The Toronto-based Blockchain Research Institute announced 16 new organizations have joined as founding members.
The organizations include Barrick Gold, Bell Canada, Capgemini Canada, Cimcorp, Deloitte Canada, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), FedEx, Fujitsu, the Institute on Governance, Interac/Acxsys, KPMG LLP, Loblaw Companies Limited, MKS Switzerland, Moog, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care, and Tencent.
“We are pleased to welcome these forward-thinking organizations to our initiative,” said executive chairman and co-founder Don Tapscott. “The rapid growth in our membership is a strong indication of the importance that companies and government agencies are placing on understanding the impact that blockchain technology will have on their business and the world.”
The Blockchain Research Institute launched in March 2017 with $2 million in funding from the Ontario government and companies like Paycase and Nuco.
“Tencent blockchain is committed to providing enterprise-class blockchain infrastructure, industry solutions, and safe, reliable and flexible blockchain cloud services,” said Ray Guo, Head of Blockchain Innovation Lab, Vice General Manager of Financial Technology at Tencent. “Blockchain Research Institute provides a great platform for Tencent and other members of the institute to carry out blockchain research and discussion, which is of great significance to Tencent and the industry. We believe that the blockchain+ era is coming!”
The Institute explores the impact of blockchain in industries like financial services, manufacturing, energy and technology. There are currently 70 research projects underway.