Impressive use-cases of blockchain technology have come to the fore after the conclusion of the 2020 Blockchain Africa Conference in South Africa.The event went ahead as planned in early March despite the global coronavirus pandemic that has made headlines around the world.

The viral outbreak led to keynote speaker Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano, cancelling his trip to South Africa due to travel restrictions.The event also suffered a drop-off in attendance due to fears around the virus, but there were still over 230 delegates present on day one while day two numbers dropped slightly.

Renowned cryptocurrency investor and analyst Tone Vays managed to fulfil his commitment to the conference with an insightful presentation on the value proposition of Bitcoin. His talk was praised by event organizers for bringing back a focus on cryptocurrencies,  which has become a neglected talking point at the African event in recent years.

The majority of speakers at the conference weighed in on a wide variety of subjects within the blockchain ecosystem with specific focuses on trade finance, self-sovereign identity and regulation.

Binance launching rand support, donates $1million to blockchain dev

One of the announcements made at the conference was Binance’s launch of a fiat gateway for South African users to make rand (ZAR) deposits on the global platform.Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao made the announcement in a pre-recorded message to the conference.

The support would include initial trading pairs with Bitcoin (BTC), Binance Coin (BNB), Ether (ETH), Tether (USDT) and Binance USD (BUSD).The company currently has trading support in 35 African countries. Zhao believes the continent has massive potential for cryptocurrency adoption:

“Africa illustrates one of the largest demands and instrumental use cases for cryptocurrency, notably for financial access. According to the World Bank, approximately 66% of Sub-Saharan Africans are listed as unbanked. So instead of trying to bank the unbanked, let’s try and Bitcoin the un-Bitcoined.”

Trading support for the South African rand is expected to go live within the next few weeks. In addition to that announcement, the Binance Charity Foundation has also put forward a $1 million donation to support the growth and development of blockchain education in South Africa. 

The organization will be looking to partner with local companies in order to deliver effective educational programs to drive the development of the sector in South Africa. 

Binance South Africa country manager Tanya Knowles told Cointelegraph that the Foundation check that organizations that receive funding are making a tangible difference in the blockchain ecosystem: 

“We’ve got one or two NGOs that we are already having discussions with and the criteria is really the traceability of those contributions to beneficiaries to reach end users. We’re also trying to make sure that there is an educational element in that.”

Blockchain can drive trade finance in Africa

Trade finance and supply chains were another major talking point at the conference that already have working use-cases being powered by blockchain technology.

Tech industry heavyweight Microsoft was represented at the event by its South African Data and AI specialist Thavash Govender.

The company already has it’s own blockchain-enabled enterprise solution Azure and is working hand-in-hand with Ethereum among other projects.

Govender believes that blockchain technology is specifically suitable for overhauling trade finance by improving traceability, transparency, auditability, efficiency and security of a wide variety of working parts, data and real life goods.

At the same time, Govender said that blockchain technology should only be considered in certain scenarios. This would include instances where projects need to process trust boundaries where multiple parties are using the same data. This prevents intermediaries from controlling or tampering with the data and will address tedious manual verification processes.

Nevertheless, Govender believes that Africa could become a leading force in integrating blockchain technology to improve trade finance and supply chains. He referenced the construction of cellphone towers in East Africa that allowed the development of the MPesa mobile payments systems in Kenya:

“Africa became a leader in mobile payments and it's still something that the rest of the world struggles with. Will we see the same necessity in fostering innovation by blockchain? Absolutely.”

Carlos Teixeira, global industry principal of Finastra, began his address at the conference by stating that “trade finance is deeply enabled by blockchain technology.

”Teixeira highlighted the fact that the trade finance sector has a massive number of moving parts, making use of an example of a pilot project that tracked a shipment from Kenya to Belgium. The shipment involved over 30 completely independent institutions, from the buyer and sellers to customs officers, logistics partners and financiers:

“Companies and banks are forming consortiums using new technology to overhaul current systems. We are looking at leveraging wider networks to give companies and banks information to make the right decisions.”

SA Reserve Bank acknowledges crypto is here to stay

The South African Reserve Bank — or SARB — also delivered a fairly positive update on its stance towards cryptocurrencies in the country. Anrich Daseman, senior fintech specialist at the Reserve Bank, told delegates that the institution had acknowledged that cryptocurrencies were “here to stay,” proven by the fact that a task force had been set up to develop regulatory frameworks for the sector.

Daseman also confirmed that the SARB would be issuing a draft policy paper on the regulation of cryptocurrencies in the country that would be released for public input in March. The SARB has classified cryptocurrencies on how they are used and how they derive value.

Daseman said that cryptocurrencies can be used as a method of payment, investment as well as other utilities, but the SARB does not recognize virtual currencies as legal tender.

The Reserve Bank has taken a keen interest in the space due to a number of reasons. Firstly, the institution is tasked with regulating monetary policy and in theory, when demand for cryptocurrencies increases then the demand for fiat money will decrease.

There is also the consideration of cryptocurrencies becoming a parallel payment system and the SARB needs to protect its national payment system. Financial stability is also a consideration, considering that crypto market capitalization growth could expose conventional financial systems to the inherent risks of cryptocurrencies volatility.

Exchange control regulations also need to be considered in the cryptocurrency space in regard to the movement of capital. Market integrity is another area that is a focus, in an effort to create a fair and transparent space that also considers Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terror Financing concerns.

Daseman said that there is still a perception that the very nature of cryptocurrencies works hand in hand with illicit activities:

“Many feel that we shouldn’t have exchange controls for the space but the reality is that they are there in conventional markets for a reason and we need to look at it.”

SA government sees blockchain driving economic growth

Members of branches of the South African government also made some positive statements about the potential of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies to uplift South Africa and the wider continent.As Cointelegraph reported at the conclusion of the conference, Mpho Dagada, Commissioner on the Fourth Industrial Revolution for the South African Presidency, made a bold statement that touted blockchain technology’s potential to help reduce unemployment and bolster the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

Related: South Africa Looks to Blockchain to Reduce Unemployment

Dagada said that the technology could plug into existing artificial intelligence systems in the mining sector:

“When we look at where the world is going, it’s important to leverage our strengths and align with that. If the world is moving towards more blockchain systems that are transparent and people want that, we know there is strength in Africa’s minerals and why not plug that in on top of the sector? We might find that we’ll solve the problems we have, like corruption or bringing access to markets. These problems could be solved by us bringing in these solutions and allowing them to plug and play.”

South Africa’s Office of Digital Advantage is also pushing to invest and support blockchain-based projects according to Akhona Damane, who heads up the department.Damane highlighted the fact that the ICT sector in South Africa had already outgrown the country’s agricultural industry in terms of GDP. That has led to a drive to increase investment in the sector and explore new technologies like blockchain:

“We reali`ed we can go into the blockchain space and drive development that goes a lot further than cryptocurrencies. While there are limited tech skills in the country, the local blockchain ecosystem is growing, driven by startups. The space now wants government involvement.”

A major takeaway has been the formation of the South African National Blockchain Alliance, which will be officially launched next month. The working group will look to develop opportunities for the blockchain industry.

Self-sovereign Identity 

Self-Sovereign Identity was a particularly important talking point at the conference that addresses a major problem across the continent.

Victor Mapunda, founder and CEO of FlexFinTx, presented data that estimates that around 400 million Africans do not possess proper identification documents.

As a result many Africans are unbanked and have little to no access to insurance services.

Mapunda said that institutional problems are a main reason for the status quo. Slow processing services and a lack of information sharing between governments, financial and healthcare institutions has exacerbated the problem.

On the bright side, Mapunda said that the situation has led to the development and proliferation of mobile money systems in Africa that do not need to meet Know Your Customer requirements.

The investigation into potential solutions has led to blockchain technology representing a not yet seen ability to tackle these problems. 

Mapunda told Cointelegraph that African governments have a lot to benefit from having mass, nationwide identity solutions. He said that a primary problem for African governments are massive tax gaps.

Mapunda used his native country of Zimbabwe as an example, highlighting massive unemployment rates which means most people exist within the informal economic sector:

“Most of their earnings and business transactions go completely under the radar of the government and they lose billions of dollars as a result. By having a system or platform where everyone is participating in a semi-formalized system on a digital scale they’ll be able to know what’s going on in their own communities.”

The uptake of these digitized solutions should benefit government, private companies and citizens alike according to Mapunda:

“Digital identity platforms typically move people from that informal sector to a digital, formalized scale where both government and the private sector are able to start offering better products and services to those people.”

A promising African future

There was an air of optimism at the 2020 Blockchain Africa conference driven by insightful presentations from various industry leaders.

There seems to be a strong sentiment that blockchain technology could provide the backbone for new solutions to uniquely African problems.

Furthermore, a number of speakers went as far as saying that the continent could become a driver of development and adoption in the future.

The proliferation of mobile payment services was often referred to as a prime example of a space that Africa has completely adopted and dominated.

SF Blockchain Week brings together entrepreneurs, startups, academics, and global corporations to discuss and collaborate on the future of blockchain and cryptocurrencies

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–July 9, 2019–The second annual San Francisco Blockchain Week, one of the world’s leading events focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship in the world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, has been announced for the week of October 28.

The week will feature talks and debates from global leaders, developer events, job fairs, local meetups, hackathons, and more – highlighted by a three-day hackathon hosted by leading blockchain interoperability project, Cosmos.

The purpose of SF Blockchain Week is to create a platform that bridges the different and often disconnected groups that are vital to the development of the nascent blockchain technology industry.

By bringing together entrepreneurs, academics, financial institutions, startups, students, governments, regulators, and global corporations within one forum while set against the backdrop of innovation in the SF Bay Area, SF Blockchain Week is a landmark event for the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency.

“Like the early days of the internet with disparate protocols all existing in silos, blockchain platforms have technical, and sometimes political problems communicating with one another,” said Ronen Kirsh, Managing Partner of Dekrypt Capital.

“Similarly, the innovators behind blockchain from the academics to the coders to the government agencies need a common forum to communicate and discuss the future of our industry. SF Blockchain Week 2019 is about connecting the pioneers and innovators and setting the ultimate vision that drives our industry forward.

”One of the highlights of SF Blockchain Week 2019, a week of meetups, hackathons, and major events across the Bay Area, is the Cosmos ‘DeFi HackAtom’ Hackathon on November 1-3 in San Francisco. Cosmos is a new “3rdgeneration” blockchain platform that allows startups and developers to create their own complete blockchains that are interoperable with one another.

 The Decentralized Finance (DeFi) HackAtom will bring the leading blockchain developers in the world together to create powerful interoperable applications.Here are the major events for SF Blockchain Week 2019:

• CryptoEconomic Security Conference (CESC), October 28-29, UC Berkeley.
• Blockchain Career Fair, October 30, UC Berkeley
• SF Blockchain Week Epicenter – the main event for the SF Blockchain Week conference, October 31 – November 1, San Francisco Marriott Marquis.
• Cosmos “DeFi HackAtom SF” – November 1-3, San Francisco.

Conceived in 2018 by Dekrypt Capital and Noris, the first annual SF Blockchain Week attracted over 5,000 attendees, 60 sponsors, and was regarded as one of the biggest blockchain events of 2018, attracting the leading global minds in the world of blockchain.

As the industry grows, major global companies are beginning to move into blockchain, and academic research is accelerating. SF Blockchain Week 2019, highlighted as one of 20 conferences you can not miss in 2019 by Inc.

Magazine, is coming at a critical time for blockchain and cryptocurrency and looks to be one of the most important events in the history of the industry.For tickets and more information visit: https://sfblockchainweek.io/View source version on

businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190709005359/en/

Media Contact for SF Blockchain Week:

Addison Huegel

[email protected]

This year the City of Lights will serve as host to one of the biggest blockchain technology conferences in the world. An estimated 3,000 attendees will gather for the Paris Blockchain Week.

The week-long event will take place from April 13th to April 19th, 2019. In addition, the innovative event will feature a multitude of events and workshops.  Technology and industry professionals are planning to showcase their blockchain achievements.

The Paris Blockchain Week Summit itself is expecting to draw more than 100 international speakers. Station F will be transforming into the world’s largest startup campus. The summit itself will be a two-day flagship event.

Hundreds of International Speakers
The major attraction of that week will be the Paris Blockchain Week Summit that is taking place on April 16-17, 2019. Hundreds of major industry leaders are attending this unique event.In addition,  key speakers include Binance CFO Wei Zhou and Blockfolio CEO Edward Moncada.

These individuals will present lectures that will touch on the latest breakthroughs in the blockchain industry. Corporate executives from various industries will also present their blockchain achievements. Speech topics include perspectives on three major topics: Technology, Investment, and Regulation.

France Taking Steps As Blockchain Pioneer
France in recent years has taken steps to lead on the world stage as supporter and innovator of blockchain technology. Therefore, the Paris Blockchain Week will serve to demonstrate the uniqueness of the French blockchain ecosystem. The event hopes to reinforce Paris as a European capital of blockchain and crypto-asset fundraising.

TAGS: blockchainParisParis Blockchain WeekParis Blockchain Week SummitStation F



Edward Maggio

Edward Maggio is the Editor in Chief for Business Blockchain HQ. He is an author, attorney and blockchain expert who uses his knowledge of commercial transactions and project management to support blockchain endeavors in Washington D.C. and New York City.

In advance of Paris Blockchain Week taking place from April 13-19, BlockchianReporter sat down with co-founder of the event and board member of Chain Accelerator, Michael Amar.

Paris Blockchain Week is a series of events taking place under the joint High Patronage of the French Ministry for the Economy and Finance and the Secretary of State for Digital Affairs, culminating in the Paris Blockchain Week Summit, which will be held on April 16 and 17.

It will be the first international conference that will be held in France, dedicated to professionals in the blockchain and crypto-assets space boasts of attendees such as Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of the Economy and Finance and Wei Zhou, CFO of Binance.

Last year, France slashed the tax rate for cryptocurrencies and overall, seems to have become much more supportive of the blockchain industry in recent years.

What’s changed?

France is fortunate to have very forward-looking government officials. Even our president has noted the potential of blockchain technology to provide greater transparency to existing industries.

We also have numerous members of parliament, Jean-Michel Mis, Pierre Person, and Laure de La Raudière, for instance, that are pushing forward legislation to accelerate the development and adoption of the technology.

There is a sense of urgency from these officials. They are not only recognising the potential of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, but they are also pushing for the necessary changes to foster the right ecosystem.

Outside of parliament, we also see large French companies such as grocery chain Carrefour adopt the technology. Carrefour has successfully implemented DLT to track products from their farms to their stores, reducing the risk of health hazards such as Salmonella outbreaks.

Europe, for the most part, seems to be one of the most progressive places for Blockchain. Would you say that there is greater support for cryptocurrency specifically or just blockchain?

Europe is a place that strikes the right balance between innovation and consumer protection. Initiatives such as the EU Blockchain Forum have been set up by the European Parliament to not only progress the development and adoption of blockchain and DLT, but to make sure it progresses in a way that is safe for users.

Initiatives and discussion at the European Parliament level have mostly focused on blockchain technology.

But we see parliaments in specific European countries such as Malta and Estonia pass through legislation to make their country attractive to businesses dealing with cryptocurrency. The Maltese government passed three bills into legislation last year concerning both cryptocurrencies and blockchain.

As a result, we are seeing major cryptocurrency businesses such as Binance relocating to Malta. Overall, Europe is one of the most supportive places for businesses relating to cryptocurrency and to blockchain technology.

France has announced plans to spend about €500 million on blockchain over the next three years. In terms of long-term development, do you think Blockchain needs more of funding or positive legislation?

What blockchain requires is the development talent with the skills to work on blockchain and DLT projects. At the moment, there is intense competition for developers in other technology sectors.

We are currently seeing the banking industry and venture capitalist funded projects already securing the largest share of this talent that can build on blockchain and DLT.

The funding we see from France and others such as the €340 million EU fund will help secure more of this talent with the goal of building blockchain projects for various sectors.

Regardless of funding and legislation, the pool of talent with the skills to develop projects on blockchain will remain scarce in the near-term. However, in the longer-term outlook, funding and favourable legislation will help grow the pool of talent and will also attract more developers from other technology sectors to work on blockchain projects.

Paris Blockchain Week has attracted some very powerful names to its lineup. At the same time, a member of the European Central Bank executive recently referred to Bitcoin as the evil spawn of the financial crisis. Do you think events like this help to change the minds of those in high places?

We have seen Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan, progress from labelling bitcoin a fraud to recently announcing that he plans to launch his own internal cryptocurrency built on DLT. Events such as Paris Blockchain Week help these sorts of change in mindsets take place.

These events educate executives and key enterprise players to make a difference. We hope to shine a light on what kind of benefits blockchain and DLT can offer, as well as which inefficiencies it can tackle. Let’s not give up on the European Central Bank executive just yet.

The different countries in Europe (naturally) have different policies regarding blockchain. Can the industry thrive that way or are organizations like ‘Blockchain for Europe’ needed to ensure uniformity, at least in the private sector?

Time will reveal whether different policies in different jurisdictions is the best approach for progressing development and adoption of blockchain technology. We will be delving into questions such as this at the conference and we will quickly learn which policies best suit the progression of the technology.

It certainly seems advantageous to jurisdictions such as China and Japan where unexpected changes in policy have resulted in businesses having to change location or shut down operations immediately.

Blockchain adoption in Europe is still in its early stages, and it’s still unknown what kind of long-term impact it will have on policies.

In the short-term, initiatives such as Paris Blockchain Week will facilitate further discussion regarding the technology and how it should be governed.

How has the bear market affected the progress rate of blockchain in Europe and France, specifically?

Prices are always an important point of interest for the general public, but the development of the technology continues to progress in Europe and France regardless. Prices are more of a concern to speculators than they are to the businesses and developers building on blockchain.

Projects do not need to launch their own cryptocurrency to apply blockchain or DLT; the power of blockchain lies in its real-world potential. However, the public often associates blockchain and crypto as one.

Hopefully, as more awareness is built around the capabilities of blockchain, people will see that the technology can be utilized for much more than digital currencies.Apart from investors suffering losses, bear markets can be a good thing.

They serve to get rid of some of the weaker projects from the market. Projects that started with weaker value propositions struggle to continue to fund project development and eventually have to shut down operations. Although this can cause pain in the short-term, it is a good thing for the overall health of the ecosystem in the long-term.

What can we look forward to at the summit?

The summit will cover several interesting topics that will showcase France as a leading tech and blockchain hub. Some of the panels will delve into discussions points specifically focused on certain aspects the technology, while others will delve into the broader ecosystem and how we can best facilitate the continued growth and adoption of this technology.

Matters such as regulation, including how France is spearheading blockchain regulation in Europe, and the role of corporates will all be important talking points.

The panels will consist of pioneers operating at the forefront of the blockchain industry. The biggest innovators in the industry will address the biggest questions within a growing ecosystem, which should make for a thought-provoking and entertaining event!

You can also look forward to lots of satellite events taking place around Paris for the entire week of the summit, organized by some of the biggest blockchain organisations in Paris. These events will include hackathons, dinners, parties, and much more.

Reserve your seat here: https://www.reuters.com/brandfeatures/cognizant/the-future-workforce

AI, robotics and automation are gaining speed in the modern workplace. With that comes much promise, but also much peril. Building new opportunities that won’t leave the world’s workers behind is a key theme at this year’s WEF.

How far off are we from impactful business results due to the use of these technologies, and a potentially significant dislocation of human work as a side effect?

In this discussion, Reuters, with the Co-founder and Leader of Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work, and other workplace evolutionary experts, will share insights into the nature and scale of AI’s impact, concrete advice on how businesses can benefit from these powerful new technologies, and ideas on what the workforce and workplace of the future will look like.

The workforce is changing.

Attend this session and jumpstart the future-proofing of your organization.For related information on this topic and others, please visit Jobs of the Future Index, and the 21 More Jobs of the Future report, from our sponsor Cognizant.

AXEL THRELFALL | MODERATOR

REUTERS EDITOR AT LARGE

Axel Threlfall is Editor-at-Large, Reuters, based in London. He hosts high-profile engagements and thought leadership events for and on behalf of Reuters and Thomson Reuters, such as the Newsmaker series and the World Economic Forum news show in Davos.

Reserve your seat here: 
https://www.reuters.com/brandfeatures/cognizant/blockchain-in-healthcare

Blockchain’s rapid development is impacting economies, enterprise and society.

As an emerging shared IT infrastructure, blockchain and distributed ledger technology are shaping the architecture of Globalisation 4.0, as many industries seek ways to democratize access to information in ways that unlock value for all stakeholders.

Reuters, with Cognizant and MetLife Asia, are bringing together experts from the worlds of healthcare insurance, technology and business innovation, to explore blockchain’s game-changing potential through real-world case studies, showcasing how technology can enable organizations worldwide to enhance collaboration and trust, as well as reduce operational costs and improve transactional security.

We look forward to hosting you in Davos.

ANGELINE ONG | MODERATOR

REUTERS NEWS ANCHOR

Angeline Ong is a television anchor at Reuters, based in London. She hosts the European business shows, Emerging Markets show and daily Brunei Nightly News programme out of the UK capital.New York, Washington, Chicago and Tokyo and was named Global Editor of Breaking views in December 2012.

BLOCKCHAIN INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

12 March 2019

The World’s First ‘Scholars in Blockchain” International Scientific Conference (#ISC2019) on 12 March 2019 will bring the world's most innovative scholars, thought-leaders and trail blazers in the Blockchain space to educate, inform, excite and inspire attendees.

EXPLORE ISC2019

The British Blockchain Association (BBA) is the most powerful voice in the UK blockchain industry. It is a not-for-profit, membership funded, organisation that promotes the comprehensive adoption of Blockchain technology and Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) across the public and private sectors in the United Kingdom and globally. 

The BBA is an advocate for both industry and education. It is the leading UK association for blockchain and DLT technologies. It is also home to the Journal of British Blockchain Association (JBBA), Europe’s first peer reviewed research journal on Blockchain and DLT ecosystems. 

The BBA Student Forum is the Student wing of the BBA and is responsible for the voice of Blockchain within Academia.​ The BBA promotes the interests of its members through common interest groups and the BBA Advisory Board strives to make the UK the leading nation in adoption of Blockchain/DLT to bring tangible, real world impact with economic sustainability.​

Our founding members and advisors are internationally recognised thought-leaders and cutting edge organisations drawn from the worlds intersecting the Blockchain/DLT ecosystem. The BBA connects policymakers, blockchain engineers, venture capitalists and visionaries to advance the understanding, acceptance and application of blockchain/DLT technologies.

Learn more here: https://www.britishblockchainassociation.org/

Alternative AI & Blockchain for Professional Services is the only event of its kind focused on the technology decision-makers across professional services.

 

We will connect you with CIOs, CTOs, IT Directors, heads of innovation and heads of legal operations who are interested in AI & blockchain technologies from the following Professional Services sectors:

This event will cut through the hype about AI & Blockchain and focus on the immediate business potential of both technologies:  who’s using them, who’s selling them, what they can offer and how they are changing the market.

No other event offers you so much practical, objective content in one day.

You’ll be in good company – 300+ attendees will be there including: 

Click here to learn more and register: https://www.alternativeai.co.uk/

Last week, the Security Token Academy held its second annual STO focused event in Manhattan.

This year, attendance at the Security Token Industry Launch event increased dramatically as more financial services players are viewing securities on blockchain as a likely path for the future of investments.

Simultaneously, crypto startups don’t want to be left out of the regulated path for issuing securities on blockchain.




While most people in attendance are of the belief that blockchain can streamline the back office operations of securities issuance, while making it easier to securitize assets, many questions remain regarding ICOs and secondary transactions.

Digital assets may benefit from a more automated process that reduces intrinsic sector bottlenecks. Technology can take a T + 2 trade to T + a few minutes. Regulation and compliance can be cooked into smart contracts.

For certain asset classes, such as real estate, some advocates envision a far greater universe of what can be securitized, and eventually traded on a digital marketplace, regardless of jurisdiction.

While still very early days, visionaries predict a very different landscape in the future of the financial services.Below are just a few of the comments made by the various speakers during the STO event.




“When we started Circle five and a half years ago we were very excited about cryptocurrencies. We became immediately convinced this would become the foundation as to how the global financial system works.”

“Seedinvest has built a very nice business helping hundreds of businesses to raise capital over the internet … [We are] kind of a made for each other, security tokens and crowdfunding…”“We see it being a very, very complimentary match to the roader set of things we are doing.

We are on the cusp of new forms of capital formation” [commenting on SeedInvest acquisition]“… a lot of hype and a lot of excitement. It is very justified. The impact is far far greater than any of us anticipate.”

Jeremy Allaire – CEO and founder of Circle


“If you are talking about high frequency trading there is not a blockchain in the world that can handle that…”

Boris Reznikov – Director of Partnerships, Interstellar“Hedera Hashgraph is not a blockchain topographically. We are really a performant distributed technology … being fast, fair, and secure.”Rachel Lam – Market Lead, Financial Services, Hedera Hashgraph
“The crypto people are still skeptical of the security token people.”“We went from 100% of people not knowing what it is to 99% of people not knowing what it is.”

Carlos Domingo – CEO and co-founder, Securitize


“People come to our platform because we have a reputation of getting quality deals that have been vetted.”

Ryan Feit – CEO and co-founder, SeedInvest
“We look at smart contracts as the ultimate structured product. On Monday night we closed on Aspen Digital. Ten days from now you will see us launch a very large fund interest.”“Regulation first, technology second. That wins the day.”

Vince Molinari  – CEO and co-founder, Templum


“We are blessed with an extraordinary piece of legislation [the JOBS Act of 2012]. People should read it … It’s masked by this whole crypto world that has raised billions. Crypto is going to move towards that legislation.”“We need to decentralize the SEC.”

Howard Marks – CEO and co-founder, StartEngine
“Everything you described can be programmed into smart contracts. Programability amplifies regulation to where it becomes a smart contract.”

Michael Ovid – co-founder, AirSwap


“I think a lot of jurisdictions outside the US see this as an opportunity to catch up to the US … Things move more slowly here because there is already an established capital services market.”“We will haver some exciting news to share shortly. ETOs [STOs] will begin in Q4 of this year.”“This is a major, major revolution that will take years to play out…”

Alex Molé – Investor Relations Manager, Neufund
“What we are trying to do with Neufund, as well as others, is to build upon regulatory structures. Malta is the first country that has regulations …  structure which can go to market. You have regulatory structures that are trying to catch up.”

Cliff Pace – Head of the Fintech Accelerator Program, Malta Stock Exchange
“For those that entered into the ICO [initial coin offering] space and did these offerings that are not really compliant it will be interesting to see how these convert into the market place.”

Yoel Goldfeder –  CEO, VStock Transfer



” … if you are looking to monetize a single asset … it is proven to be very challenging in the public marketplace … tokenization of real estate can provide a way to monetize in a way in private markets that you could not in public markets.”

Jason Myers – Partner, Clifford Chance
“I think you would be surprised at some of the names that are looking to do things here.” [speaking about real estate and tokenization]

Brad Greiwe – co-founder and Managing Partner, Fifth Wall“Why no active STO [security token offering] exchanges? It will take some time …”Troy Paredes, founder, Paredes Strategies and former SEC Commissioner

#BLOCKCON is an annual convention held in Santa Monica on 101010 (aka 10/10 @ 10am). It is focused primarily on Blockchain technology, innovations and implications. It is geared towards all, from children to parents, from students to professionals, from developers to business executives, from founders to investors.

#BLOCKCON - A collage of Ideas, Technology & People. Curated for the community, with love, by members from the community.

Learn more and Register here: https://www.goblockcon.com/

ALISON MCGUIRE
Blockchain International Show London is a two-day event dedicated to the blockchain industry, uniting world-leading experts and business representatives. Here’s what you need to know about this event:When and where is it on?

June 6th to 7th, 2018 at London’s ExCel exhibition and convention centreHow many years has it been going?This is the first BIS in London, but not the first Blockchain event in Great Britain organized by Smile-Expo, since the company has already held ICO Event London.

Smile-Expo has organized more than 30 Blockchain & Bitcoin Conferences all over the world and continues with the series.What was the inspiration to start it?The importance of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies and the way they are developing in today’s world.

What exciting things can people look forward to?Top-level experts from all around the world will provide their presentations in two conference halls on the topical issues concerning the technology in general as well as details within the industry. Highly interactive panel discussions based on case studies will provide real-world options for technology implementation.

Visitors will have an opportunity to discover a free-to-enter exhibition that will help them to discover the latest hardware and software products based on blockchain technology used in banking, social services, infrastructure projects, computer security, automation services, IT and hardware.

What opportunities are offered for those attending?Networking opportunities: Meet service providers, operators, platform providers, investors, data scientists, business analysts, venture capitalists, C-level management representatives and government representatives as well as your future partners, like-minded people and new friends.

See the leading brands providing their latest developments and groundbreaking ideas to a wide audience in the exhibition area gathering up to 100 companies.

Find new great products and services: discover the latest developments and cutting-edge blockchain products, interact with product teams, ask anything you would like to know about the product, technology or service you will use in your everyday life soon.

Enjoy networking: More than 2000 visitors and up to 100 companies will create an unforgettable atmosphere of technological transcendence. Take a chance to meet your future partners, like-minded people, new friends.Who will be speaking?The list of speakers is not complete and still expanding:Michael Mainelli — Executive Chairman at Z/Yen Group;Richard Kastelein — Co-founder of Cryptoassets Design Group;Sally Eaves — Global Strategy Advisor, Founder of Sally Eaves Consultancy;Bogdan Maslesa — Founder of Universal Crypto;Iman Mutlaq — CEO at Sigma Investments;Arnab Naskar — CEO at SICOS (Lux) S.C.S.;Spiros Margaris — Influencer and Venture Capitalist, Senior Advisor at Arbidex;Jimmy Nguyen — CEO at nChain Group;Jan Sammut — CEO at RefToken, cryptocurrency investor and ICO advisor;Kambiz Djafari — CEO and Co-founder at Edgecoin.io;Lex Sokolin — Global Director Fintech Strategy, Partner at Autonomous Research. The list of speakers is constantly expanding. See the latest updates at the conference website bisshow.com

What tips would you give to those attending to get the most out of it?Interact, learn, absorb the valuable information. Discover the products represented at the exhibition area, ask anything you want to know about the product or technology directly from the team, listen to the presentations at the lecture zone in the exhibition area, use the networking area to get the most from interaction.

And the main tip: attend the conference. Only here you will be able to find the greatest opportunities for you to get the most from the event. Financial and Tech conference halls will provide full coverage of the current state of the industry and forecast for its development in the next six months.How can people book tickets and when are they usually sold out?You can book your tickets at the conference website.

This year our venue is ExCel London, so there will be enough space for everyone who is fond of the technology of tomorrow.Anything else you’d like to add?Use the kind advice of the event’s motto:

Discover the latest products, talk to the leading experts, interact, learn how to get the best of the blockchain technology. The future is closer to you with BIS.
Our event team looks forward to welcoming you.  

If you would like to have your company featured in the Irish Tech News Business Showcase, get in contact with us at [email protected] or on Twitter: @SimonCocking

There are a lot of events covering blockchain and cryptocurrencies these days, though few have touched on the impact the technology will have on the mainstream public.

The event “Blockchain of the Future: Smart Cities, Media, Smart Contracts & Beyond” gave us a look at how blockchain can affect our lives on a more social level.

BlockchainNYC.org has hosted numerous events often focusing on finance, healthcare, and logistics, areas where blockchain has an obvious fit.

They’ve done well bringing in well-known names as speakers on their panels and attracting huge crowds as New York City’s largest blockchain group. Going in to this event held at the eBay NYC event space, it wasn’t surprising to see so many people enjoying drinks and networking, though it had a distinctly lighthearted feel.




Talking to those who attended, it was clear that they were hungry for ways to connect blockchain to their peers who don’t have much knowledge on the space.The diverse set of speakers certainly delivered.

Meggie Hsu of Air Swap, a decentralized token exchange on Ethereum, brought in the expertise on cryptocurrencies and blockchain that we’ve come to expect from events on the topic.

Though speakers like Tyler Gold of Vice Media; Lillian Ruiz from Civil, a journalism-focused blockchain company; and Karen Bhatia, who works with EDCNYC, were able to connect those ideas to the mainstream public.

Most people have taken a backseat in blockchain developments, not realizing nor understanding how great an impact it can have. These impassioned speakers connected to this audience and sparked a thirst for knowledge in a wider demographic of people. During the event, Lillian Ruiz from Civil remarked:  

Blockchain itself is not going to unlock anything. We need a wider depth of field…a less capitalist world view. We’re talking about a seismic shift in technology, so it benefits us all to think a little bigger.

They talked about social media and how cryptocurrencies will allow people to earn tokens from their original content. An issue many currently have due to content being stolen and reposted, with little to no reward for their efforts.

Platforms like Steemit and Civil were highlighted as a means to achieve compensation for content creation, not only driving a community of sharing from content providers, but allowing people to feel secure in the fact that their private information won’t be sold to advertisers.

As social media has become a major aspect of people’s everyday lives, hearing of these revolutionary changes was enough to convince those more passive towards blockchain about its importance in the future.





It opened a lot of doors, and I noticed more people taking notes and an active interest in the topics than I’ve seen before at similar events. Transitioning into smart cities, it began to make sense to those less knowledgeable how building city infrastructures on secure data could impact their lives and not just the behind the scenes of how cities are run. Estonia was a great example of this. Nasdaq notes:

Is it any surprise that our cities are growing up and getting smarter? From the 1950’s onwards, cities were built around cars; now smart cities are being built around data and information. The obvious next step is to share data which is a good reason why sharing and decentralization on blockchain is important.

With these points established, it was easier for people on the less technical side to absorb information about blockchain, the role cryptocurrencies play, and what smart contracts are and how they can be utilized. These aren’t topics that only investors should be keeping an eye on.

This technology will play a pivotal role in everyone’s lives. It was inspiring to see everyone in agreement and actively taking an interest in this transformative technology.

Seen any good events recently? How do you think blockchain will impact the mainstream public in the future? Let us know at Bitcoinist here: http://bitcoinist.com/blockchain-of-the-future-event-coverage/

In a bid to dethrone Silicon Valley as the king of emerging technology, New York City is announcing its first-ever “Blockchain Week,” which will run from May 11 through May 17. Research and media company CoinDesk and the New York City Economic Development Corporation—a non-profit that serves as the city’s job-creation arm—are organizing it.

Blockchain Week’s centerpiece will be Consensus, the crypto industry’s marquee annual event hosted by CoinDesk, and it will also include a job fair and hackathon.Anthony Hogrebe, senior vice president at NYCEDC, wants to see more crypto in New York.

“The goal is really to plant that flag and send a very clear message that we want to work with you, want to support you, and we ultimately want NYC to be the global capital for blockchain,” he says. “We think there’s already a tremendous presence here in New York, but it’s also a nascent community. If we don't plant a flag and make strategic investments, New York could lose that critical mass.”Demand for blockchain-related jobs is currently higher in New York City than San Francisco’s Bay Area, according to job analytics firm Burning Glass.

That wasn’t always the case—in 2015, the Bay Area had 250 openings compared with New York’s 93. But as of November 2017, New York had 745 openings compared with the Bay Area’s 662. 


The global orientation of the cryptocurrency industry makes the battleground much larger than New York and San Francisco, with other major hotbeds in places like South Korea, Japan and Europe. London hosted its own Blockchain Week last month. “I don’t know that any one area really has become the center of gravity yet,” says CoinDesk CEO Kevin Worth. “I think New York has just as good an opportunity to attract meaningful innovation as anybody else.

”More than 100 companies are sponsoring the Consensus event, and Worth expects all of them to attend the job fair, which will be held on the afternoon of May 16 and will be free to the public. That includes organizations ranging from crypto platform Dash and crypto exchange Shapeshift to Deloitte and Accenture. Accenture will be recruiting for developers who have experience in distributed ledger technology like Corda, Fabric and Sawtooth Lake.

The consulting giant will also look for business strategists “who understand DLT and can drive strategy, consulting, and transformation work with clients,” Accenture Managing Director Sean Conway tells Forbes. This year’s Consensus will be the biggest ever—Worth expects it to draw between 4,000 and 5,000 attendees, roughly doubling in size from last year.

The event is the largest and most well-known crypto industry gathering in the world, Worth says. Crypto big-wigs like Ripple and Stellar cofounder Jed McCaleb and BitMEX founder Arthur Hayes are slated to speak, as is Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey.

Square recently allowed users to buy and sell bitcoin through its peer-to-peer payment app, and Dorsey “has some interesting things to say about building a more democratized system,” Worth adds. The CoinDesk CEO expects a similar number of speakers compared with last year, about 250. 

Follow me on Twitter @JeffKauflin or email me at jkauflin[at]forbes[dot]com.

Big news! Bitcoin futures trading on CBOE, the world’s largest futures exchange, just launched today at 5:00 pm Central Time.

The technology cryptocurrency is based on is called blockchain. Blockchain has exciting applications in many industries that are just beginning to emerge.

Blockchain for Business 2018 is now accepting proposals for Speakers and Sponsors for a Spring conference to be held in Los Angeles, CA.

 Blockchain and digital ledger technology holds immense promise for industries like finance, healthcare, government, manufacturing, and more.


A whole new digital fabric is being created that could help businesses transact more smoothly and efficiently and re-imagine entire business processes.

 We are looking for speakers and sponsors who can help educate and inform the business community on topics such as these:

• What is Bitcoin and Blockchain?
• How does blockchain and distributed ledger technology work?
• What transaction workflows could be digitized?
• What is a smart contract?
• What is an ICO?
• Other suggestions welcome

Do you have information and experience that would add meaningful value to the Blockchain for Business conversation?
Are you looking for sponsorship opportunities in this exciting and growing space?
If so, please email [email protected] for more information. We look forward to hearing from you.
Discover and learn more from Huffpost here: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/blockchain-for-business-2018_us_5a2eb180e4b0d7c3f26224fa

Swiss investors have teamed up to launch the first global crypto finance conference. The event is slated to take place right before the next World Economic Forum.

Eight Swiss investors and businessmen have launched the project for the first global crypto finance conference, set to take place in 2018. Their plan looks pretty promising.

Crypto Finance Conference ’18 will address the needs and interest of a global investor community and aims to increase their appreciation about Blockchain and crypto currencies. The conference will also show how they can best place investments and what risk specialists and regulators think about the fledgling industry.

A further topic will cover the question about how to safely store crypto currencies.

Beautiful Conference Setting

The conference will take place on January 17 to 19, 2018, in Suvretta House in St. Moritz, a glamorous setting in the Swiss Alps that will be familiar territory for the rich global invest community the conference aims to attract.

The World Economic Forum 2018 will take place immediately after the crypto finance conference 70 kilometers down the road in Davos.

Many of the coveted investor community will presumably take the ride or short flight from one conference to the next....continue reading: 
http://www.finews.com/news/english-news/28646-swiss-investors-launch-crypto-_C2_ABwef_C2_BB

Main Conference

CoinAgenda Europe is a new conference that combines the historic mission of CoinAgenda and BitAngels to connect and inform investors and entrepreneurs in the bitcoin, blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors with three first-of-a-kind, mini-conferences within the main event:

• Coin Agenda for Family Offices is a half-day event targeting the needs of family offices, sovereign wealth funds, professional money managers and mainstream investors who are new to the digital asset and blockchain sectors.
• Coin Agenda: Friendly Jurisdictions is a half-day event highlighting the issues and opportunities for nations, states and territories looking to increase employment and living standards by embracing the nascent multi-billion-dollar blockchain industry (before it becomes a trillion-dollar sector). Economic development, legal and regulatory experts from around the globe, including traditional tax havens in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, will take place in this first-ever debate on how each jurisdiction stacks up in terms of tax incentives, reasonable regulation, educated workforce, and lifestyle/cost of living for founders and employees.

•  Learn valuable new skills
•  Increase your awareness of other start-ups
•  Network with other crypto professionals

Speakers
The best speakers in the digital currency industry! Stay tuned for the full roster.




Brock PierceChairman of the Bitcoin Foundation; Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Blockchain Capital



Erick MillerCEO of CoinCircle



Steven SpragueCEO of Rivetz



Jani ValjavecCo-Founder, ICONOMI




Jeremy GardnerFounder of the Blockchain Education Network; Founder of Augur; Entrepreneur




Sasha IvanovFounder & CEO Waves Platform




Emmie ChangSuperBloom




Joey Garcia ISOLAS




Alex Gordon-BranderMarketAxess




David DrakeLDJ Capital




Mark David BakacsVenture.One



Chance BarnettCo-Founder of CoinCircle; Crowdfunder.com

Learm more here and get your tickets! http://coinagenda.com

FINRA, the self-regulatory organization for US brokers, is to host a blockchain event in New York next month.Dubbed the Blockchain Symposium, the event will be held at the Park Central Hotel on 13th July, the organization announced this week.

The lineup includes representatives from regulatory agencies including the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.FINRA's event announcement came in tandem with the launch of its new Innovation Outreach Initiative, which, according to a statement, will function as a kind of communication hub for members who are dealing with new financial technologies, including blockchain.

According to its website, more than 600,000 brokers in the US are part of FINRA.Specific elements of the effort include the creation of a Fintech Industry Committee, as well as the kick-off of regional roundtables for FINRA members to collaboratively discuss technological shifts.

"The Innovation Outreach Initiative will enable us to better track fintech developments across the rapidly changing industry environment in order to support innovation in the industry while maintaining investor protection and market integrity,"

Robert Cook, FINRA's president and CEO, said in a statement.FINRA has previously highlighted... continue reading: http://www.coindesk.com/finra-host-blockchain-event-new-york-next-month/

La nueva era del Internet descentralizado

¿Es Blockchain una tecnología revolucionaria que va a cambiar nuestras vidas?

¿Blockchain va a afectar a los sectores más diversos como finanzas, energía, telecomunicaciones?

¿Exige la reinvención de nuestros negocios?¿Qué son los contratos inteligentes y cómo pueden cambiar nuestras relaciones y negocios?

¿Qué posibilidades abre Blockchain para negocios inclusivos?¿Van los negocios Blockchain a cambiar nuestra forma de trabajar? 

Te invitamos a a descubrir más sobre este nuevo tipo de tecnología y cómo integrarla en tu negocio u organización a partir de las ponencias de un panel de expertos.

 

PROGRAMA:

12:00h-13:15h Mesa redonda



Modera la mesa: 

Almudena de la MataExperta en Innovación SocialApasionada del cambio social a través de la innovación, Almudena ha buscado tener un impacto positivo como directivo internacional en el sector privado, el público y también como emprendedora y académica.

Socia de Impact Hub Madrid desde su fundación, apoya en particular la internacionalización de startups. Motivada por la búsqueda de caminos innovadores para resolver los grandes retos de la sociedad actual cocreó Innovation for Change, plataforma que trabaja con universidades, empresas e individuos en el fomento de la innovación, procesos de cambio y pensamiento crítico.

Ha sido Advisor del Bundesbank y la Comisión Europea, investigadora del Max Plank Institut y docente desde el 2000 en varias universidades europeas (actualmente en el IE). PhD Max-Planck-Institut Hamburgo.

  

Alex Preukschat

Digital Transformation and Blockchain Expert Desde 2012 es asesor de desarrollo estratégico, gestión de proyectos y formador de mandos en empresas multinacionales y start ups dentro del ecosistema Blockchain.

A lo largo de su carrera ha trabajado en el sector financiero (FinTech) y turismo en facetas vinculadas a tecnología, marketing digital y desarrollo de negocio en distintos países.

Autor y productor de la primera novela gráfica del mundo sobre Bitcoin (BitcoinComic.org), así como de juegos móviles, inspirados en el mundo de las criptomonedas, desde MoneyFunGames.com.

Estudió en la Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICADE E-4 en Madrid/España y ESB Reutlingen/Alemania. 



Carlos Kuchkovsky Jiménez
CTO New Digital Business at BBVA

Ingeniero informático apasionado por la continua transformación social propiciada por la tecnología y de la nueva economía P2P. Ha trabajado como desarrollador dentro de la industria del juego y, actualmente en el BBVA, para mejorar la interacción persona-finanzas dentro de la banca.

Co-Fundador y Coorganizador de los grupos de interés APIHour y El Mundo descentralizado y desarrollador de otros proyectos más íntimos y personales como L8SmartLight.

 

Daniel Díez García
Blockchain & DLT Lead @Everis

Daniel es un adoptador temprano y emprendedor de Bitcoin y Blockchain. A lo largo de los 4 últimos años ha desempeñado el cargo de Director de Estrategia y Desarrollo de Negocio en Bit2Me (la primera aplicación que conectó a la red ATM tradicional, galardonada como mejor Startup de España en 2015), así como co-fundador de la primera consultora española de Blockchain, Furai. Daniel es actualmente responsable de Blockchain para EMEA y Latam en everis, desde donde coordina la estrategia tecnológica multi-sector.

 13:30h-14:15h Entrevista Q&A con Robert Haastrup – Timmi



Robert Haastrup – Timmi
Chief Visionary Officer at BC, DiverseRecruiting & Brexitjob

Fundador  de startups en serie y apasionado de la tecnología y la innovación, Robert Hasstrup-Timmi ha fundado Blockchain Company – http://www.blockchaincompany.info.

Un nuevo ecosistema que tiene como objetivo acercar al público general las tecnologías leger distribuidas y las criptomonedas a través de una plataforma con al rededor de 30 aplicaciones que utilizan el sistema Blockchain.

Learn more about this event here: http://madrid.impacthub.net/evento/transformar-el-mundo-con-blockchain/

Click here to Create a Free member account on Blockchain Company and start earning points for making comments, sharing content you love, invites and other activities. Your points may be converted into tokens in a future BlockchainCompany.info ICO (Initial Coin Offering). Start learning the impact of Blockchain as a new technology and how it affects you!

CONSENSUS 2017

CoinDesk is proud to present our 3rd annual blockchain technology summit, May 22-24, 2017 at the New York Marriott Marquis.

Consensus 2017 will feature 100+ speakers and 2,000+ attendees from the leading industry startups, investors, financial institutions, enterprise tech leaders, and academic and policy groups who are building the foundations of the blockchain and digital currency economy.

We expect to shatter our 2016 attendance record, so reserve your spot today!

Learn more: http://www.coindesk.com/events/consensus-2017/

Blockchain—You've heard the term, now understand the impact. Business of Blockchain - April 18, 2017 Cambridge,  MA


Digital technologies let people who’ve never met do business across borders and continents in an instant. But how can they trust one another without relying on bureaucracy and middlemen? How can security, identity, and ownership be guaranteed while still operating at the speed of the Internet?

Blockchains, or distributed ledgers, may provide the answer. Companies, researchers, and governments are exploring how blockchains can secure trust without the need for middlemen or third parties. Leaders in every industry from finance to health care, music to renewable energy, must understand how distributed ledgers can help them operate more efficiently.

MIT Technology Review in collaboration with MIT Media Lab Digital Currency Initiative invite you to a one-day conference examining the technology, ethics, and impact of blockchains.


• Meet pioneers in this emerging field
• Learn about the technology to gain business advantage
• Separate fact from hype, and what’s imminent from what’s far off

In the heart of the MIT campus

This event takes place at the MIT Media Lab, in the heart of the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Here you can't help but feel the excitement and inspiration of being at the top university in the world, surrounded by the top technology minds anywhere... Learn more: http://events.technologyreview.com/presents/business-of-blockchain/2017

According to an IBM report, 15 percent of the top banks and 14 percent of financial markets institutions are intending to introduce full-scale, commercial blockchain products in 2017.

Are you and your clients aware of the leading legal issues in blockchain and are you strategically positioned to benefit from this rapid change?The rapid development and implementation of blockchains has already begun to disrupt and revolutionize the financial system, among other industries. Change is here.

Change can present challenges, but change also provides opportunities. The question is to determine how the legal system can best foster the development of this new business sector by truly understanding the nature of blockchain transactions, the implications of differences in business models, and by developing an appropriate approach to address the many legal issues resulting from this paradigm shift.

This comprehensive, focused and practical one-day program is led by Program Chairs Addison Cameron-Huff, the top result on Google for “Toronto Technology Lawyer”, and Donald B. Johnston, a practitioner regularly recognized and recommended as a leader in the area of technology law. Our program has been developed with a more sophisticated audience in mind and is presented by a faculty comprised of legal thought leaders in order to address the following four prominent issues:Opportunities for Blockchain in the Settlement SystemInitial Coin Offerings (ICOs)Smart Contracts and Transaction CostsAnalyzing the Nature of Blockchain Transactions and the Impact of Different Business ModelsLearn more: http://www.osgoodepd.ca/upcoming_programs/critical-issues-blockchain-law/?utm_medium=events&utm_sour...