Bitcoin development startup Blockstream is among 10 new companies that have joined the open-source Hyperledger blockchain project led by the Linux Foundation.
Announced today , the group of new entrants features a number of startups focused on bitcoin and blockchain services, including Bloq, eVue Digital Labs, Gem, itBit and Ribbit.me.
Consultancy Milligan Partners; payment software developer Montran Labs; intellectual property holdings company Tequa Creek Holdings; and global news service Thomson Reuters have also joined the initiative, which officially launched in December .
Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin said in a statement: "The opportunity is great. This leadership team and the community investments among members across industries put the project in the best position possible to accomplish its mission." The project also formally unveiled its governing board, which is chaired by blockchain startup Digital Asset Holdings CEO Blythe Masters. The Hyperledger technical steering committee has already been established and has since held several meetings.
Other governing board members include itBit CEO Charles Cascarilla, IBM vice president of blockchain technologies Jerry Cuomo and JPMorgan head of new product development and emerging technologies Santiago Suarez.
With the announcement, 40 established companies and startups are now working on the Hyperledger project, following an announcement in February that added a number of financial firms as well as blockchain-focused startups.
To date, the project has seen a number of developments, including presentations by JPMorgan and Intel, the latter of which developed an internal blockchain application centered on a fantasy sports marketplace .
More recently, the technical steering committee came close to officially approving a plan to merge code contributed by Blockstream, Digital Asset and IBM. Gumball spoon image via Shutterstock
