The 4,000-square-foot centre will provide coding classes, lectures for software developers and office spaces for companies like Quovo. It’s backed by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, in partnership with the Global Blockchain Business Council, a trade association. Corporate partners include IBM and Microsoft. (Bloomberg)
Talking point: Toronto has seen similar efforts from its local blockchain community with the launch of the Blockchain Research Institute last year. Its focus on connecting global researchers, however, differs from New York’s centre, which emphasizes public participation in its development. A strong blockchain developer community has emerged in the Toronto-Waterloo region since Ethereum technology was first proposed in 2013. Canadians could benefit from this new centre, given their close proximity to New York City.