To appreciate the growing acceptance of blockchain technology, look to the University of Miami Patti and Allan Herbert Business School, which has hosted a blockchain conference for the past three years.
The 2025 Business of Blockchain Technology Conference was recently held at Miami Herbert and was co-sponsored by Visa, Inc. This nod of approval from Visa, which joined the blockchain platform Polkadot as a sponsor, is a testament to blockchain’s growing adoption, said Ola Henfridsson, Miami Herbert Schein Family Endowed Chair, professor, and associate dean of online business programs.
“Blockchain technology represents a great, inexpensive way to transfer value,” said Henfridsson. “I think many traditional actors are exploring blockchain because they see strong use cases and sense that it’s becoming more legitimate.”
The conference offered illuminating, thought-provoking fare, consistent with past years. Scores of students attended the event, which Henfridsson described as one that “really brings together blockchain researchers and professionals.”
“At the end of the day, I think that business school students have an important place in blockchain,” Henfridsson said. “We had many UM students at the conference, despite the fact that it took place after the spring term ended. Students belonging to various blockchain clubs were present, as were young people taking classes outside of Miami Herbert, which is good.”
Henfridsson characterizes the Business of Blockchain Technology as “a convening point, really, between different types of actors” involved with the blockchain industry. This year’s conference panelists included blockchain investor William Quigley, a co-founder of Tether, the first fiat-backed stablecoin.
Also present was Kyle Sonlin, a blockchain entrepreneur and thought leader, as well as a co-author of the bestselling book “Blockchain Explained: Your Ultimate Guide to the Tokenization of Finance.” Sonlin is also a board member of Camillus House, a leading Miami charity that addresses homelessness, hunger, and substance abuse.
The 2025 Business of Blockchain Technology event detailed a broad array of compelling use cases for blockchain, including how it can help facilitate the artificial intelligence tsunami sweeping the globe.
“Artificial intelligence uses a lot of data, and that data needs to be secured,” Henfridsson said. “Really, we can’t have any use of AI without having blockchain securing the data that’s inputted.”
