No Free Lunch: IBM Promises to Employ 1,800 French Blockchain Technology Experts

IBM CEO Virginia Rometty was one of the dignitaries present at the “Tech for Good” conference organized by French President Emmanuel Macron on May 23, 2018. And she has pledged to hire 1,800 French nationals as part of the tech giant’s contribution to Macron’s project which seeks to make France a hotbed for artificial intelligence and blockchain technology.

IBM-Macron Alliance

According to reports, Big Blue is looking to create a research team that would focus primarily on blockchain projects, artificial intelligence and the internet of things (IoT).

According to France 24, the French President “paints himself as a champion of France’s plugged-in youth” and is poised to transform the European nation into a “startup nation” that would be a hotbed for tech and AI firms.

“I believe in innovation and at the same time in regulation and working for the common good,” Macron said at the summit that included tech heavyweights like Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, Intel Corp’s Brian Krzanich, Microsoft Corp’s CEO Satya Nadella and the tech-loving President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame.

“Revolutions create winners and losers; our job is to make sure there are fewer losers and more winners,” Kagame said back in 2016.

Commitments Needed, “No Free Lunch”

Notably, just as the attendees were about having lunch at the event venue, Macron made it clear to all that France needs their help to achieve its vision. “There is no free lunch. So I want from you some commitments,” he declared.

In response, IBM announced it would hire over a thousand blockchain and cloud computing professionals from France as part of a contribution to the project. Employing 1,800 workers shouldn’t be a big deal for Big Blue as the corporation has over 380,000 workers globally. The company is also championing the blockchain revolution, with several innovative solutions to its credit.

On May 23, 2018, IBM announced the launch of its distributed ledger technology and AI solution, Crypto Anchor Verifier. The solution which can be installed on mobile phones, helps users identify counterfeit objects.

“Interest in using blockchain to track physical goods is growing rapidly. IBM’s Crypto Anchor Verifier solution can be used to capture the optical signature from an original, uncompromised item and subsequently record it on the blockchain, which can verify throughout the supply chain that the item hasn’t been tampered with,” IBM wrote.

The Next Cryptocurrency and ICO Hub?

Quite a vast array of nations in Europe have a relatively liberal stance toward bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. However, the French love for the digital currency ecosystem is on an entirely different scale.

On April 27, 2018, BTCManager reported that the French Ministry of Finance had slashed the tax rate on bitcoin-related transactions, categorizing profits generated from digital currencies as capital gains of “movable property.” Just under a month later, on May 18, 2018, France’s Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire declared he now has a renewed interest in cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.  

In his words, “I was a rookie a year ago, but now, I’ve been seized by a sudden passion. It took me a year. Let’s teach this knowledge to our fellow citizens to make France the first place for blockchain and cryptocurrency innovation in Europe.”

With IBM’s renewed interest in France, coupled with the crypto and tech passion of the nation’s authorities, Europe’s third-largest economy could become a new crypto hub.

The post No Free Lunch: IBM Promises to Employ 1,800 French Blockchain Technology Experts appeared first on BTCMANAGER.

Malta has recently gained a reputation as the ‘Blockchain Island,’ as the major cryptocurrency exchanges are inbound for relocation. The Malta Blockchain Summit has now raised the bar by inviting one of the ‘Founding Fathers’ of blockchain, W. Scott Stornetta Ph.D., to the November show, expected to become one of the largest blockchain and DLT events in Europe in 2018.

It is common knowledge that bitcoin was invented by an as yet anonymous person or group of people called Satoshi Nakomoto. However, experts in the field are aware that Dr. Scott Stornetta and Dr. Stuart Haber first conceptualized blockchain in 1991, publishing a series of peer-reviewed journal articles and filing a number of patents through the 1990s. bitcoin was eventually built upon these foundations with Dr. Stornetta and Haber referenced three times in Satoshi’s original Bitcoin whitepaper.

Dr. Stornetta has remained in the background during most of the cryptocurrency hype, but has now stepped forward and assumed a prominent role as Chief Scientist for the Australian investment firm First Digital Capital, where he will be in charge of evaluating blockchain technology firms and ICOs. In November, he will be speaking to blockchain enthusiasts at the Malta Blockchain Summit.

“I was already somewhat aware of the strategy which the government of Malta had adopted to make itself a centre of blockchain activity, and some of the success they have seen in attracting businesses. Recent events have significantly increased my appreciation for how effective the government of Malta has been in taking a lead role to build an industry centre,” says Dr. Stornetta.

Malta has recently earned the name ‘Blockchain Island’ as the two largest crypto exchanges, Binance and OKEx, are both relocating to the island. The epic proportions of the Malta Blockchain Summit, set to take place at the InterContinental on November 1-2, are a reflection of this momentum. The summit includes four conferences, a buzzing expo floor, a two-day Hackathon, a Blockchain Awards ceremony, an ICO Pitch and ends with a suave Crypto Cruise. Dr Stornetta is one of the most keenly anticipated speakers.

“I am happy to provide useful ways to support Malta in its efforts to strengthen its already leading position in establishing itself as a centre of blockchain-related activity. Hence, my focus is on delivering a keynote that will be unique, entertaining and valuable for its insight to all attendees at this summit,” he said.

Boasting over 4,000 delegates, 100 speakers and 150 sponsors and exhibitors, the Malta Blockchain Summit promises to be an innovative and momentous opportunity for global influencers to network, forge new connections and debate the potential applications of blockchain across myriad industries such as health, entertainment, government, and banking. The Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, will inaugurate the regulatory conference.

With Dr. Stornetta joining the summit, it becomes increasingly clear that the Malta Blockchain Summit is at the centre of gravity for emerging blockchain and DLT.

Info

www.maltablockchainsummit.com

This is a paid press release. BTCManager does not endorse and is not responsible for or liable for any content, accuracy, quality, advertising, products or other materials on this page. Readers should do their own research before taking any actions related to the company. BTCManager is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release.

The post Malta Blockchain Summit Bringing ‘Founding Father’ of Blockchain to Blockchain Island appeared first on BTCMANAGER.