Hyperledger is expected to establish a Chinese technical working group soon to serve as a bridge between China and the global blockchain

If blockchain is used well, national borders will begin to disappear.

An immutable, shared ledger of transactions and goods would allow us to clearly see that everything we grow, create, buy, and sell comes from the same planet.

But this future is uncertain, as a global war for talent is currently underway among the various developer teams scrambling to implement blockchain technology.

For example, the blockchain consortium Hyperledger was initially founded almost entirely with the support of Western companies, but this year it added more than 20 new members from China, 10 from Japan and South Korea, and a number of other countries.

With these successes under his belt, Hyperledger CEO Brian Behlendorf now faces a new challenge—creating a system that allows information to flow among these multilingual members as seamlessly as blockchain data.

Behlendorf hopes to overcome this challenge by creating a China Technical Working Group , which, if accepted by members, could help bridge multicultural gaps around the world.

Behlendorf said:

“If we create these systems correctly, they can help us reach across borders and use a common technology platform to help us integrate faster.”

Behlendorf’s plan is to create a Hyperledger China community to strengthen the sense of belonging of Chinese companies, making it easier for these companies to connect with each other and build bridges between these corporate members.

Several of the Chinese companies in Hyperledger are blockchain startups, and the two newest Chinese members are also the largest Chinese companies in the blockchain alliance.

In October this year, Huawei joined the Hyperledger, which had revenue of $60 billion last year. Earlier, in September, Wanda Group became China's first senior member of the Hyperledger, with annual revenue of $38.8 billion.

In theory, the more members a Hyperledger has, the greater its influence.

Blockchain China

Although China’s contingent in Hyperledger continues to expand, China’s blockchain development is not limited to Hyperledger.

Chinese investors and financial institutions have begun embracing blockchain technology across the country this year, and even the government has sent some positive signals.

On May 11, Chinese companies came together to form the China Distributed Ledger Alliance, or ChinaLedger. By the end of the month, 31 companies had come together to create the Shenzhen Financial Blockchain Alliance. Both alliances aim to help China gain more benefits from the efficiency of blockchain.

Just days after the Shenzhen Financial Blockchain Alliance was established, China Ping An Insurance became the first Chinese financial institution to join the New York-based R3CEV blockchain alliance.

However, China’s push to create cross-border financial infrastructure also includes collaboration with public blockchain companies.

Less than a month later, blockchain startup Circle announced it had raised $60 million in Series D funding led by Beijing-based IDG Capital to expand the company’s operations in China.

Hyperledger Proposal

It is in this context that Brian Behlendorf, Executive Director of Hyperledger, proposed the creation of the Hyperledger China Technical Working Group.

On October 26, Behlendorf wrote in an email to members that the working group can serve as a "bridge" connecting the Hyperledger global community with the Chinese region.

Behlendorf said the response to the proposal has been very positive.

At the Technical Steering Committee meeting last Thursday, he took the idea further, explaining that the working group could be made up of 11 people, including co-chairs who would rotate in attending English-language Technical Steering Committee meetings.

If the proposal is passed, the co-chairs will likely be volunteers, he said, with members of Huawei's technical steering committee volunteering in public forums to help bridge the community and eliminate language barriers.

Behlendorf said:

“The mission of this working group is not just to ask questions and get support, but to help these developers become actual contributors to the project. We get more than just rewards for sharing intellectual property.”

More than just a language issue

Of course, language issues aren’t the only barrier isolating Chinese Hyperledger members from the rest of the community. There are other factors as well.

Another member from Huawei, who spoke fluent English at last week's meeting, said the language problem was not as serious as the time difference.

Zhibei Yu, product manager at Hyperledger member Yunxiang Group, said they plan to participate voluntarily and think the idea of ​​establishing a Chinese technical working group is a great one.

Qian Dejun, founder and CEO of Shanghai-based Bitse, an early Hyperledger member, said his company had not encountered problems with cross-border cooperation, but they believed the proposal was valuable.

Qian told CoinDesk that the working group will be helpful in integrating new members into Hyperledger’s unique multinational culture.

“We think this is a great tool for new Chinese members. It will accelerate the progress of blockchain work around the world.”

down to earth

Currently, Hyperledger executives are writing a formal proposal and intend to submit it to members for a formal vote today.

If all goes well, the China Technical Working Group will be formally established at the Hyperledger’s first China Hackathon on January 7 and 8, 2017.

Wanda Financial Group, one of the organizers of the hackathon, said they expect "all Hyperledger members" to participate in the hackathon.

Now, a firm that specializes in helping foreign companies find professionals in China is working with Hyperledger’s recently appointed sales and accounting manager to expand the alliance’s reach.

Behlendorf concluded:

“We are seeing a continued expansion of the Hyperledger team.”