Share this article
Tencent, FedEx Join Tapscott-Led Blockchain Research Effort
Tencent and FedEx are among over a dozen major companies and institutions joining the Canada-based Blockchain Research Institute.
By Nikhilesh De
Updated Sep 13, 2021, 7:00 a.m. Published Oct 4, 2017, 12:00 p.m.
A Canada-based blockchain research effort has added over a dozen members including major companies Tencent and FedEx, and the Ontario Ministry of Health.
The Blockchain Research Institute was originally founded in March by Don and Alex Tapscott, and backed by a group companies like IBM and PepsiCo, as well as a number of blockchain startups.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
Aimed to serve as a hub for academic research around the technology, the institute's new members also notably include Deloitte Canada, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), Fujitsu, telecom provider Bell Canada and gold mining giant Barrick Gold.
Those backing the effort expressed optimism over the effort in a press release, including Tencent's blockchain lead, Ray Guo, who said:
"Blockchain Research Institute provides a great platform for Tencent and other members of the institute to carry out blockchain research and discussion, which is of great significance to Tencent and the industry. We believe that the blockchain+ era is coming!"
The institute – which has more than 50 experts developing research and analysis – has also announced that its team will now be working on more than 70 projects. The group has already begun releasing reports exploring blockchain's future potential in a variety of use cases.
The other new members to have joined the research effort are: Capgemini Canada, Cimcorp, the Institute on Governance, KPMG LLP, MKS Switzerland, food retailer Loblaw Companies, interbank network operator Interac and Moog.
FedEx packages image via Vytautas Kielaitis/Shutterstock
More For You
What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
More For You
Coinbase Reopens India Signups, Targets Fiat On-Ramp in 2026 After Two-Year Freeze
Coinbase halted services entirely in 2023, off-boarded millions of Indian users and shuttered local access while reassessing regulatory exposure.
What to know:
- Coinbase has resumed onboarding users in India, marking its return to the market after a two-year hiatus due to regulatory issues.
- The exchange is currently allowing crypto-to-crypto trading and plans to reintroduce fiat on-ramps next year.
- Despite regulatory challenges, Coinbase is investing in India, including increasing its stake in local exchange CoinDCX.
Top Stories
