Digital Currency Group launches blockchain accelerator DCG Connect with IBM, Amazon and Mastercard

Digital Currency Group (DCG) has launched its fourth subsidiary, DCG Connect, a membership-based organisation dedicated to helping enterprises accelerate from blockchain exploration to production. DCG Connect enlists a group of founding corporate members including IBM, Amazon Web Services (AWS), CME Group, Foxconn, Mastercard, New York Life, Prudential, and Transamerica.

DCG Connect will accelerate the deployment of blockchain technology across industries, and develop tools to help enterprise adopters successfully navigate the universe of blockchain service providers, said a statement.

Its founding corporate members include a diverse group of global organisations that are building and deploying blockchain applications for use at scale along with dozens of blockchain and bitcoin startup members, who can join and leverage this ecosystem free of charge.

The DCG Connect ecosystem aims to be a focal point for facilitating collaboration and scaling of blockchain businesses. DCG Connect will work with companies to build blueprints for how platforms, products, and technologies can fit together to create enterprise-ready solutions for deployment. Blockchain technology is a rapidly evolving medium for global connectivity and requires new models for collaboration around the many emerging products and services.

Digital Currency Group was founded by Bitcoin enthusiast Barry Silbert, who has steered the company to invest in over 100 blockchain startups, many of which provide critical infrastructure and cryptocurrency adoption around the planet. DCG also acquired Coindesk last year and oversees the Consensus and Construct industry meetups.

DCG Connect and its members will work together to identify and engage with startup companies and their products, and to collaborate on driving business models that sustain enterprise ready blockchain technology, as well as support open source blockchain frameworks such as Hyperledger Fabric, one of the five Hyperledger projects hosted by The Linux Foundation.

Marie Wieck, general manager, IBM Blockchain, said: "We believe DCG's commitment to the ecosystem of companies founding Hyperledger Fabric networks is a huge validation of the technology. We're excited to see so many startups and enterprises moving to build on Hyperledger Fabric, and it makes sense to work with DCG to reach and serve this community better."

In addition, AWS will deepen its collaboration with DCG to spur innovation and facilitate frictionless deployment of blockchain solutions to address real-world business challenges. Startups participating in DCG Connect include Chain, Gem, Filament, Bloq, Skuchain, Tierion, Netki, AlphaPoint, BigchainDB, and BlockCypher.

DCG's Director of Development, Meltem Demirors, who is leading this new subsidiary, said: "After two years working with bitcoin and blockchain companies and corporate leaders, we identified that a significant issue hindering the widespread, global adoption of blockchain is the inability to quickly connect with the right combination of partners for testing and deployment of the technology to address real-world business challenges."

DCG Connect is also engaging with global stakeholders, including academic institutions, governments, regulators, and other industry bodies who will be critical to driving and supporting ecosystem growth. Corporate membership in DCG Connect will be capped at 20 members in its first year.