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ETC Labs Selects BloqCloud to Deliver Managed Blockchain Services to the Ethereum Classic and Ethereum Developer Communities

October 10, 2019

Bloq, Inc., a leading blockchain technology company, today announced a definitive agreement with ETC Labs to deliver blockchain infrastructure services for the Ethereum Classic and Ethereum networks via its recently launched BloqCloud platform. The announcement was made onstage by Terry Culver, CEO of ETC Labs, at the Ethereum Foundation’s Devcon conference in Osaka, Japan.

The ETC Labs mission is to advance the development, utilization and adoption of the Ethereum Classic community, core technology, and ecosystem.

Under the terms of the agreement, Bloq will develop Ethereum Classic and Ethereum capabilities for BloqCloud’s Connect service. BloqCloud Connect provides everything developers need to build their applications quickly and power modern wallets, such as MetaMask. These features include a single API for querying/broadcasting transactions on multiple blockchain networks; reliable, scalable infrastructure, indexed blockchain data, and real-time event monitoring.

ETC Labs will provide these services free of charge to end-user developers for at least two years, with enterprise service level agreements available for a fee. Bloq’s work with ETC Labs means that Ethereum Classic and Ethereum will join Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash as supported networks on the BloqCloud Connect service. ETC Labs and Bloq anticipate launching this service in Q1-2020.

About BloqCloud

Bloq built the BloqCloud platform for organizations and teams of any size that want to:

  • build cross-blockchain applications;
  • start developing immediately and accelerate time-to-deployment;
  • lower the cost-of-operations;
  • focus on value-added development (rather than infrastructure concerns); and
  • confidently scale to heavy transaction volumes as their businesses and projects grow, both over the long term and through short-term traffic spikes (e.g., a token sale).

In addition to the Connect service, the BloqCloud platform also delivers blockchain nodes-on-demand for Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Ethereum Classic via BloqCloud Nodes. Upcoming BloqCloud services will include access to serverless computing resources (BloqCloud Compute) and distributed storage across blockchain protocols (BloqCloud Storage). All services deliver high availability and scale at low incremental cost, delivering significant value to large enterprises, startups, teams, and developers.

In a post on the company’s Sync blog, Bloq co-founder and CEO Jeff Garzik wrote: “Today we’re proud to announce that we are working with ETC Labs to provide blockchain infrastructure services to the Ethereum Classic and Ethereum communities via BloqCloud. I’m equally proud to say that this comes just a month-and-a-half after we launched the BloqCloud platform. … By working with ETC Labs to extend the capabilities of the BloqCloud Connect service to include Ethereum and Ethereum Classic, we are opening up a very passionate and driven community to the possibility of multi-chain development — one API, multiple chains.”

ETC Labs CEO Terry Culver wrote: “The partnership with Bloq is an expression of our commitment to driving innovation and contributing to the overall growth of the Ethereum Classic and Ethereum communities. Technology is always changing and fast-moving. That is why we are jumping in to ensure developers in the Ethereum Classic and Ethereum communities have the infrastructure they need to deliver.”

About ETC Labs

Ethereum Classic Labs’ mission is to advance the development, utilization, and adoption of the Ethereum Classic community, core technology, and ecosystem through ETC Labs Core and ETC Labs Accelerate. Supported by a core development team to create development tools, interoperability functionality and technology resources, ETC Labs Core provides blockchain developers the resources necessary to build socially impactful, decentralized applications that are vital to the traditional community core values. ETC Labs Accelerate is dedicated to providing financial assistance and mentorship programs to advance the creation, growth, and proliferation of Ethereum Classic solutions.

 

Media Contact
Phil Gomes
[email protected]

 

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Bloq Announces BloqCloud: On-demand Blockchain Infrastructure for Enterprises and Emerging Companies

August 20, 2019

New Blockchain-as-a-Service Platform Enables Developers to Focus on Building and Scaling Multi-Blockchain Applications

Bloq, Inc., a leading blockchain technology company, today announced the general availability of its BloqCloud platform for on-demand blockchain infrastructure services.

BloqCloud addresses the needs of conventional enterprises that are exploring blockchain technology, as well as blockchain-native companies that are building the next generation of cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets, and other services.

Accelerating Blockchain Development and Adoption

Developing blockchain applications today involves a great degree of technological friction. This includes building and maintaining infrastructure and, once that’s done, making the data and capabilities of that blockchain immediately useful in application development. Businesses also grapple with the notion that they need to “pick a winning chain” when exploring the next generation of applications.

Recognizing these issues, Bloq built the BloqCloud platform for organizations and teams of any size that want to build cross-blockchain applications, accelerate time-to-deployment, lower the cost-of-operations, focus on value-added development, and scale as their businesses grow.

The first two services delivered by the BloqCloud platform at launch are:

  • BloqCloud Nodes: Delivers a dedicated cluster of nodes, flexible enough to support both early blockchain development efforts and production applications. Bloq’s QuickSync technology allows developers to start with a fully synced node in a fraction of the time. (Initial networks at launch: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Ethereum Classic.)
  • BloqCloud Connect: Enables users to view real-time activity on the most popular blockchain networks and harness vital blockchain data services, such as indexed blockchain data and event monitoring. With a familiar set of APIs, BloqCloud Connect delivers everything developers need to build their applications quickly. (Initial networks at launch: Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash.)

Moving forward, the BloqCloud platform will introduce additional blockchain and cryptocurrency support, as well as several services that enable engagement and integration with these decentralized networks. Upcoming services will include access to serverless computing resources (BloqCloud Compute) and distributed storage across blockchain protocols (BloqCloud Storage).

Built for a Multi-Chain, Multi-Network, Multi-Token World

The philosophy and vision of BloqCloud draws upon Bloq co-founder and CEO Jeff Garzik’s history in information technology (Red Hat, CNN), Bitcoin (as an early developer) and cryptocurrency integration (BitPay). In a post on the company’s blog, Sync, Mr. Garzik wrote:

“The BloqCloud platform is about meeting the majority of developers and organizations where they are — bringing the universe of decentralized networks to them and in an API-driven way that is both familiar and transformative. Today’s launch reflects only the very first services and networks we will support. We also look forward to working with other development teams to add their protocols to our service. BloqCloud is the gateway to decentralized networks.”

For more information:

  • Pricing tiers, from “Free” and “Starter” all the way to “Enterprise.” Payable via credit card or cryptocurrency.

 

Media Contact
Phil Gomes
[email protected]

 

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Metronome Delivers World’s First Cross-Blockchain Transfer Capability

June 26, 2019

Fulfilling the promise of providing the world’s first two-way, cross-blockchain cryptocurrency, Metronome ($MET) today announced that it has initiated a first-of-its-kind transfer of MET tokens from one blockchain to another – Ethereum ($ETH) to Ethereum Classic ($ETC) – and back. This chainhop feature, available to all Metronome users, represents a significant step in how the financial and technology industries could approach cryptocurrencies as an enduring asset class.

Conventionally, cryptocurrencies are tied to their native blockchain, or the publicly maintained ledger that records their users’ transactions. This is similar to having someone’s money anchored to their bank’s bookkeeping system, forcing them to exchange their “Bank ‘A’ dollars” for “Bank ‘B’ dollars” should they want to switch banks for any reason, such as high fees, poor service, or disagreements over governance. Further, the cryptocurrency-to-native-blockchain relationship potentially jeopardizes the safety of one’s digital assets, since it is wholly dependent on the stability of the community that maintains that currency and its blockchain.

With the introduction of Metronome’s chainhop capability, the Metronome team showed that it is possible to maintain your holdings in a cryptocurrency and choose the blockchain ledger that most suits one’s requirements for stability and governance.

Jeff Garzik, the principal architect of Metronome and one of Bitcoin’s original contributors, offered additional context and detail in a Medium post:

“Decentralization is an article of faith within the blockchain industry and drives a lot of what we all do. That said, one species of centralization that our industry has become comfortable with is the notion that a digital asset must be forever tied to its blockchain ledger. … Metronome expands how we think of decentralization — the elimination of chain permanence.”

This cross-chain capability is available via the Metronome desktop wallet (Windows, MacOS, and Linux), as well as the mobile wallets for iOS and Android. For developers, all components are available on GitHub.

The Metronome team continues to explore new chainhops and has made significant headway for launch on other networks, such as QTUM and RSK, and conducting further research on EOS and Cardano. This expands user choice and the overall potential for the currency.

About Metronome

Launched in 2018, Metronome is a wholly autonomous cryptocurrency built for:

● Usability: Metronome uniquely supports all currency use-cases – store of value, unit of account, and payment mechanism – for both humans and machines;

● Fairness: Nobody holds special privileges or access in the Metronome ecosystem, with all opportunities to purchase Metronome made available to the public; and

● Endurance: Metronome was designed to be the first cryptocurrency to move across blockchains, offering a unique level of digital asset protection.

Media and Community Resources

Readers can explore the following resources to learn more about Metronome:

The Metronome team strongly encourages all users to review the Owner’s Manual before purchasing or using MET. The Owner’s Manual is available in EnglishChinese (Simplified)JapaneseKorean, and Russian.

 

Media Contact
Phil Gomes
[email protected]

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Bloq to Showcase Four Innovative Cryptocurrency & Blockchain Projects at Consensus

May 13, 2019

WHO

Bloq is a leading blockchain technology company, founded by prominent industry pioneers: Jeff Garzik (CEO and early Bitcoin developer) and Matthew Roszak (chairman and early cryptocurrency/blockchain investor).

WHAT & WHY

Bloq will be showcasing the following projects at Consensus 2019 in New York City:

  • Titan — Cryptocurrency Mining Management at Scale: Titan automates and optimizes cryptocurrency mines of any size and makes sure they are always mining the most profitable coin. It will also feature a marketplace for buying/selling hashing power. With minimal promotion, it has already acquired more than 400 signups for its beta launch. (Read more from Titan CEO Ryan Condron, plus some research on what miners want.)
  • BloqCloud — Pay-as-you-go Blockchain Infrastructure: From managed cryptocurrency nodes to easy-to-use APIs, BloqCloud enables companies of any size to start developing blockchain applications quickly without the hassle of managing infrastructure. (Read more from Bloq CEO Jeff Garzik and Bloq COO Hadley Stern.)
  • Metronome — The First Cross-Blockchain Cryptocurrency: Metronome (MET) is the built-to-last cryptocurrency, given its ability to move across different blockchains. It recently completed successful tests moving from Ethereum to Ethereum Classic and back, as well as Ethereum to Qtum and back.
  • Eclipse — Making Crypto Assets Accessible & Pervasive: More than a decade into the cryptocurrency revolution, the main interfaces (e.g. “wallets”) still look scarcely different than a centuries-old bank’s mobile app. Thinking beyond wallets, interacting with digital assets can be so much more intuitive, useful, and even enjoyable. Eclipse explores these possibilities.

WHEN & WHERE

Consensus 2019
May 13 – 15, 2019
New York Midtown Hilton
1335 6th Ave, New York, NY
Clinton Suite, Second Floor

HOW

Members of the media who are interested in learning more, or would like to meet with Bloq project leaders and executives at Consensus 2019, can email [email protected] or fill out this form. (Note that registration is required for admission into the conference.) Someone from the Bloq team will contact you to follow up.

 

Media Contact
Phil Gomes
[email protected]

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Bloq to Showcase Four Innovative Cryptocurrency & Blockchain Projects at Consensus

November 27, 2018

After a preview launch to its community members, the team behind the Metronome cryptocurrency (MET) today announced the availability of its mobile wallet for iOS and Android, downloadable via the Apple App Store and the Google Play store, respectively.

Launched this year, Metronome is a wholly autonomous cryptocurrency built for:

  • Usability: Metronome uniquely supports all currency use-cases – store of value, unit of account, and payment mechanism – for both humans and machines;
  • Fairness: Nobody holds special privileges or access in the Metronome ecosystem, with all opportunities to purchase Metronome made available to the public; and
  • Endurance: Metronome was designed to be the first cryptocurrency to move across blockchains, offering a unique level of digital asset protection.

As with the desktop wallets for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, mobile wallet users will be able to:

  • Send and receive MET and ether (ETH);
  • Participate in the Daily Supply Lot, which mints 2,880 new MET every midnight UTC, sold via a descending price auction; and
  • Exchange MET for ETH, and vice versa, by using Metronome’s Autonomous Currency Converter instead of an exchange.

“These mobile wallets have been engineered and audited to reflect the same thorough standards of excellence as the Metronome system itself,” said Jeff Garzik, renowned cryptocurrency engineer and chief architect of Metronome. “Our community has been asking for a way to take the complete Metronome experience mobile, and we are proud to have delivered.”

The Metronome team delivered additional information about the new mobile wallet on Medium.

Media and Community Resources

The Metronome team encourages readers to explore the following resources:

The Metronome team strongly encourages all users to review the Owner’s Manual before purchasing or using MET. The Owner’s Manual is available in EnglishChinese (Simplified)JapaneseKorean, and Russian.

 

Media Contact
Phil Gomes
[email protected]

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Financial Industry Innovator Hadley Stern Joins Bloq as Chief Operating Officer

October 23, 2018

Bloq, Inc., a leading blockchain technology company, today announced the appointment of Hadley Stern as its first chief operating officer.

At Bloq, Stern will be responsible for guiding the company in its next growth phase as it develops advanced blockchain software and services for both enterprise companies and the emerging category of blockchain-native businesses and networks.

“Hadley has distinguished himself as a fearless innovator,” said Matthew Roszak, co-founder and chairman of Bloq. “As the shared surface area between conventional enterprises and the world of cryptocurrency expands, there is absolutely no better partner than Hadley for this role as we pursue continued, rapid growth in our business.”

Stern joins Bloq after seventeen years at Fidelity Investments, one of the world’s largest asset managers with over $7 trillion under management. Stern most recently led the cryptocurrency and blockchain incubator within the firm’s innovation lab, Fidelity Labs. Previous roles at Fidelity included innovation strategy and product development leadership. Among his accomplishments, Stern was responsible for leading the development of Fidelity’s first iPhone App and launching Fidelity on Facebook and Twitter. Prior to joining Fidelity in 2001, Stern led the User Experience team at the Boston office of Razorfish.

“I am proud to join a company that has attracted so many of its industry’s best thought leaders and builders, who are actively preparing businesses for a blockchain- and token-powered future,” said Stern. “I look forward to applying my decade-plus experience in building teams and delivering innovative products to market, as we work together to bring the power and vision of the token economy to life.” (Stern further elaborated on his new position on Medium.)

Stern authored the book iPod and iTunes Hacks through the O’Reilly Media Group and holds 16 patents for a variety of technologies and business processes.

 

Media Contact
Phil Gomes
[email protected]

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World Crypto Con Partners with Bloq, Inc to Host BLOQchain: Smart Vegas Hack

September 25, 2018

Hackathon to Explore Solutions Applicable to Education, Identity, and IoT

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via CryptoCurrencyWire — World Crypto Con (WCC), the cryptocurrency and blockchain technology industry’s most immersive and interactive conference experience, has partnered with Bloq, a leading blockchain technology company, to host its first event, “BLOQchain: Smart Vegas Hack,” an immersive and innovative hackathon. Taking place at the inaugural World Crypto Con from October 31 to November 2,  BLOQchain will bring together over 100 developers to explore cryptocurrency and blockchain use cases in education, identity and IoT.

This hackathon will explore solutions to a multitude of problems in blockchain technology education, education as a whole, mismanaged online identities, and the facilitation of IoT applications in smart cities and smart-government. The final projects will be evaluated by world-class judges and mentors. Additionally, for the first time ever, Metronome, a foundational new cryptocurrency, will be offered as a special prize for projects that incorporate a specific tech into their final products.

Engineers from some of the most innovative and successful projects in the cryptocurrency and blockchain technology industry will be present to offer mentorship to participants. Additionally, members of the Las Vegas Smart Cities Initiative, including Michael Sherwood, Director of Technology and Innovation for the City of Las Vegas, will joining the hackathon for judging.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Bloq to bring the best hackathon yet. The innovations borne from these exploratory events are crucial to the development of this industry,” said Adam Williams, Co-founder of World Crypto Con. “Las Vegas is working endlessly to become a smart city and this event will having a lasting impact, not only within the crypto world but beyond, by functioning as the ideal catalyst of innovation for numerous emerging technologies.”

“With on-site mentors, presentations, and conversations with industry-leading companies, we hope to heighten the awareness and foster the growth of new and exciting projects in this fast-paced industry,” said Jeff Garzik, CEO and Co-founder of Bloq, Inc. “Hackathons are excellent opportunities for enterprises and individuals to network and explore, making this the perfect immersive activity for World Crypto Con.”

Sponsors of World Crypto Con will have the exclusive opportunity to market their companies directly to the participating developers. Those who wish to sponsor can visit the sponsorship page. Developers who wish to participate can sign up at the following link: https://worldcryptocon.com/hackathon-application/.

To see the full World Crypto Con lineup or to register and purchase a pass, please visit www.worldcryptocon.com.

Press Contact:
Clarity PR
Maria Jung
[email protected]
646.934.6924

 

Media Contact
Phil Gomes
[email protected]

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Bloq hires Edelman’s Phil Gomes as CCO

August 23, 2018

CHICAGO: Phil Gomes, SVP of U.S. b2b digital at Edelman, has joined Bloq as its first chief communications officer.

Gomes, who was also leader of Edelman’s global blockchain center of excellence, will oversee growth and corporate reputation at Bloq. He is charged with building a comms operation for the early stage startup, which provides blockchain tech solutions.

Based in Chicago, he will report to Bloq’s co-founder and CEO, Jeff Garzik. His official start date is September 24. Today is his last day at Edelman.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a comms operation from ground up, where there’s no legacy baggage or, in engineering terms, no technical debt,” Gomes said. “It’s a completely clean slate to answer the question: if you built a comms operation today, given the nature of open source, would it look anything like we do today?”

Part of what sets communications in the open source space apart from brand comms is “community management,” Gomes said. For example, where brand comms tend to focus on Twitter and Facebook, conversations in open source take place in apps such as Telegram and forums such as Reddit. “[They] tend to be a bit more anarchic,” Gomes added.

Gomes is tasked with integrating community management into his comms function. He added that the role fuses his passions for blockchain, cryptocurrency, open source, and communicating about those topics.

Media interest has grown in cryptocurrencies and the underpinning blockchain technology since Bitcoin’s astronomic gains in late 2017 and its subsequent falls. This has seeded a demand for comms that can evangelize the technology, educate the public, and promote blockchain companies.

Founded in 2016, Bloq works with enterprises and open-source developers, dividing its business into two parts, Gomes said. Its enterprise suite adapts blockchain tech for clients. Bloq labs develops and “nurtures” those technologies.

Garzik, a former Bitcoin core developer who worked at open-source software company Red Hat for almost 13 years, co-founded Bloq with Matthew Roszak. Roszak founded Tally Capital, which has a portfolio that includes crypto exchanges such as Coinbase and Kraken. Bloq’s CMO is Jaclyn Kramer.

Gomes said Edelman has other blockchain experts, but it hasn’t chosen someone to replace him in the “blockchain center of excellence role.”

Kate DuBois, GM, digital, Chicago at Edelman, said: “Phil Gomes has been a great contributor and leader in our digital practice over the last 13 years. We wish him the best in his next endeavor.”

* This story was updated on 8/23 with a comment from Edelman.

Media Contact
Phil Gomes
[email protected]

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Bloq Expands Team and Announces Board of Advisors

May 03, 2016 06:00 ET

Distinguished Enterprise Software, Finance and Blockchain Experts to Help Shape Bloq’s Future

CHICAGO, IL–(Marketwired – May 3, 2016) – Bloq (bloq.com) is pleased to announce key additions to its team, as well as the formation of its Board of Advisors.

“Each team member and advisor brings incredible knowledge and experience, providing immediate impact to Bloq,” says Matthew Roszak, co-founder of Bloq. “These new additions signal our commitment to building the future of blockchain with the brightest minds and best talent.”

Andreas Schildbach has joined Bloq’s team as a developer. Mr. Schildbach is a fixture in the blockchain community having developed the Android bitcoin wallet, and maintains the bitcoin repository. Paul Sztorc joins Bloq’s team as an economist. He previously worked as a statistician at Yale University and as the chief scientist of Truthcoin.

Bloq’s newly formed Board of Advisors includes professionals with deep experience in enterprise software, financial services and blockchain technology. They will help guide Bloq in shaping its strategy and defining the next generation of blockchain innovations. The advisory board is comprised of the following individuals:

  • Gavin Andresen – Bitcoin Core Developer, MIT Digital Currency Initiative
  • Andrew Filipowski – Chairman of Tally Capital, and former Founder, Chairman and CEO of Platinum Technology, which was eighth largest software company in the world
  • William Mougayar – General Partner of Virtual Capital Ventures, author of The Business Blockchain
  • James Newsome – Founding Partner of Delta Strategy Group, Chairman of the CFTC (2000-2004), and CEO of the New York Mercantile Exchange (2004-2008)
  • Nick Szabo – Cryptographer, Digital Currency Researcher and Smart Contracts Pioneer

“Bloq’s Board of Advisors is an unrivalled team, whose insights into the intersection of technology, finance and industry will be a valuable input to the success of our customers and partners,” says Jeff Garzik, Co-Founder of Bloq.

 

Media Contact
Phil Gomes
[email protected]

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Bloq Partners With Deloitte to Build Blockchain Solutions

May 03, 2016 06:00 ET

Partnership Will Power Enterprise-Grade Blockchain Experiences With World Class Developer Expertise

CHICAGO, IL–(Marketwired – May 3, 2016) – Bloq (bloq.com) announced that is working with Deloitte, which works with each of the top 30 banks across its member firms globally, to build blockchain software solutions for leading companies worldwide. Through this partnership, Bloq will help deliver enterprise-grade blockchain solutions based on the core values of open source, security and reliability.

“Deloitte’s market leadership in financial services coupled with Bloq’s expertise in blockchain technology, creates a very powerful combination in the industry,” said Matthew Roszak, co-founder and chairman of Bloq. “Every CTO on the planet is in the process of developing their blockchain strategy, and this partnership will help further enable these discussions with the guidance and expertise they need,” said Roszak.

This is part of Deloitte’s initiative to develop blockchain-related prototypes addressing digital identity, digital banking, cross-border payments, loyalty and rewards, as well as products for the investment management and insurance sectors. Bloq’s software and services can help provide new technological features and capabilities to Deloitte’s client base of global financial institutions.

“Blockchain is proving to be a major disruptive force in financial services,” said Eric Piscini, principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP and the global financial services blockchain leader. “We continue to focus on helping our clients make blockchain a reality for their business. Together, we are harvesting the benefits of blockchain technologies — developing new revenue models, improving cost efficiencies and creating innovative solutions across the globe.”

Bloq’s software and expertise will help enable Deloitte to work with clients to rapidly build and test ideas, leveraging the latest solutions and integrating them into complex client environments.

 

Media Contact
Phil Gomes
[email protected]