KPMG in Canada has joined the Toronto-based Blockchain Research Institute program, an initiative examining the strategic opportunities associated with this emerging technology.

The Institute was founded by Don Tapscott and Alex Tapscott, co-authors of the bestselling book Blockchain Revolution, who see blockchain technology as the second era of the internet. Broadly speaking, blockchain is a distributed, highly secure platform, ledger or database where value — everything from money, stocks, bonds, intellectual property, and deeds, to music, art and even votes — can be stored and exchanged without powerful intermediaries.

“This partnership allows us early access to ground-breaking research and the opportunity to work with many leading players from a wide-array of industries and disciplines,” says Elio Luongo, CEO and senior partner, KPMG in Canada, in a statement.