Late last week, the Blockchain Trust Accelerator at New America, along with a global blockchain consulting firm and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, launched a two-year collaborative blockchain-based initiative to anonymously and securely track and measure factory worker well-being with an immutable and digitally authenticated blockchain solution. The collaboration is based on Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Sustainability and Health Initiative for NetPositive Enterprise Health and Well-being Index. The blockchain-based solution will be piloted in three factories in Mexico producing goods for a major international retailer and employing 5,000 workers. New America also released a blueprint for blockchain and social innovation last week. The blueprint outlines blockchain-use cases for how governments can leverage blockchain to reduce inefficiencies.

Also last week, a global technology company, three major national healthcare insurance providers and a national banking institution announced plans to design a blockchain-based network that will address key healthcare industry challenges, including efficient claims and payment processing, current and accurate provider directories, and secure and frictionless healthcare information exchanges. In other enterprise developments, Hyperledger recently announced Grid – a new project that seeks to facilitate supply chain solutions. Additionally, Hyperledger Fabric was recently implemented in a blockchain solution for tantalum mined in Rwanda, where questionable mining practices threaten to classify tantalum as a "conflict mineral." This new blockchain solution seeks to provide critical traceability to tantalum, protect against conflict concerns, and ensure investment and stability in Rwanda-sourced tantalum, which is frequently used to manufacture electronics and medical devices.

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