Since its US IPO, Alibaba has been on a buying spree of companies around the globe. Recent investments include e-commerce companies in India and the Philippines, leading a $793 million dollar stake in US augmented reality company Magic Leap, and a $1.25 billion stake in Chinese food delivery startup Ele.me. At the same time, Alibaba’s payments and finance arm, Ant Financial (a $60 billion dollar powerhouse), has also been active with its cash. Most significant was Ant’s recent $880 million dollar bid for MoneyGram, the US based firm that settles payments all over the world.
It’s safe to say that Alibaba’s founder, Jack Ma, has a grander plan than dominating Asia’s e-commerce industry. Ma’s plan for Alibaba is for a new digital revolution, where data, smart supply chains, online payments, and P2P finance will enable small businesses everywhere. And blockchain could play a major role in all of these applications.
One Belt, One Road
http://news.8btc.com/alibaba-moving-on-blockchain
