August Conferences: Part I

This summer has been packed with blockchain and cryptocurrency conferences. As the financial industries continuously evolve, the public’s understanding of this innovative technology must evolve as well. Blockchain may not benefit your personal business at the moment, but there are so many ways the technology is being implemented across society. There is no reason to fall behind and risk your financial future. Attend one of these conferences and get up-to-date on where the future of finance is going and what you will have to do to be successful with this evolving technology.

North America

July 31- August 2: New York Fintech Week: New York City, New York

After many successful conferences around the world, the second annual New York Fintech Week is back in New York City from July 31-August 2. Fintech Week originally started in London in 2014. Since the beginning of the original Fintech Week, the conference has traveled all over the world, stopping in Hong Kong, San Francisco, Dublin, Chicago, Washington D.C., Amsterdam, and Tel Aviv, in addition to New York City and London.

Fintech Week has always set a standard for how to host a fintech conference. Fintech Week brings together investors, large banks, consultancies, start-ups, academics, government officials, and innovators to provide the perfect fintech ecosystem.

Fintech Week New York will kick off on July 31 with the FinPitch. This half-day conference is devoted to learning about the industry’s rising entrepreneurs and startups.  Each pitch will last five minutes and will have a three-minute question and answer session after each pitch for any curious venture capitalists.

Attendees have the option to purchase the full conference pass, though if a three-day event is too much for your liking, there are single-day passes as well. Day passes will only work on the particular day for which the pass is purchased. As New York continues to make itself the east coast epicenter for fintech in the US, it continues to be the perfect place for investors, innovators, and entrepreneurs to gather, share ideas, and build the future of finance. Do not worry if you can not make it to New York’s Fintech Week as Fintech Week will be in the Silicon Valley August 13-15.

August 3-4: DISCON Distributed Consensus: Boulder, Colorado

If you are looking for something a little smaller and a bit more personal, DISCON in Boulder, Colorado may be the perfect conference for you. DISCON will be providing an ecosystem for new ideas and innovations in the digital currency and distributed web space.

While many blockchain conferences are tailored towards a specific group (investors, entrepreneurs, or hedge funds), DISCON is being designed to encourage anyone interested in blockchain, digital currency, and a more decentralized web to attend this conference. Importantly, DISCON is not a platform for marketing or pitching ICO’s. This conference will not allow the attendees to be treated as the product of this event.

With Boulder, Colorado hosting the conference, there will be a unique networking environment along with the quality presentations. A more personal approach that encourages collaboration and diversity will set DISCON apart from the larger conferences.

While this is a smaller conference, the keynote speakers are as influential as any of the speakers at larger conferences. Hear from a Colorado-based technology entrepreneur and mathematician, Charles Hoskinson, who is also the CEO at Input Output HK. Hoskinson’s professional career is full of work in the financial industry, and his most recent work has been in cryptocurrency. Hoskinson founded three cryptocurrency related start-ups: Invictus Innovations, Ethereum, and IOHK. Don’t let him impress you with just that because he was also the founding chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation’s education committee and established the Cryptocurrency Research Group in September of 2013. Hoskinson knows the blockchain and financial industries from top-to-bottom and is a presenter you will not want to miss.

The second keynote speaker is Chelsea Rustrum, co-founder of Blox7.com and founder of Blockchain for Good. As the starter of the project, Blockchain Code of Ethics, Rustrum is dedicated to building a new, ethical, economic community that reaches around the world.

The third and final keynote speaker at DISCON will be Jared Polis, U.S. representative, Second District of Colorado. Polis is a Princeton University graduate, member of various government committees, and an entrepreneur. His first company was American Information Systems, followed by bluemountain.com and ProFlowers.com. Polis will be sharing his insights on how the industry will be evolving along with society and public policies.

While many events are simply daytime presentations, DISCON After Dark will be bringing the Boulder creativity and uniqueness to the blockchain conference summer tour.  Attendees will have the opportunity to explore beautiful downtown Boulder and see the rich relationship between art and technology. DISCON invites anyone interested in blockchain to join the event and learn more about this innovative technology.

August 7: Regulation and Compliance in Blockchain Investing: New York City, New York

On Tuesday, August 7, 2018 from 6:00 P.M. – 10:00 PM. in NYC, join BlockWorks Group and explore the regulatory issues that investors, attorneys, and accountants in the blockchain space need to understand thoroughly. Panelists will discuss the main issues around regulations regarding crypto assets, including recent guidelines from the SEC, how crypto assets will likely be classified and taxed in the USA, and how leading professional service firms are structuring large digital asset transactions. The conference will use examples such as IBM, MasterCard, and AIG to show how industry giants are already leading the way by implementing blockchain solutions to run more efficiently.

While the conference is rather small, with around 200 attendees in total, this will still be a valuable opportunity to hear from world-class speakers and learn from insights of the brightest minds in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. Hear from Joel Telpner, partner at Sullivan & Worcester; Joshua Ashley Klayman, co-founder of Smart Contracts & Blockchain Practice at Morrison & Foerster; Stephen Wink, partner at Latham & Watkins; Wendy Callaghan, chief innovation officer at AIG; Steve Hopkins, COO & general counsel at Medici Ventures & tZERO; Rob Nance, managing partner at CityBlock Capital; Amenda Valencia Garcia, chief senior blockchain counsel at IBM; and many more.

The crowd will consist of partners and practice leaders at top law firms, legal teams at Fortune 500’s, finance professionals, and market makers. Doors will be opening at 6:00 P.M. For the entire four-hour conference, attendees will have access to an open bar and catered food. Come to learn, make connections, and leave with actionable knowledge regarding what you need to know for your next investment in the blockchain space.

August 7-9: M2Banking & Fintech Latam 2018: San Francisco, California

M2Banking & Fintech Latam will also be different from the typical large conference. This smaller venue is dedicated to stimulating a private forum with an exclusive atmosphere where the leading fintech entrepreneurs and experts can provide experience and insights into the future of finance. This conference has an added twist: a focus on Latin American mobile commerce and the fintech space. While there will be panel discussions and presentations, there will also be a tour of Silicon Valley to see some of the current leaders in innovative payment systems and the world. The tour includes stops at PayPal’s Innovation Center, Google’s Googleplex, Apple’s Apple Park, and the Plug & Play Tech Center.

This conference will help attendees see the emerging trends in the mobile financial services industry and help them apply those trends to their particular LATAM market. Specifically, attendees will learn about monetization opportunities in financial services for Latin Americans in the United States. Take this chance to exchange out-of-the-box ideas and connect privately with fintech experts and entrepreneurs in an intimate and relaxed atmosphere. Understand how to successfully navigate among the region’s segmented financial markets, as each of them requires a different approach and knowledge base. Stimulate partnerships and alliances that will help you to expand business in Latin America.

Middle East

August 9: Dubai International Blockchain Summit (DIBS): Dubai

With 5,000 attending, forty speakers, eighteen countries represented, and fifty journalists, Dubai International Blockchain Summit (DIBS) will be the world’s largest gathering of blockchain start-ups, investors, experts, and enthusiasts. This will be the largest event to showcase projects, learn about investment opportunities, and discuss the future of blockchain technology. After the unprecedented success in 2016, DIBS is supposed to show its greatness again as an epicenter for the blockchain world with sixty sponsors and more than 5000 delegates at this year’s conference.

DIBS has worked closely with the world leading blockchain consultants to build the most diverse summit agenda and an unparalleled event format to create a platform for all blockchain enthusiasts. DIBS consultants have been working carefully and continuously to select a variety of the finest and most innovative ICO startups to be launched exclusively at the summit. Founders and CEOs will have the opportunity to present their business models directly to investors.

DIBS is hosting some of the most innovative blockchain solutions and the most advanced blockchain platforms from every sector, such as smart governments, finance, exchange, healthcare, supply chain, and more.

You will not have to miss a single opportunity at this summit. There is a chatting platform where attendees will be able to communicate with all the summit delegates including speakers, organizers, investors, and exhibitors. This conference is also offered through live stream, so if you are unable to make it to Dubai, but still want to hear from the Summit Hall presentations you can access the conference from your computer at home.

DIBS will be the biggest blockchain event in the Middle East this summer. You will not want to miss out on this amazing conference.

Asia

August 10 – 11: Imagine: Lifelong Learning Institute: Singapore

The Imagine Conference is an annual event brought to you by the Adam Smith Center in Singapore. This conference dives deep into the ideas that will shape the future. Blockchain isn’t the main attraction, but it forms an important part of the overall purpose of the conference, which explores ways to help society move toward prosperity and well-being.

This conference will be themed, “Future of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Progress.” Discussions will evaluate the importance of entrepreneurs and having a society that supports such innovative individuals, as they are necessary for the evolution of society. The conference presenters will navigate this large theme through five different sub groups: “Public Policies for the Future Economy”; “Future of Work and Workplaces”; “Future of Blockchain and Finance”; “Future of Healthcare”; and “Future of the Developing World.”

This is not just another business networking conference, but rather one with a special focus on the big ideas and issues society faces and how blockchain can help facilitate a better future for everyone. As the main focus of this conference is not just blockchain, there will be a diverse range of attendees at this conference. Blockchain is extending its influence, and this conference plans to talk about how the technology can solve some of the problems that are preventing a general rise in quality of life in many areas of the world.

Oceania

August 10- 12: BLOCKConscious Summit: Brisbane Australia

With over thirty-five speakers and presenters all in three days, this will be the Australia must-attend conference of the summer. It does not matter whether you are new to the crypto-community or are an experienced cryptotrader, BLOCKConscious Summit in Brisbane 2018 has a place for you. The summit will be held in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane and will showcase some of Australia’s best projects and minds.

The conference will start Friday, August 10 with workshops to bring beginners and intermediates up to speed on wallets and exchanges and to answer any questions before the Summit on Saturday and Sunday. BLOCKConscious Summit provides attendees the opportunity to go over their trading decisions and strategies face-to-face with experts in the field.  Attendees will leave BLOCKConscious Summit with a sense of confidence in their future trading strategies.

Africa

August 13: Mauritius Blockchain Conference: Mauritius

While blockchain conferences are highly prevalent in many countries, Africa has only hosted a few. The East African island nation of Mauritius is looking to set the standard in Africa and brand itself as a regional haven for blockchain innovation. Mauritius already has well-established financial service infrastructure as well as information and communications technology industries. It is time Mauritius brought its investors and entrepreneurs from these industries together to join the crypto-community.

Do not miss your chance to see what is going on in the blockchain industry in Africa. The Blockchain Conference in Mauritius on August 13, 2018, brings together investors, financial institutions, enterprise technology leaders, blockchain startups, and the ever so important academic and policy groups who are building the foundations of the blockchain and digital currency economy, allowing world adoption. Come to Mauritius and hear from experts in blockchain, powerful startups, and the political figures that will help explain how countries can adapt to this new technology.

The first keynote speaker is Professor Youngbae Moon, adviser at Locus Chain. He started his career as an Economist at the Bank of Korea. Currently, Moon is working as adjunct professor at Korea University, CEO of Digital Finance Research Institute, and Adviser of Locus Chain Foundation PTE Ltd. While his career has truly been successful, he remains an adjunct professor and attends these conferences as Moon is a strong advocate for educating the community.

The second keynote speaker is Dr. Ramesh Caussy, CEO and founder at Partnering Robotics. Dr. Caussy has over twenty-five years of innovation experience with tech industries combined with a background in research. As a free thinker, Dr. Caussy regularly attends events such as this to help explain how technology is continuously evolving.

Another keynote speaker is Joshua Paul Hawley, He is the founder of the Mauritius Blockchain Advisory Foundation and co-founder of Mauritius Ethereum Foundation. Hawley’s expertise in the blockchain industry is wide, ranging from being a blockchain or ICO advisor, speaker, and writer. Hawley is currently involved in blockchain projects in Dubai, Southeast Asia, the US, Mauritius, as well as NGO and non-profit projects in Africa.

While new technology can innovate a nation, the nation has to accept the incoming changes. H. E. Mr. Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory, vice-president of the Republic of Mauritius will be a speaker at the conference to help explain how Mauritius will play a role in bringing blockchain to African markets and the country of Mauritius. With experts in the industry and government leaders speaking at the same conference, it is likely attendees will have a good sense of what direction African markets are going with crypto in the near future.

Mauritius will likely become one of the blockchain epicenters of Africa over the next year or two. Mauritius has the best business climate of any country in the region and ranks 49th out of 190 countries worldwide, according to the World Bank’s annual “Doing Business” survey. There are many new markets in Africa, and Mauritius plans to attract blockchain innovators to the African markets.  You will not want to miss this conference as these African markets remain up for the taking.

Conclusion

While there will be more conferences throughout the fall and the winter, the blockchain summer conference tour is almost coming to an end. Over the summer, many people have time to attend these conferences, which makes these events a huge melting pot for networking, innovative idea sharing, and project awareness. Now is your chance to learn more about the blockchain industry, meet and speak with experts in the community, and advance yourself and possibly your business with this innovative technology. There are blockchain conferences all over the world, so find the event nearest to you, and keep up-to-date with the ever-evolving fintech and blockchain worlds.