Blockchain is expanding its reach.

The database system — a kind of public ledger that gained attention as the technology underlying the virtual currency Bitcoin — is maintained by many people rather than by a single authority, like the way Wikipedia is maintained by its users.

Blockchain’s decentralized nature means it is viewed as more difficult to corrupt and hack.

Big corporations have been looking for ways to use blockchain technology to keep track of information generated by multiple companies. Now, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase and other corporate giants are joining forces to create a computing system based on another virtual currency network, Ethereum. They are set to announce the formation of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, which will create a standard version of Ethereum software that businesses can use to track data and contracts.

Some backers of the new alliance described it as a way to ensure that a separate, IBM-led blockchain effort is not the only option for businesses. Ethereum has also won a following among those who view it as being more agile and adaptable than Bitcoin.

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