On May 6, 2016, Microsoft announced its membership in the Chamber of Digital Commerce, a major trade organization focusing on Bitcoin's underlying blockchain technology and its potential applications. This move further solidifies Microsoft's commitment to distributed ledger technology and its Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) initiative on the Azure cloud platform.
Microsoft's Blockchain Strategy
Since launching BaaS on Azure in November 2015, Microsoft has been enabling developers and enterprises to easily access and deploy blockchain solutions. The platform provides not only quick provisioning of blockchain networks but also integration with other Azure services such as multi-factor authentication. Marley Gray, Microsoft's Director of BizDev & Strategy for Blockchain, stated: "Microsoft is thrilled to join the Chamber of Digital Commerce. We firmly believe industry collaborations are critical to bringing distributed ledger technology to market. The work of the Chamber will advance distributed ledger technology in a thoughtful, pragmatic way."
Policy Advocacy and Education
The Chamber of Digital Commerce is a leading trade association dedicated to promoting blockchain technology and digital assets. By joining the Chamber, Microsoft gains a direct channel to regulators and policymakers who are increasingly scrutinizing blockchain. In recent months, politicians have debated whether specific regulatory frameworks are needed. A recent meeting at the European Parliament resulted in no immediate regulatory action, indicating a cautious approach. Microsoft's involvement in the Chamber is expected to help shape sensible policies that encourage innovation while addressing legitimate concerns.
Welcoming New Members
Perianne Boring, President and Founder of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, said: "Market leading companies continue to enter the blockchain ecosystem at an unprecedented pace — further underlining the importance and potential of this transformative technology — and they quickly realize that education and advocacy efforts are mission-critical to the success of this industry’s future. We welcome Microsoft, USAA, Bloq and Symbiont, and their innovative teams to the Chamber of Digital Commerce and look forward to driving blockchain and distributed ledger technology forward in DC, and beyond."
Expanding BaaS Ecosystem
Alongside the membership announcement, Microsoft also provided updates on its BaaS offering. New partners have been added including Storj, Blocknet, and OKCash. Additionally, the Ether.Camp Ethereum Studio IDE is now available on Azure for developing Solidity smart contracts. These additions demonstrate Microsoft's efforts to build a diverse ecosystem around its blockchain service.
The combination of Microsoft's technological heft and the Chamber's advocacy platform positions both entities to drive meaningful adoption of distributed ledger technology in enterprise and government contexts. As more traditional tech giants embrace blockchain, the path toward regulatory clarity and mass deployment becomes clearer.