An ICTC Study
Building Canadian Consensus
Published by ICTC, December 2019
Blockchain is an early-stage emerging technology, and its impact on the Canadian economy and labour market is just beginning to take shape. Building Canadian Consensus undertakes an examination of the Canadian blockchain ecosystem today, documenting its current status and trends for its future. Through in-depth discussions with industry consultants and a wide array of data collection, the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) presents an overview of blockchain technology, the industries it is present in, its applications, and differences across Canada before turning to the labour market and opportunities for studying and working in blockchain. Finally, the report turns to trends over time, examining intellectual property and other data that provides a hint at blockchain’s future in Canada and around the world. Overall, Building Canadian Consensus concludes that the Canadian blockchain ecosystem has survived the period commonly known as “crypto-winter,” following the dramatical fall in the price of Bitcoin, and now shows signs of maturing through a wide variety of indicators.
“Building a Consensus” provides insight into:
- The history and context of blockchain in Canada;
- Key concepts;
- Use cases and what blockchain is not right for;
- Canada’s blockchain advantage versus other jurisdictions;
- Sector, type, and company size data;
- Workforce skills required in blockchain; and
- Emerging Trends for a maturing industry.
Researched and written by Ryan McLaughlin (Senior Economist & Research Analyst), Faun Rice (Research & Policy Analyst) and Rosina Hamoni (Junior Research Analyst), with generous support from the ICTC Research & Policy team.
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