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The new company develops a blockchain service called EkoLink, which allows professionals to verify using features of the blockchain, including immutability and timestamps, which eases data verification process for recruiters. The service is based on the blockchain platform, available as a service for developing distributed applications. The EkoLink was founded by the co-lead developer of Berkeley Blockchain Lab.
Today, many specialists across the world put efforts in developing their working skills and education using numerous programs. But even if they provide certification, there is still no trusted way to verify such documents and other important information for employers like work experience. Thus, recruiters have to spend time and resources on additional checks.
To solve this issue, the new company developed the EkoLink Service which uses the advantages of blockchain technology. It leverages immutability feature and timestamps that contain information about a degree, skill level, and work experience.
Timestamps are made by various institutions and employers, allegedly ensuring that data is not interfered by an individual or a third party, yet it can be adjusted and updated after being added to the ledger.
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Blockchain platform as a service
The service strives to provide a universal mechanism of verification, so it could be a “world-wide” standardized verification system, making it easier for professionals to find a job in another country.
Thereby, the EkoLink Service allows recruiters to save time and resources, but as the team points out on the official website , it can also be customized for other industries, such as banking, finance, and general notary service. The service is built on top of the EKO Blockchain Platform developed by the company. It is a public network, which utilizes Proof of Professional Stake consensus protocol (PoPS), designed for enterprise-grade blockchain applications. The platform is compatible with EVM based solidity smart contracts.
These features allow to develop and deploy blockchain applications as the EKO Blockchain Platform is available as a service. Last summer EKO Blockchain Platform became a Microsoft Partner and was added to the Azure Cloud, thus eliminating the need to create a proprietary distributed ledger.
Besides, there are several other services for developers. EKO Mobile reportedly makes it possible to create data-driven distributed applications for mobile and “Internet-of-things” (IoT) devices. Next, EKO Social offers an option to attach a social identity to distributed applications, making them closer to “real world situations”. Finally, there is the EKO Blockchain Application Toolbox that enables businesses and developers to make deep web data accessible on the blockchain.
People behind the project
The team of EkoLink is based in the USA and Europe. Steve Chen, a founder of EkoLink, was appointed to co-lead Berkeley Blockchain Lab in February 2018. It is an initiative of the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET). SCET launched its first blockchain course in 2016, enabling undergraduate and graduate students from across the Berkeley campus in areas such as engineering, finance, economics, and mathematics to come together to explore emerging opportunities in blockchain at the intersection of finance, security, and cryptography.
Several professionals have joined the EkoLink team as strategic advisors to help the company along the way. Among them is Anthony St. George, the Assistant Dean of International and Corporate Partnerships of College of Engineering at Berkeley University. Then goes Jialing Liu, BitsClub co-founder, BitShares and Ethereum program senior participant, and BitShares committee member. It is also worth to mention Dustin Byington, who is the president of Wanchain, co-founder of Tendermint, and founder of SatoshiTalent.
Achieved goals and launch date
So far, EkoLink has managed to pass several milestones. Back in November last year it conducted a public TestNet. On January 10, EkoLink has launched a public trial, and at the beginning of the month the company added its Degree Verification extension to the Google Chrome Web Store.
EkoLink has partnered with JianKe to put online job experiences on EkoLink’s platform. JianKe primarily serves college students and help them to find part-time jobs. JianKe serves over 5 million registered users, and over 170,000 businesses.
With this application, users can independently verify degree and work experience information through a secure connection to any issuing organization. The connection and credential information is recorded on the EKO Blockchain.
According to the project’s road map, by the second quarter of this year, EkoLink plans to release “all major features”, and open its service to clients, including individuals, educational institutions, and corporate recruiters.
