Chapter 12. Learning Machine: Blockchain-Based Credentials
One of our primary motivations has been to empower students to be the curators of their own credentials. This system makes it possible for them to have ownership of their records and to be able to share them in a secure way, with whomever they choose.1
—Mary Callahan, registrar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) had a problem: its dean of admissions had fabricated her credentials.
Marilee Jones had sent in the bogus resume decades ago, while applying for an entry-level position at the prestigious school. Over the years, she had worked her way up the ladder, even becoming something of an academic celebrity: recently she had authored a self-help guide for stressed-out students trying to get into elite schools.2
As she rose in the ranks, she never corrected her credentials. Her resume listed degrees from three New York institutions, until it came to light that she had not earned a single undergraduate degree. Two of the three schools on her resume she had never even attended.
“This is a very sad situation for her and for the institution,” MIT chancellor Phillip Clay told the press. “We have obviously placed a lot of trust in her.”3
Trust is at the very root of credentials. Think of all the experts you trust every day: your doctor, lawyer, clergy, teacher, or therapist. Few of us would want to hire an untrained professional to do mental work, much less dental work. When ...
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