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We can help. Perkins Coie has identified 34 factors in 5 overarching categories that shape the outcomes of successful enterprise consortia engagement efforts through its analysis of 71 consortia across 12 industries.

In April 2019, Forbes published an article detailing the ways that large companies, including some of the best-known companies in tech, finance, manufacturing and retail, are forming or joining blockchain consortia or other proprietary blockchain projects. The Forbes article reflects an uptick in enterprise engagement with blockchain, a trend Perkins Coie’s blockchain group has also seen in recent months. Specifically, across industries, companies are coming together to form and participate in blockchain consortia, which allows them to address common issues and challenges—in their industry or with each other—by leveraging the tremendous potential of blockchain and distributed ledger technology (“DLT”). Whether to help address business or operational challenges, or unlock new business models and opportunities, DLT is fueling a new collaborative trend among enterprises. Blockchain consortia are emerging as the vehicle enterprises are using to drive toward common goals and desired objectives.
Continue Reading Dear Enterprise, Have You Developed a Sound and Methodical Blockchain Consortia Engagement Strategy?

The recent so-called “WannaCry” ransomware cyber-extortion attack has thrust bitcoin as a means of payment back into the debate surrounding illegal online activity. Much in the way that the internet, in its early days, was seen as a tool useful only for crime, pornography, and other socially unacceptable activities, so too are bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies seen by some as only useful for bad actors. This of course ignores the substantial investment in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies by legitimate and well-known businesses, financial institutions, and even governments all around the world. Still, in some corners the stereotype persists. But much in the way that the internet continued to grow and evolve, so too will the bitcoin and cryptocurrency ecosystem grow and evolve, and its use by bad actors will continue to diminish.
Continue Reading Guilt by Association: Bitcoin and the WannaCry Ransomware Attack