# CaseStudy： ConsenSys
Introduction:
ConsenSys is a blockchain software technology company founded by Joseph Lubin and based in New York City.

# Brief History
Joseph Lubin founded ConsenSys in early 2015 as a software foundry to develop decentralized software services and applications that operate on the Ethereum blockchain.
On October 31, 2018, ConsenSys acquired Planetary Resources, an asteroid mining company.
In December 2018, ConsenSys announced a restructuring with projected layoffs of thirteen percent of its 1,200 staff, and in February 2020 announced the layoffs of a further 14% of staff.In August 2020, ConsenSys acquired Quorum from JPMorgan Chase & Co. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
In November 2021, ConsenSys raised $200 million at $3.2 billion valuation from Animoca Brands, Coinbase Ventures and HSBC among others.
In March 2022, ConsenSys raised $450 million in a new round led by ParaFi Capital, with Microsoft, SoftBank, and Temasek also joining as new investors in the company.

ConsenSys is involved in many different projects and services for blockchain uses and applications.

MetaMask is an Ethereum wallet application which allows users to store and transfer cryptocurrencies and tokens, as well as access and interact with decentralized applications built on the Ethereum blockchain. The software is free to use on desktop as a browser extension or through its mobile app.

Infura is a blockchain node infrastructure service that allows apps and developers to get data from, and broadcast transactions to, the Ethereum blockchain. Infura's network is utilized as a backend for Ethereum services and applications, including MetaMask and many others not associated with ConsenSys.

The company has started or invested in several different projects that are not considered to be core to their business, have been spun out into more independent entities, or are not wholly owned by ConsenSys. Some of these include Meridio, a platform used to create, manage, and trade fractional-share ownership in real estate assets, and Gnosis Safe, a platform for managing digital assets securely on ethereum.

# Key Highlights
**Metamask**
MetaMask is a cryptocurrency wallet that enables users to access the Web 3 ecosystem of decentralized applications (dapps).
MetaMask is also one of the leading crypto wallets, and relies on browser integration and good design to serve as one of the main gateways to the world of Web3, decentralized finance (DeFi) and NFTs.

What advantages does MetaMask have?
1. Popular - It is commonly used, so users only need one plugin to access a wide range of dapps.
2. Simple - Instead of managing private keys, users just need to remember a list of words, and transactions are signed on their behalf.
3. Flexibility - Provide mobile and chrome plug in version, and support a series of chain other than Ethereum like Polygon, Fantom, Binance Smart Chain, Avalanche, Arbitrum.
4. Integrated - Dapps are designed to work with MetaMask, so it becomes much easier to send Ether in and out.

**CBDC**
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is a digital form of central bank money that offers central banks unique advantages at the retail and wholesale levels, including increased financial access for individual customers and a more efficient infrastructure for interbank settlements.

# Results/Statistics:
There are more than 30 million monthly active users of Metamask.
- Metamask is owned by ConsenSys AG
- ConsenSys AG is valued at $3.2 billion
- This is a 38-times increase from 2020
- Truffle developer downloads: 4.8M+
- Hyperledger Besu downloads: 130k+
- Secured in smart contract audits: $25B+
- Developers using Infura: 430k
- Global clients and partners: 2000+

# Impacts：
Consensys hav
The introduction of Metamask has bring positive value to the whole industry especially in the area of decentralized finance, allowing users access more than 3700 Dapps (Decentralized Applications) on browser as an extension or as a mobile app on both Android and iOS devices. Metamask makes Ethereum more accessible.

# Upcoming/Roadmap：

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