Healthcare IT Firm Joins Hyperledger Blockchain Project, Codebases Activated

The Linux-led Hyperledger project today took several new steps toward its goal of creating enterprise-grade blockchain solutions for enterprise.

The consortium was joined by its first US healthcare IT firm, Change Healthcare, and graduated two of its code bases, Intel's Sawtooth Lake and blockchain startup Soramitsu's Iroha, into active status.

The moves come just months after Change Healthcare merged with the IT unit of the McKesson Corporation, a Fortune Global 500 pharmaceuticals firm. Further, the new frameworks join Hyperledger Fabric, developed by IBM, as the only graduates to reach active status at the consortium.

Hyperledger, an open-source consortium effort, began exploring healthcare applications not long after its formation in late 2015, tapping members such as managed care consortium Kaiser Permanente and blockchain startups like Gem and Hashed Health to form a working group focused on the industry last October.

According to Change Healthcare, the focus on technology solutions for the healthcare space factored into the decision to link up with Hyperledger.

Aaron Symanski, the firm's CTO, said in a statement:

"Blockchain is a promising and exciting new technology for secure online transactions. But it’s crucial that healthcare leaders step up to champion innovation to help take blockchain from its early implementations to tomorrow’s healthcare IT solutions."

As part of its entry to the consortium, Symanski will take a seat on its governing board.

"Their expertise and global reach is sure to be a huge asset as we continue to bring the community together to advance open blockchain tools and services for healthcare and various other industries," said Brian Behlendorf, Hyperledger’s executive director.

Reporting contributed by Michael del Castillo.

Image via Pete Rizzo for CoinDesk