University of Edinburgh)

1.35pm Virtual Tour of Seismic Seesaws exhibition from Jonathan Rankin (designer on Oxchain, University of Edinburgh)

1.45pm Introduction to Smart Donations app from Ludwig Trotter (RA on Oxchain, University of Lancaster) and Chris Elsden (RA on Oxchain, University of Edinburgh)

2pm Panel discussion and Q&A with Chris Elsden, Josh Hallwright (Humanitarian Lead Oxfam Australia), Rhodri Davies (Charities Aid Foundation) and Loral Quinn (CEO Sustainably)

2.45pm Wrap up

*This event will be filmed

 

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