Welcome to 2018!

Since the inception of the Blockchain Trust Accelerator (BTA) in 2016, we have positioned the organization as a resource for those interested in deploying blockchain technology for social good and as a platform to launch top-notch blockchain-based social impact pilot projects. We recently released our research paper on blockchain and sustainable supply chains, and published a piece on harnessing blockchain to curb corruption in Foreign Policy.

After an action-packed eighteen months, the BTA is thrilled to announce some big news to kick off 2018. First, we are launching our new blog, Around the Block(chain). Our blog is intended to be a timely, authoritative source of information for those that want to learn more about how to use blockchain to affect social change and strengthen good governance. Keep an eye on our Twitter feed for the latest blog posts.

Secondly, we are expanding our family! In 2018, we welcome three new fellows to the BTA team. Among other things, our fellows will help us with strategic research and writing (including blog posts) and vetting project proposals.  

Asvatha Babu, our first full-time fellow, is based out of the New America offices. She is a recent M.A. graduate from American University and is interested in blockchain’s applications in the developing world. 

Caroline Friedman believes that blockchain solutions have the potential to transform global accountability and anti-corruption measures. Most recently, Friedman served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.

Caitlin Klevorick served as a senior advisor in the Office of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and is well-versed in the intersection of emerging technology and foreign policy. She is based out of New York City.

We continue to be encouraged by the number of strategic conversations dedicated to harnessing this powerful new tool to improve development and social impact. In January, we partnered with the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC) at Blockchain Central at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. We also have a presentation coming up at SXSW in March on how blockchain can be utilized to restore trust in global institutions.  

And finally, we have exciting new pilot projects in the pipeline.  As we continue to partner with leading technology firms, governments and civil society organizations to develop and learn from early Blockchain pilot projects, we’d love to hear from you if you have an idea for a blockchain-based solution to a social or governance problem.

If you have any feedback about a blog post or would like us to cover a particular topic, reach out to us at bta@newamerica.org.