IBM to Hire Blockchain Researchers for French Expansion

Technology giant IBM is hiring nearly 2,000 people in France - and many of them will be focusing on blockchain technology, chief executive Virginia Rometty said Wednesday.

In an interview with French news organization Le Monde, Rometty said IBM was hiring researchers for blockchain projects, among other focuses. While she did not elaborate on what projects the researchers may be working on, she did note that the company currently works with Crédit Mutuel, Orange Bank, Generali, France's national railway system and Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (LVMH).

During the interview, she said:

"In the next two years, we will hire 1,800 people in France at IBM. In January, we announced a project to recruit 400 people for research. These jobs will include AI, blockchain ... and the Internet of Things."

The move is just the latest in IBM's push to expand its blockchain research. Last week at CoinDesk's Consensus 2018 conference, the company announced it was partnering with environmental technology startup Veridium Labs to create a carbon credit token on the Stellar network.

Stepping back, the company has recently announced efforts to tackle advertising, humanitarian aid, business registries and even insurance, as previously reported by CoinDesk.

Note: Statements in this article have been translated from French.

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