For the past decade, its best-known use has been as the foundation for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, a medium of exchange unregulated by governments or central banks. The overarching point Cameron made in the article was, the blockchain is “a technology that has a lot of applications beyond cryptocurrency.”

Korth’s article described the blockchain thusly: “Blockchain technology uses decentralized networks to store and process data in a way that offers unprecedented transparency and security.”

Basically, it’s a foolproof way to document the creation and ownership of intellectual property, or to log financial transactions, or anything time-sensitive, in a public ledger open to anyone. “That way,” Korth’s story noted, “there can be no disputes over who owns what, nor any policy manipulations by governments.”

The possible applications seem almost endless. That’s one reason Tech is offering a class in the subject, and why, Cameron said in the article, the university would recruit researchers skilled in the blockchain and professors who could teach about it. The story went on to imagine a day when Tech offered a minor in the subject.