It's worth pointing out for non-UK readers that "Bank of England" is not like "Bank of America", it's like "The Federal Reserve".
I love how blockchain has been completely de-branded out of Bitcoin, as if Bitcoin is some heinous forbidden term that can only be associated with criminality and must not be mentioned even once. The blockchain, of course, is the entire raison d'etre of Bitcoin. It's the innovation that makes Bitcoin work as a decentralized currency. Everything else Bitcoin does -- signature verification, P2P, cryptographic hashing, public-key cryptography, etc. -- was on a well-trammeled path. The blockchain is the break-through, and to disassociate it in this way is misleading and petty.
Guys, it's on their 'early careers' website. I don't think this is them trying to be YCombinator.<p>I think it's quite a cool little idea for them to get people from non-traditional backgrounds into the BoE. Most crypto people would never think of applying to the BoE for an internship normally I don't think.
Give us your best Blockchain based idea <i>and</i> a working proof of concept and "win" a visit to the bank and a 6 week internship (if you are eligible). Is it me or that does not sound really great?
> What could you win? Firstly, your whole team will get an exclusive invitation to visit the Bank. You’ll meet some of the key people in our Projects, Data and Technology team.<p>My advice would be to not share your ideas with anyone who would take ownership of them when the <i>possible</i> "reward" is minimal.
The bank of england has no capacity to determine what a good blockchain idea is. And if it did - there's no damn way the winners would want their prize. This is hilarious
I encourage any students reading this:<p>While this seems like a great opportunity for some, and not so for others, I urge you to think it over yourself first.<p>Yes, this could actually be a very good opportunity for the right student to get an internship/possible job in a market that will be extremely hot. It it's a good way for BoE to find students that want to get involved in this industry.<p>On the other side, please know that this is not the only way. The community in many growing blockchains is very good. There are many resources that are available and free for you to explore your idea and create something new that is actually YOURS.<p>I'm not saying you should try and do something on your own out of school, it is perfectly okay to get a regular job, and this might be what you want. However it is also perfectly okay for you to not participate and expand on your idea on your own or with partners. There are/will be many opportunities and positions out there in this industry in the near future, this is not your only option.<p>EDIT: Another interesting point is the time frame which this challenge is allowing. I do not know when it was announced, but I'm assuming based on the timer that, when it started, the time given is 24 hours. It seems odd to me. This is a challenge that should be given more time, especially given how many students are wrapping up their semester and will be heavily involved in projects/finals right now.