Razormind, a global computing firm, has announced that it will open its European headquarters in Belfast, which will create a new blockchain lab along with 12 jobs and 20 paid internships and will also install 10 bitcoin ATM’s over the next 12 months.

“We are investing in Belfast as it is our home and the best place in Europe to do business with an international scope. In order to catalyze this, we will welcome 20 paid interns. We've also agreed to set up a blockchain lab in South Belfast to encourage new local startups and research use-cases,” Jawad Yaqub, CEO of Razormind said.

According to the official release, with the new offices, the company will also open the first blockchain research lab in Belfast in collaboration with local universities. The lab will be located in South Belfast near the Queens University and codenamed as ‘Razor’s Edge’. It will focus on applications for banking, payments, enterprise, and industry. It will mainly focus on the benefits to the Northern Irish economy.

"We are thrilled to be in Belfast, there’s a lot of talent here and as a local myself, born and bred, I have a particular interest in developing the city. Razormind team is grounded in the principle that blockchain is for everyday use and should be easy and open. Our blockchain lab will give the city access to the business intelligence we've built up across the world.” Phil Sturgeon, director of Razormind said.

Razormind will be providing workshops and training in blockchain technology to local businesses. It will also provide a paid internship program for graduates, students and industry professionals, which will offer commercial experience, client exposure, references, and recommendations for future work with a starting salary of £1000 per month.

The company is partnering with BANI, the local bitcoin association in Northern Ireland. The collaboration aims to provide everyday services to the community in order to benefit blockchain users. Razormind also plans to implement 10 tax-free bitcoin ATM’s in public places like the airport, universities, city centers and will align with ‘bitcoin hotspots’.

Being an enterprise architecture firm, Razormind specializes in security and performance along with services like Big Data, Deep Learning, and AI technology that are supported end-to-end. The company already has European sites in London, Paris, and Munich and the new Belfast HQ will take the lead role.