ConsenSys

ConsenSys is a blockchain software technology company founded by Joseph Lubin with headquarters in Brooklyn, New York and additional United States offices in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco.

ConsenSys Inc.
TypeCorporation
IndustryBlockchain software
FoundedOctober 2014[1]
FoundersJoseph Lubin
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
Number of employees
500+ (2020)
Websiteconsensys.net

Company

Joseph Lubin founded ConsenSys in early 2015 as a software foundry to develop decentralized software services and applications that operate on the Ethereum blockchain.[2][3] On October 31, 2018, ConsenSys acquired Planetary Resources, an asteroid mining company.[4] In December 2018, ConsenSys announced a restructuring with projected layoffs of thirteen percent of its 1,200 staff,[5][6] in February 2020 announced the layoffs of a further 14% of staff.[7] In August 2020, ConsenSys acquired Quorum from JPMorgan Chase & Co. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.[8]

Projects

ConsenSys is involved in many different projects and services for blockchain uses and applications.

MetaMask is an Ethereum wallet application which allows users to store and transfer cryptocurrencies and tokens, as well as access and interact with decentralized applications built on the Ethereum blockchain. The software is free to use on desktop as a browser extension or through its mobile app.[9]

Infura is a blockchain node infrastructure service that allows apps and developers to get data from, and broadcast transactions to, the Ethereum blockchain. Infura's network is utilized as a backend for Ethereum services and applications, including MetaMask and many others not associated with ConsenSys.[10][11]

The company has started or invested in several different projects that are not considered to be core to their business, have been spun out into more independent entities, or are not wholly owned by ConsenSys.[5][6] Some of these include, Meridio, a platform used to create, manage, and trade fractional-share ownership in real estate assets, and Gnosis, a blockchain-based predictions marketplace.[5][12][13]

ICOs

Several ConsenSys companies and projects have raised capital from the public in the form of Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). Gnosis, a ConsenSys-backed prediction market project sold GNO tokens to the public in an ICO in April 2017. The company raised $12.5 million at $300 million valuation, completing its ICO in under 12 minutes. The valuation was criticized by several prominent members of the community. Grid+, a ConsenSys company in the electricity distribution niche sold GRID tokens to the public in an ICO in September 2017. The company raised $29 million in the public token sale.[14][15] Civil Media, a ConsenSys-backed company that claims to use cryptocurrency to save journalism sold CVL tokens to the public in an ICO in October 2018. Civil was able to raise $1.8 million, less than the $8 million soft cap.[16] It was later revealed that ConsenSys was the largest buyer of CVL tokens, buying 80% of the CVL tokens that went on sale. Civil plans for another ICO down the road.[17]

References
  1. "About us". ConsenSys. Archived from the original on 2018-01-16. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  2. Tapscott, Don; Tapscott, Alex (May 2016). The Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business, and the World. pp. 87–93, 112–114. ISBN 978-0670069972.
  3. Popper, Nathaniel (2016-03-27). "Ethereum, a Virtual Currency, Enables Transactions That Rival Bitcoin's". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  4. "ConsenSys Acquires Planetary Resources". Planetary Resources. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  5. Kauflin, Jeff. "Cryptopia In Crisis: Joe Lubin's Ethereum Experiment Is A Mess. How Long Will He Prop It Up?". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  6. "ConsenSys plans to spin out most of its startups, and it's going to mean layoffs".
  7. "Major blockchain developer ConsenSys announces job losses".
  8. Irrera, Anna (2020-08-25). "ConsenSys acquires JPMorgan's blockchain platform Quorum". Reuters. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  9. "MetaMask's Blockchain Mobile App Opens Doors For Next-Level Web". Bloomberg.com. 2020-09-02. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  10. Stephen, Bijan (2018-12-20). "ConsenSys plans to spin out most of its startups, and it's going to mean layoffs". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  11. Perez, Yessi Bello (2019-10-04). "ConsenSys acquires Infura, the centralizing tech powering Ethereum dapps". Hard Fork | The Next Web. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  12. "A Blockchain Building in Bushwick". Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  13. Shieber, Jonathan (2015-10-28). "Microsoft Partners With ConsenSys To Use Ethereum To Provide Blockchain-As-A-Service". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  14. "Blockchain startup Grid+ halts pre-sale of tokens after staggering demand - Technical.ly Brooklyn". Technical.ly Brooklyn. 2017-09-12. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
  15. "Grid+ Raises $29 Million as Blockchain Fever Grows". Retrieved 2018-11-18.
  16. "Blockchain media startup Civil is issuing full refunds to all buyers of its cryptocurrency". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  17. "ConsenSys bought most of the CVL tokens in Civil Media's disappointing ICO — Quartz". qz.com. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
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