New ConsenSys studio in Dublin will drive the future of Ethereum-based blockchain applications.
Up to 60 new jobs are to be created at blockchain player ConsenSys in a new Dublin innovation studio, which will open its doors in June.
ConsenSys is working to assemble a diverse team, and anticipates that it will have 60 people based in the Dublin studio within a year, with 70pc of the team being blockchain and full-stack engineers.
‘ConsenSys establishing a presence in Dublin is a big deal for Ireland’
– LORY KEHOE
The innovation studio will be a multifunctional facility that will include a development lab, where engineers will build and deliver Ethereum-based blockchain platforms and products stemming from the company’s consulting arm, ConsenSys Solutions, as well as a centre for client collaboration.
The space will also ideate and incubate decentralised applications and ‘spoke’ companies as part of ConsenSys’ venture studio, ConsenSys Labs.
Dublin in the middle of a blockchain reaction
The Dublin innovation studio already has a growing team of blockchain experts with decades of combined cryptography and enterprise-focused blockchain solutions experience.
Dublin will be ConsenSys’ third hub in Europe and fourth in EMEA, adding to its network in London, Dubai and Paris.
The European Commission recently appointed ConsenSys as an adviser to the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum, a two-year initiative aimed at helping the EU to identify high-priority use cases and accelerate blockchain innovation.
Spearheading ConsenSys’ efforts in Dublin is Lory Kehoe, who joined the company from Deloitte, where he was director of the EMEA Blockchain Lab for nearly three years.
In 2015, Kehoe worked with Keith Fingleton, now CIO of the IDA, to establish the Irish Blockchain Expert Group, a group of start-ups, public service entities, universities and multinationals working to make Ireland a hub for blockchain projects and industry talent.
ConsenSys was founded by Joseph Lubin, a Canadian entrepreneur who has founded and co-founded several companies, including the Swiss-based Ethereum, a decentralised cryptocurrency platform.
“ConsenSys establishing a presence in Dublin is a big deal for Ireland,” said Kehoe.
“It shows there is a vibrant cross-industry and cross-sector blockchain ecosystem in the country, which ConsenSys will contribute to and build upon. More specifically, ConsenSys is looking to attract some of the great tech talent that already exists in Ireland, thanks to the many global tech companies that are based here.”
Jeremy Millar, chief of staff at ConsenSys, helped establish the company’s first European office in London, and explained the importance of the Dublin innovation studio.
“Dublin is a renowned global technology hub that is home to the international operations of the world’s largest technology companies,” said Millar.
“We can feel the excitement in the developer community for ConsenSys’ expansion to Dublin, where the tech community is embracing decentralisation to solve intractable challenges such as identity protection, data sovereignty and sharing economics. We are consistently impressed by the depth of Ethereum knowledge and developer skills in the region.”
