DUBAI — ConsenSys, the fastest growing blockchain venture studio focused on Ethereum, has announced the opening of its office in the Dubai Design District (d3). The office will be the company’s second largest operation globally.

“ConsenSys is the largest Ethereum company in the world and is committed to growing the ecosystem in the Middle East,” said Joseph Lubin, founder of ConsenSys and co-founder of Ethereum.

“Using blockchain technologies to build next-generation nations has always been high on our agenda, and there is no better place to witness this strategic transformation than Dubai, which is forging ahead with its aim to be the world’s first blockchain-powered city. As Dubai’s Blockchain Advisor , we are excited about the future and proud to be an integral part of the city’s vision.”

Lubin believes the city’s blockchain initiative will draw talent from across the world. “By embracing this revolutionary technology, Dubai has taken the lead and will quickly reap the benefits of this ecosystem by attracting startups, developers, and entrepreneurs into its fold, no more evident than at our vibrant new home in the Dubai Design District.”

The ConsenSys Dubai office plans to house around 50 employees by the end of the year.

ConsenSys also received a warm welcome from Mohammad Saeed Al-Shehhi, CEO of d3: “It is organizations like ConsenSys that underscore Dubai’s futuristic vision and reinforce our unique position as a nexus of creativity and economic innovation. Blockchain is fast becoming the norm and we are proud to welcome ConsenSys to d3.”

As part of the opening plan, ConsenSys will provide regular blockchain training, events, and education and engaging the Dubai Design District community, starting with our next Meetup on smart contracts.

In cities around the globe, ConsenSys supports events as a cultural meeting-place for futurists, entrepreneurs, developers, philosophers, humanitarians, and artists to decide together how they want to shape the next generation of the Internet. Future events in Dubai will provide opportunities to bring the Ethereum community even closer together.

Lina Hediah, executive director at ConsenSys, emphasized that the blockchain ecosystem will thrive by bringing great minds together and putting users first: “At ConsenSys, our design-led philosophy puts people at its core, and is anchored to three specific areas of innovation: emotion, process, and function. It is therefore an obvious choice to surround ourselves with strategic partners like the Smart Dubai Office and with a like-minded community such as d3, who both share our philosophy and can facilitate our journey.”

ConsenSys is a venture production studio and custom software development consultancy building decentralized applications (DApps), enterprise solutions, and developer tools for blockchain ecosystems, focused primarily on Ethereum. Powered by smart contracts and secured through encryption, our applications provide the benefits of transparency, auditability, and immutability that are unique to blockchain-based solutions. — SG