JD Finance has inaugurated a Smart City Research Institute at its headquarter in Nanjing, published People’s Daily on Sept 28. JD Finance is a division of the Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com. It is now trying to explore Blockchain coupled with Big Data and AI to come up with better solutions for creating smart cities.

Using the application modules of distributed ledger technology, JD’s research units will try to provide advanced intelligent solutions for building smart cities. It is planning to explore Blockchain’s application to areas like energy consumptions, E-governance, logistics and finance. The report also says that the company will explore other important areas like urban environment, transportation, planning, security, healthcare etc.

JD.com‘s primary objective will be to spread Blockchain application amongst industries to reduce energy cost and to increase efficiency. From its headquarter at Nanjing, it will try to influence “the entire East China region”.

JD.com has already started exploring the technology on its own wings like logistics and supply chain. It has also started issuing blockchain asset-backed securities. In August, this year, JD.com announced about its Blockchain-as-a-service (BASS) platform. JD has launched a new tool called Blockchain Open Platform. The tool facilitates for any business to build, host and implement the distributed ledger technology without the need of developing it from the scratch.