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Gallery: ConsenSys Plots Ethereum’s Future from Hipster Haven

The headquarters of Brooklyn-based ConsenSys, don't look like your typical financial sector offices. Check out this rare behind-the-scenes tour.

Based in Brooklyn, New York, the headquarters of Ethereum startup, ConsenSys, don't look like your typical financial sector offices. (Photo credit: Michael del Castillo)
Based in Brooklyn, New York, the headquarters of Ethereum startup, ConsenSys, don't look like your typical financial sector offices. (Photo credit: Michael del Castillo)

ConsenSys announced yesterday it had collaborated with Microsoft to implement its tools for building Ethereum-based decentralized applications (dapps) directly into the software giant's Visual Studio programming platform, a service that boasts more than 3 million registered users.

During a tour of ConsenSys' Brooklyn, New York-based headquarters earlier this month CoinDesk was given a behind-the-scenes look at where the company's 30 New York City employees are helping mount a global push into both the financial and digital sectors with their distributed ledger technology.

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ConsenSys HQ Photo credit: Michael del Castillo
ConsenSys HQ Photo credit: Michael del Castillo

Outside, the ConsenSys headquarters don't look like your typical finance industry offices, with more hipsters than bankers passing by at a given moment. The walls are covered in graffiti – even if, in typical Brooklyn fashion, some of the work is commissioned.

ConsenSys HQ
ConsenSys HQ

ConsenSys co-founder Joe Lubin is also the co-founder of the Ethereum blockchain upon which his new company is built. Previously, Lubin was vice-president of technology at Goldman Sachs division of private wealth management.

ConsenSys HQ
ConsenSys HQ

Based in a neighborhood known as East Williamsburg, 30 employees work out of ConsenSys' Brooklyn office.

ConsenSys HQ
ConsenSys HQ

Founded in mid-2014 ConsenSys is a completely bootstrapped startup – but that hasn't kept it from boasting its own version of the obligatory startup mini-bar.

ConsenSys HQ
ConsenSys HQ

In a conversation with CoinDesk, early employee Andrew Keys said the company was generating revenue but isn't yet disclosing the names of its clientele.

ConsenSys HQ
ConsenSys HQ

Keys said the company didn't want to be profitable quite yet. Instead, hoping to more-than double the number of employees to 150 people by the end of 2016. Above, the ConsenSys logo is emblazoned on a refrigerator in the small employee kitchen.

ConsenSys HQ
ConsenSys HQ

Lubin, who is also the CEO, works in a corner on the floor with the rest of the New York City-based employees.

ConsenSys HQ
ConsenSys HQ

Image Credit: Michael del Castillo for CoinDesk

Michael del Castillo

A full-time member of the Editorial Team at CoinDesk, Michael covers cryptocurrency and blockchain applications. His writing has been published in the New Yorker, Silicon Valley Business Journal and Upstart Business Journal. Michael is not an investor in any digital currencies or blockchain projects. He has previously held value in bitcoin (See: Editorial Policy). Email: michael@coindesk.com. Follow Michael: @delrayman

Picture of CoinDesk author Michael del Castillo