Technological growth, quest for change, rapid evolution, pursuit of relevance and maturity, are among the many factors which have seen the Blockchain ecosystem experience a season of partnerships and collaboration within the past few months.
Very often, crypto users awake to news of new partnerships and strategic promises. Is it a booming trend of 2016? And what’s behind it?
Vanbex partners with Shanghai Blockchain
In one of these developments, the professional services firm specializing in all aspects of the Blockchain industry, Vanbex has announced a strategic partnership with Shanghai Blockchain Network Technology Co. Ltd., parent company of one of China’s largest Bitcoin exchanges, 19800.com.
19800.com, officially opened on 15th March 2016 and within one month it reached 20,000 registered users with an average daily trading volume of more than US $1.5 million.
Kevin Hobbs, Vanbex Group director, says:
“With their lineup of online products, Blockchain-based products and services, 19800.com is already a highly active player in the market and we believe it’s only a short time before they are global leaders within the industry.”
Shanghai Blockchain (19800.com) will also be sponsoring the d10e Conference in July with the help of the Vanbex Group, providing virtual reality technology developed by Time Technologies (Canada), an affiliated partner of Shanghai Blockchain.
The quest for change and the pursuit of relevance
Speaking to Cointelegraph on the factors which could have been responsible for the prevailing trend in partnerships, Lead developer of Expanse and President of Borderless Charity, Inc. Christopher Franko says:
“Ideally the partnerships that we see today are because people really want to change the world, and want to use the Blockchain to do it, because the Blockchain is great for lowering costs, liabilities, and enhancing trust.”
However, Franko expresses fear that some companies may just be trying to be relevant/trendy and "innovative" by simply capturing buzzwords.
“I’ve experienced the latter multiple times when consulting with clients. They want to be able to say "we are a Blockchain company" but don't really believe in the historical ethos of Blockchain tech, like being decentralized, open-source and disruptive.”
Franko explains:
“Now it feels like it is all about the money, all about selling tokens, all about ico's and less about being a positive force in society. There are some projects that still stick to the Blockchain chivalrous code, but our numbers are reducing drastically by the day. Some say money and power corrupt, but really it just reveals who people really are. That is what we are seeing come to fruition in the Blockchain ecosystem.”
Rapid growth and industrial maturity
Anari Sengbe, Founder at ProducTank attributes this trend to rapid growth in technology.
Sengbe says:
“I think a consolidation of talent could be the reason. I don't think there's ever been as rapid changes in technology as we've seen in crypto. It's tough to think in two Blockchains, we've spent years become experts in Bitcoin, now you have ether and teams need to understand both.”
David Mondrus sums up his opinion towards this development in one simple phrase, saying:
"The industry is maturing."