A new LinkedIn report from the Asia-Pacific region hits some interesting notes on blockchain.
First, in a report called Future of Skills 2019, LinkedIn reports that for the first time, blockchain would be included on a list of 10 top skills for in-demand professionals on the platform.
LinkedIn specifically lists “setting up and managing a distributed and decentralized public ledger” as one of the most looked-for items on a professional resume, at leat in the region.
The news also underscores the role of the Asia-Pacific region as a major hub of blockchain activity.
Many reports on Bitcoin and its volatile value movement point out that many of the largest mining pools are located in China, and that other regional countries like South Korea are very active in blockchain as well.
A comment by LinkedIn reinforces the idea that talent acquisition is tied to future innovation.
“Rising skills can be used to forecast where industries are going,” LinkenIn analysts wrote. “Examining what rising skills certain industries are hiring for shows what changes they are anticipating.”
Some analysts are also talking about the reverse correlation of the Chinese Yuan currency to Bitcoin values, with others warning that correlation doesn’t prove causation.
Another thing that many of these Asia-Pacific countries have in common is enthusiasm from federal governments.
The top national offices of Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea are all on record as embracing blockchain technology, while reactions in other parts of the world have been more muted.
Countries like India and Russia have been slow to embrace cryptocurrencies, with Indian leaders at one point imposing a ban on crypto, and the Chinese have offered strikingly contradictory ideas, while in the U.S., regulators struggle to come up with a good framework to manage cryptocurrency holdings and trades.
All of that notwithstanding, we have seen incredible institutional buy-in on blockchain over the past year, with headlines related to IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, and many others.
That doesn’t exclude governments – for instance, we’ve seen U.S. officials from areas like the SEC and the legislature calling for more comprehensive regulations that would help Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies move forward. Look for more as blockchain skill sets continue to filter into the average tech job ad.
