Mandala Blockchain Academy’s Landmark Scholarship: Bali’s Youth Dive into Blockchain Development
Earlier this year, when the island of Bali celebrated Saraswati — the Hindu goddess of knowledge and learning — another celebration quietly began. It wasn’t marked by incense or offerings, but by the hum of laptops, the click of keyboards, and the spark of curiosity in the eyes of dozens of young Indonesians.
Mandala Blockchain Academy (MBA) partnered with the City of Denpasar to offer scholarships for beginners to learn blockchain development online during a one-week bootcamp. This coincided with promotions for DTIK Fest, the city’s digital impact and sustainability festival, and the results were nothing short of inspiring.
An Overwhelming Response
What was planned as a scholarship program limited to 50 students quickly turned into something much bigger. Within just one week of opening applications, MBA received nearly 200 registrations. This demand underscored how Indonesia’s youth are hungry for opportunities in blockchain.
- 48 had no prior blockchain knowledge, yet brought boundless enthusiasm.
- 121 had read or heard about blockchain, eager to transform curiosity into skill.
- 24 had some hands-on experience, ready to deepen their expertise.
This reflects a nation ready to embrace its role in the digital economy. Aligned with the national transformation program Vision Indonesia Digital 2045, blockchain is no longer an abstract concept; it’s a living, breathing skillset that young Indonesians are determined to master
A Moment of Public Endorsement
On Day 1 of the bootcamp, the energy was electric. Close to 100 people logged in: students, government officials, and special guests. The Mayor of Denpasar delivered the official welcome address, affirming the government’s support for this journey. It was a symbolic moment — an acknowledgment that education and innovation belong at the heart of Bali’s future.
By the end of the week, the bootcamp would receive even greater recognition. The Governor of Bali and the Mayor of Denpasar together presented Certificates of Excellence to the top 10 participants at the high-profile DTIK Festival main stage. For the students, standing shoulder to shoulder with leaders wasn’t just about receiving a certificate. It was a clear message: You are recognised as builders who will shape our future!
From Curiosity to Creation
Over the course of five intensive days, students:
- Attended daily live training sessions led by the MBA team.
- Submitted homework on GitHub, learning not just theory but also collaborative developer practices.
- Built toward a capstone challenge: deploying their own NFT smart contracts onto the Mandala Chain testnet.
And they delivered.
More than 50 attempted the final project, successfully deploying their NFTs onto Mandala Chain’s live blockchain for validation to earn Proof of Completion certificates. These certificates were a glimpse of the future standard for all education credentials — with smart contract address and a scannable QR code for verification via Mandala Chain’s blockchain explorer.
For many, this was their very first line of code to touch a live blockchain. The pride was written on their faces — and immortalized on-chain.
Bridging the Global and the Local
What set this bootcamp apart was its bridging strategy. Students were introduced to Solidity (the widely used smart contract language) and then guided to deploy on Mandala Chain, an EVM-compatible Substrate parachain. This approach ensured learners gained skills that are globally relevant, while also plugging directly into the Polkadot ecosystem and Indonesia’s homegrown blockchain infrastructure.
By the end of the program, students could:
- Explain blockchain fundamentals in their own words.
- Write and deploy Solidity contracts on Substrate-EVM runtimes.
- Connect smart contracts to user interfaces and clients.
This felt empowering for students, who now had the confidence to contribute to real projects in the global Web3 ecosystem.
Pathways to the Future
The bootcamp wasn’t designed as a one-off experience. It was the first rung on a ladder of opportunity.
- Graduates were invited to join a 4-week Substrate & Polkadot SDK bootcamp with OpenGuild, taking them deeper into advanced blockchain development.
- Top performers are being considered for job opportunities within Mandala Chain and the wider Polkadot ecosystem
- Every participant left with not just a certificate, but a community — a network of peers and mentors walking the same path toward blockchain mastery, and contributing to Indonesia’s digital transformation roadmap.
Why This Matters
In a world where blockchain is reshaping industries from healthcare to finance, Indonesia cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. The success of this bootcamp proves that Indonesia has everything it takes to lead: talent, demand, government support, and a growing ecosystem of partners.
MBA’s mission is clear: to become the education on-ramp for the next 100+ million blockchain users. And if this first bootcamp is any indication, that this mission is not only possible — it’s already underway.
The Spirit of Saraswati
Perhaps it was fitting that this milestone coincided with Saraswati Day, a festival celebrating knowledge as the truest form of wealth. In the glow of computer screens and the excitement of discovery, the spirit of Saraswati was alive in every student.
They came with curiosity. They left with confidence. And together, they lit a small but powerful beacon for Indonesia’s digital future.
Quoting one of the graduates, “I’m so grateful for this scholarship opportunity and very optimistic that we as a nation can achieve the goals of Vision Indonesia Digital 2045 thanks to the support of Mandala Blockchain Academy”.
Mandala Blockchain Academy has the goal of empowering talent in emerging markets, starting in Indonesia, to help future proof nations with local talent upskilling and empowering. This was a step towards that goal and vision
About Mandala Chain:
Mandala Chain is an AI enabled Layer 1 blockchain providing sovereign, modular infrastructure for governments and enterprises in emerging markets. Built on Substrate, Mandala Chain enables the launch of compliant digital identity systems, enterprise-grade blockchains, and real-world applications that connect seamlessly with global retail markets. With a focus on privacy, compliance, and scalability, Mandala Chain powers the foundations of digital nations and the intelligent economies of the future.
