GENEVA, Switzerland, Sept. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The InterWork Alliance (IWA), a non-profit, member-led organization dedicated to empowering organizations to adopt token-powered services for their day-to-day operations, is merging with the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC), the leading global industry association for the blockchain technology ecosystem.
IWA will become an initiative of the GBBC and IWA members will become members of the GBBC, with the GBBC becoming one of the largest global industry associations for the blockchain technology ecosystem with more than 330 institutional members.
Under the direction of the GBBC, IWA will continue to drive the creation of open standards, protocols, and specifications for tokenized business services on a global scale through the development of its Token Taxonomy, InterWork, and Analytics Frameworks. IWA will also launch a comprehensive certification program based on its frameworks.
GBBC’s extensive global member community will have the opportunity to participate in IWA’s Business and Technical Working Groups and contribute to IWA’s frameworks designed to simplify the digital interchange of value.
“The combination of these two organizations into one is fantastic for the business community,” said Marley Gray, Chair of IWA’s Leadership Council. “Harnessing the opportunities and navigating the disruption that blockchain technology presents just got a whole lot easier.”
The joining of forces of IWA and GBBC will create increased member value through additional opportunities for outcome-driven engagements, advocacy, and partnerships.
“The InterWork Alliance and the Global Blockchain Business Council share a common goal when it comes to mapping industry-wide standards for digital assets and blockchain,” said Yuval Rooz, Co-founder and CEO of Digital Asset and a GBBC Board Member. “Collaboration and interoperability are key factors for success in this space. This merger is a great move that will help advance the adoption of tokenized assets and blockchain technologies across industries.”
“From carbon credits, to collectibles and insurance certificates, business across industries are realizing the broad applicability of digital tokens to provide more transparent and secure infrastructures. The IWA joining forces with the GBBC is a significant move that will accelerate co-innovation in the open standards development community, allowing our clients to adopt digital tokens faster, with greater consistency and confidence,” said David Treat, Co-Lead of Accenture’s Global Blockchain & Multiparty Systems business and GBBC Board Chair. “We are in a seminal moment for technology-driven change and the collaboration between IWA’s board of directors and GBBC’s leadership team is the exact synergy that’s needed to reinvent the future.”
As part of the merger, Paul Rapino, IWA’s Head of Growth, will join the GBBC as Chief Growth Officer, and Jackson Ross, IWA’s Technical Marketing Analyst will join the GBBC as Technical Program Manager.
Furthermore, IWA’s existing Board of Directors will become the Leadership Council for GBBC’s IWA initiative, driving the initiative’s strategy in cooperation with GBBC’s leadership. IWA’s Leadership Council will be comprised of:
- Marley Gray, Principal Architect – Azure Multiparty Engineering, Microsoft; Chair, IWA Leadership Council
- David Treat, Senior Managing Director, Co-Lead of Accenture’s Global Blockchain & Multiparty Systems business; GBBC Board Chair
- Peter Golder, Chief Commercial Officer & Board Member, SIX Digital Exchange (SDX)
- John deVadoss, Founder & President, NGD Enterprise
- Eric Saraniecki, Co-Founder & Head of Strategic Initiatives, Digital Asset
- Sandra Ro, CEO, Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC)
The Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC) is the leading global industry association for the blockchain technology ecosystem with more than 330 institutional members, and 130 Ambassadors from more than 70 jurisdictions and disciplines. GBBC is dedicated to furthering adoption of blockchain through engaging regulators, business leaders, and global changemakers on how to harness this ground-breaking technology to create more secure, equitable, and functional societies. To learn more about GBBC, please visit www.gbbcouncil.org. Click here to follow GBBC on LinkedIn and Twitter.
The InterWork Alliance (IWA) is a member-led initiative of the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC), dedicated to creating platform-neutral specifications and trusted certification to define how digital token business processes can interwork regardless of location or market segment. To learn more about the IWA, please visit www.interwork.org. Click here to follow IWA on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Media Contact
Sofia Arend, Communications and Content Lead, Global Blockchain Business Council
sofia.arend@gbbcouncil.org