- ConsenSys reportedly bought Planetary Resources through an asset-purchase transaction
- Planetary Resources CEO Chris Lewicki and General Counsel Brian Israel have now joined ConsenSys
- Israel says Ethereum smart contracts would facilitate commerce and “private-ordering” in space
Joe Lubin-led ConsenSys , the innovative Brooklyn-based global distributed ledger technology (DLT) firm, focused on helping blockchain and crypto-linked firms get off the ground, has acquired Planetary Resources, an asteroid mining company headquartered in Washington, to spread the gospel of Ethereum, smart contracts and blockchain to outer space, according to a press release on October 31, 2018.
ConsenSys Takes Blockchain To The Moon
While distribution ledger technology (DLT), digital assets and smart contracts are yet to conclude their assignment here on planet earth, forward-thinking visionaries are already plotting the graph of how to take blockchain technology to space.
In a first of its kind transaction, ConsenSys, the blockchain company created by the co-founder of Ethereum, Joe Lubin, has acquired an asteroid mining firm called Planetary Resources in an asset-purchase deal.
Although at press time, the details of the transaction remain undisclosed, it has however been revealed that two key personnel of Planetary Resources: President and CEO Chris Lewicki, as well as General Counsel, Brian Israel have joined ConsenSys, to make Ethereum’s journey to outer space as frictionless as possible.
With more than 50 enterprises already funded, including a legal https://openlaw.io/ services startup, an online poker site, and several others all powered by blockchain technology and smart contracts, ConsenSys is indeed an excellent example of a venture studio.
Unlocking Untapped Human Potential
Commenting on the development, Ethereum Co-founder and CEO of ConsenSys, Joe Lubin commended Planetary Resources for its great talents, innovation and inspiration brought to the world over the years.
“Bringing deep space capabilities into the ConsenSys ecosystem reflects our belief in the potential for Ethereum to help humanity craft new societal rule systems through automated trust and guaranteed execution. And it reflects our belief in democratizing and decentralizing space endeavors to unite our species and unlock untapped human potential,” Lubin concluded.
As stated in the press release, the ConsenSys team will commence their space operations at the Planetary Resources’ former base at Redmond, and they have pledged to share their plans to take over outer space in the coming months.
It’s worth noting that Planetary Resources’ President and CEO Chris Lewicki previously worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as Flight Director of the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers and Phoenix Mars Lander before co-founding the firm.
Brian Israel on the other hand, worked for nearly a decade at the U.S State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser, taking care of all things concerning international legal dimensions of outer space and more.
With ConsenSys now in the picture, it remains to be seen whether the team will break new grounds in the near future.