Research & Discovery

February 16, 2022 | Anna Zarra Aldrich '20 (CLAS), Office of the Vice President for Research

Students to Tackle Machine Learning Challenges in Virtual Crypto Hackathon

The UConn Data Science Initiative is partnering with TradeBlock and CoinDesk Indices to host a virtual Hackathon, a machine learning competition, that will challenge students to develop innovative solutions for tracking and visualizing the cryptocurrency market.

(Pixabay)

TradeBlock, Coindesk Indices, and UConn’s Stamford Data Science Initiative have partnered to host a machine learning competition, or “Hackathon,” where UConn students will compete to develop solutions for cryptocurrency challenges.

Students will also have the opportunity to participate in workshops throughout the event.

This virtual event begins at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17.

“We are so thrilled to work with CoinDesk Indices and TradeBlock in this capacity,” says Margaret Feeney, TIP Digital director. “Developing these models is extremely important and we’re thrilled to offer students the ability to both showcase their knowledge and compete in a meaningful challenge.”

“Our goal is to create a special event between our firm and the fabulous University of Connecticut Students to serve as both a recruitment opportunity and memorable experience,” says Beth Harris, senior technical program manager, TradeBlock.

Participants will be given data for cryptocurrency trades over a certain period. While there are more than 6,000 cryptocurrencies in existence, the data will focus on the more common ones, such as Bitcoin.

Participants will then use the data provided to generate machine learning models to detect patterns, irregularities, and potentially fraudulent activity in the market.

At the end of the weekend, teams will submit their code for evaluation. Judges will look to make sure, first, that the code runs properly. Then, they will consider factors such as efficiency and security.

The first-place winner will receive $5,000. There will also be cash prizes for the second- and third-place teams, as well as most creative hack and most effective visualization. Additional prizes will also be awarded, including passes to the 2022 Consensus Festival, which brings together experts from the digital assets industry.

During the competition, students will be able to connect with mentors. Assistant professors in residence, Kriti Bhargava and Phil Bradford, will host virtual office hours to answer participants’ questions during the event.

Representatives from CoinDesk Indices and TradeBlock will be available to talk about careers in digital assets firms and the current landscape.

CoinDesk Indices are the industry standard for institutional single and multi-asset benchmarks for crypto assets. TradeBlock is one of the longest-standing providers of institutional trading tools, data, and indices for digital currencies.

Student registration is closed, but to learn more about this event, visit: https://stamforddatascience.com/hackathon.