Decentral Inc. and Gowling WLG Form Strategic Blockchain Alliance
TORONTO, CANADA — March 8, 2018 — Decentral Inc., Canada’s leading blockchain company and the creator of Jaxx, and Gowling WLG, a multinational law firm and leader in the blockchain space, have today announced a strategic alliance to optimize the many commercial and legal applications of blockchain technology. The relationship will allow the two companies to fuse their expertise on a number of significant initiatives – from engineering practical smart contract technology and drafting foundational legal precedents documents, to helping regulators establish frameworks that encourage the responsible growth of Canada’s thriving blockchain sector.
Based in Toronto, Decentral is one of Canada’s most recognizable blockchain companies. Its Founder and CEO, Anthony Diiorio, co-founded Ethereum. Decentral’s flagship product is Jaxx, a cryptocurrency wallet and multi-token blockchain interface.
Diiorio believes the alliance is a sign that the blockchain space is rapidly progressing. “Decentral’s relationship with Gowling WLG spans a number of years, and we are delighted to form an alliance that enables us to work even closer together on a number of transformative blockchain industry initiatives. Canada is one of the leaders on the world stage for blockchain and cryptocurrency and I am confident Decentral’s strategic alliance with Gowling WLG will further cement the country’s place as an innovation hub,” said Diiorio.
Usman Sheikh, Head of Gowling WLG’s Blockchain & Smart Contracts Group, said: “Decentral is a major player on the world blockchain stage. As Gowling WLG continues to assert itself as the Canadian legal industry’s blockchain torchbearer, our collaboration with Decentral will ensure our clients have access to the cutting-edge tools and forward-looking expertise needed to succeed in an increasingly competitive landscape.”
As part of the agreement, Decentral will help Gowling WLG develop its internal blockchain infrastructure and client-facing tools. Gowling WLG will provide comprehensive legal guidance on Decentral’s current practices and ongoing projects.
Decentral’s President Addison Cameron-Huff said: “This alliance demonstrates Canada’s leadership in the blockchain space — a winning combination of a world-class blockchain software team plus a best-of-breed legal team. Together, Gowling WLG and Decentral will help to refine and architect the burgeoning Canadian blockchain industry, lifting the technology to new heights.”
ABOUT GOWLING WLG
In recent years, Gowling WLG has distinguished itself as a legal market leader in blockchain. It is a co-founding member of the Blockchain Research Institute, was instrumental in the public listing of the very first blockchain company in the world, and its experts are currently authoring The Law of Blockchain Technology (scheduled for publication by Thomson Reuters in 2018). In October 2017, Gowling WLG officially launched its Blockchain & Smart Contracts Practice Group, comprising lawyers with advanced expertise in securities, intellectual property and tax law, litigation and other key areas.
ABOUT DECENTRAL AND JAXX
Decentral was created by Anthony Diiorio. It’s located in the heart of downtown Toronto and has been home to hundreds of blockchain community events. Decentral is primarily focused on Jaxx, the multi-token blockchain interface that provides a unified experience across 8 platforms and devices. The flagship product’s strategic approach means Jaxx neither holds nor has access to customer funds. Driven by design and user experience and built with simplicity in mind, Jaxx’s mission is to become the interface to the blockchain world.