I had the opportunity to cover four enterprise blockchain conferences for CoinGeek. What made this one different from the others? First, the attendees were made up of a diverse group of people both inside and outside the BSV community. Second, startup entrepreneurs from the Block Dojo incubator program left a notable impression. Finally, Web3 entrepreneurs came with not just business ideas, but concrete businesses that demonstrate real-world applications.
ExCel London, the event space where London Blockchain Conference 2024 took place, exceeded my expectations. Just a few stops on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) from Heathrow Airport, the venue offered just the right amount of space for exhibitors and the various stages where speaker presentations and panel discussions took place. With everything in one compact space, networking was a breeze for all attendees and participants. Additionally, there was a spacious area with multiple rooms adjacent to the exhibition hall for staff convenience.
The CoinGeek booth was amazing as always, looking like a TV talk show set. Even better were the insightful interviews that my colleagues Rebecca Liggero, Jon Southurst, and Kurt Wuckert Jr. filmed back-to-back with guests at the booth.
At this year’s conference, I was tasked with being a roving reporter interviewing various exhibitors and attendees. My role gave me an ideal vantage point to explore the whole situation. That said, I’d like to highlight some of the more interesting conversations I had with the people I interviewed.
Exhibitor
Among the exhibitors I interviewed at the conference, two authors in particular caught my attention. Not only were they showcasing literary works, but they also stood out as newcomers to the BSV scene.
In a fascinating conversation with Mario Davis, founder of Symbol Comics, Davis shared his views on the comic strip “Snailsman,” which teaches children valuable lessons about sales. The story is about a snail who strives to be the best salesman despite the odds, but discovers that his slowness is his secret strength.
Being at a blockchain conference, I naturally asked him what his book has to do with blockchain. His answer was surprisingly interesting. He introduced me to a character in the book called Catoshi Nakameowto, described as “the world’s best business cat,” who explores blockchain technology through the creation of the first purring electronic catnip system. While the book is primarily sales-focused, it also delves into technical aspects that will appeal to the blockchain community.
Meet Catoshi Nakameowto, the world’s best business cat! Created by Symbol Comics founder Mario Davis, Catoshi is the first blockchain-powered purring electronic catnip system 😼#Blockchain #symbolcomic #Technology meets fun #innovation pic.twitter.com/d7BUqeZ2UI
— CoinGeek (@RealCoinGeek) July 15, 2024
We also had the opportunity to speak with Staffan Nordstrand, author of “Scammers,” who explained that the book revolves around two people who work in the banking industry at the London Stock Exchange, who decide to start their own business, initially following the rules and regulations, but soon their greed gets the better of them and they discover rampant fraud in a particular bank, which is where the story unfolds.
When asked about key lessons for readers, he offered some memorable advice: “Don’t do it. If you can’t handle the prison time, don’t do the crime.”
What can people do? #Blockchain Space Learning from books #con man? @ClaireCeldra talks to author Staffan Nordstrand #LDNBlockchain24. pic.twitter.com/G6T6PBaqx6
— CoinGeek (@RealCoinGeek) May 27, 2024
Block Dojo Cohort
A standout feature of the conference was the large presence of startup entrepreneurs from the Block Dojo incubator program. I had the opportunity to interact with several of the entrepreneurs and learn about their businesses and careers.
One particularly notable conversation was with Francisco Cordoba, founder of Zote, a company that aims to democratize hiring through a multi-tiered bounty system where people share job links among their network and get rewarded when someone gets the job.
Cordova’s journey began with a money transfer startup that earned him recognition as an MIT Innovator Under 35. He is also the author of “Beat the Robots,” which shares strategies for dealing with the impact of automation on work, and “Changing the Game,” which explores ways to disrupt industries through technology and entrepreneurship.
When asked about his experience with BSV technology, Cordova cited two main advantages. He highlighted the speed of transactions and the efficiency of rolling out projects without financial burden. Unlike his past experiences launching expensive projects that required extensive coordination, he says, BSV allows him to quickly conceptualize and implement ideas.
“I think there are two components: one is speed, and the other is how fast you can deploy it without going bankrupt. In the past, you could just launch a project and it would be expensive, you would have to fine-tune it, and it would take a lot of time. With BSV, you have an idea, and you just launch it.”
I also had a noteworthy conversation with Michael Olagunju, founder of ExamSolutions and a Dojo alumnus, who I featured in my December 2022 article. According to Olagunju, ExamSolutions acts as an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered personal tutor that helps both students and teachers achieve their educational goals.
I had the pleasure of meeting him in person and learning about his company’s progress, especially since joining the Block Dojo program. Olagunju said they’ve evolved quite a bit since joining, and updated me on key progress. He highlighted recent accomplishments such as the launch of their AI SaaS platform, which now boasts over 15,000 beta users, and notable partnerships with Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and OpenAI.
CoinGeek Booth
In an interview with David Almirol at the CoinGeek booth, the Undersecretary for e-Government at the Philippine Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) spoke about the importance of showcasing practical, implementable blockchain use cases to educate both citizens and lawmakers about the benefits of blockchain. Almirol is a key figure in the Philippine government known for championing technology to streamline processes and increase financial inclusion.
“We need to come up with a viable use case. A use case that helps Filipinos. A use case that can simplify the process. A use case that enhances financial inclusion for the people. Once we have that basic principle, I think the public, including lawmakers, can understand it.”
Philippine DICT Undersecretary for E-Government David Almirol talks about blockchain’s transformative potential in streamlining processes, enhancing financial inclusion, and creating citizen-centric solutions 🎤#Blockchain #ElectronicGovernment #Philippines #dictionary pic.twitter.com/rVOFU0rkO0
— CoinGeek (@RealCoinGeek) July 12, 2024
Feedback on LBC 2024
We also collected feedback from exhibitors and visitors on their impressions of the conference.
Jaskanwar Singh, CEO and co-founder of Uno Re DAO, was intrigued to hear how BSV is working to scale Bitcoin and the innovative use cases it is developing.
During the interview, he said, “I’m not a BSV or nChain guy. I’m more of an ETH ecosystem guy. So it’s going to be really interesting to hear on the panel what the BSV people are thinking about scaling Bitcoin and what they’ve been doing over the last seven or eight years and the new use cases that are coming out.”
When asked if he would be looking into BSV further, he replied: “Yes I will. I’m going to go home and download a wallet and try to understand how to transact on there. What are the ecosystem apps that are being built and I’ll look at it from there.”
Jaskanwar Singh, CEO and co-founder of Uno Re DAO, is fascinated by how BSV is scaling Bitcoin and the innovative use cases they are developing 🎤#LondonBlockchainConference #BSV #Ethereum #Blockchain #innovation #Fintech pic.twitter.com/NgeNIgK5jd
— CoinGeek (@RealCoinGeek) July 11, 2024
For Ali Beydoun, founder and CEO of Manufact, this year’s London Blockchain Conference reflects a shift in emphasis from quantity to quality.
“I feel that the London Blockchain Conference has slightly decreased in size but the quality has improved significantly, with attendees now more focused on providing solutions rather than just presenting ideas,” he said.
“The quality of this year’s London Blockchain Conference was outstanding! Attendees focused on real solutions and showcased the incredible progress of the BSV ecosystem,” said Ali Beydoun, Founder and CEO of Manufact 🎤 #LondonBlockchainConference #BSV #Blockchain pic.twitter.com/0xaZR7K3TB
— CoinGeek (@RealCoinGeek) July 22, 2024
Michaela Beksson and Pavel Georgiev from Coinify shared their thoughts on their conference experience, highlighting the networking and partnership opportunities.
Bexson told me, “We’ve spoken to a lot of people. We’ve seen the great power of networking at events. And obviously we speak the same language, which is the language of blockchain, of cryptocurrency, and this is what we do at Coinify.”
Commenting on this year’s conference, Ivan Lminaric, senior software engineer at HandCash, noted the increased participation of Web3 enthusiasts outside the BSV ecosystem.
“Previously, it was a niche event focused around BSV. Now, it attracts attendees from other blockchains and companies as well. It’s great to see new faces, meet new people and explore new topics,” he said.
Overall, my experience at this year’s London Blockchain Conference was reinvigorating for me. I had the opportunity to interact with new people in the blockchain space, each bringing their own unique perspectives and innovative ideas. The insights I gained from the interviews shed light on emerging trends and reaffirmed the transformative potential of the BSV blockchain.
Reflecting on the discussions and interactions, we are impressed by the collaborative spirit and forward thinking of exhibitors and attendees. The London Blockchain Conference has once again proven to be a pivotal event shaping the future of blockchain technology.
Watch: A recap of the first day of the London Blockchain Conference 2024
Highlights from Day 2 of the London Blockchain Conference 2024
Highlights from Day 3 of the London Blockchain Conference 2024
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