IoT Startup Filament Hits Milestone for Blockchain Hardware

Filament, a startup that focuses on Internet of Things solutions, announced Monday that it has successfully created a USB-compatible form factor for its blockchain semiconductor.

Co-founder and CEO Allison Clift-Jennings told CoinDesk that the device, based on Filament's existing technology, allows technologists to launch blockchain projects simply by plugging it into a compatible port.

The new "Blocklet" device, she said, builds on that, allowing blockchain processors to interface with existing infrastructure.

Stepping back, the Filament chief executive said that there has been a shift in how people perceive blockchain in the last several years.

"A couple years ago we had the blockchain-native capability, but it was to sell IoT devices as sensors and we'd Trojan Horse the blockchain into it. We had a hard time getting people to commit even when they knew about blockchain," she said, continuing "Now we're trying to massively hire more engineers and we want that chip in our product line."

The move is similar to announcements made by IBM and Microsoft, she said, noting that IBM has announced a blockchain hardware chip and Microsoft has been promoting its Azure cloud computing framework.

By contrast, "Our devices can hold up to 16 keys, so you can have 16 blockchain implementations simultaneously."

The startup has already produced a small number of the devices, but is in the process of ramping up production, Clift-Jennings said, adding "Probably people can have as many as they would like."

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