On September 19, the annual Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Kyiv took place in the capital of Ukraine. According to the organizers, Smile-Expo, this year the conference was attended by 800 people, and the focus was on government initiatives to regulate blockchain and cryptocurrencies. 40 speakers from eight countries attended the microphone: Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and the USA. The event program included expert reports, discussion panels...
and an exhibition of blockchain industry products.
The line-up of speakers shows how the perception of blockchain is changing in Ukraine and around the world. Several years ago, the experts at Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Kyiv were owners of successful IT companies, as well as developers, marketers, and lawyers. Now a significant part of the speakers were officials: Verkhovna Rada deputy Alexey Mushak, members of state agencies and committees Konstantin Yarmolenko, Alexander Ryzhenko, Viktor Vishnev and Alexey Vyskub.
From making money on cryptocurrency and blockchain, the focus has shifted to legislation, eGovernment and practical applications of distributed registries.
The reports at the conference were divided into two streams:
The first, Innovation Hall, was dedicated to the implementation of blockchain in various areas - from public administration to retail. The main audience is business owners.
The second stream, Tech Hall, brought together developers, marketers and investors: here they discussed technical solutions on the blockchain, promotion of projects and ICOs.
Focus on
Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Kyiv was opened by moderator Artem Afyan, who expressed his vision of the current state of the industry. In his opinion, negative news is as important as positive news, because it attracts the attention of investors to the blockchain.
Next, the People's Deputy of Ukraine Alexey Mushak spoke with explanations for the law on cryptocurrencies, which was recently submitted for the first reading to parliament. He said the government would only regulate the exchange of cryptocurrencies for fiat to prevent money laundering. The deputy also focused on the significance of the document: the law is designed to prevent the outflow of young professionals from the country, creating conditions for legal work in their homeland.
Viktor Vishnev, General Director of the State Enterprise “SETAM” OpenMarket (state auction on the blockchain), recalled that the regulation of cryptocurrencies is a controversial issue: “The cryptocurrency community, on the one hand, does not want regulation, but on the other hand, it wants legalization.”
On the significance of the bill for the country Sergey Kalinin, Investment Director of BlockBit Capital Management, also spoke out. “If at least part of what is written in this document is implemented, we will become one of the leading countries in the field of blockchain,” the speaker is convinced..
The prospects of the blockchain industry in Ukraine were also appreciated by Kir Kelevra, a famous trader and founder of the analytical resource WhitepaperZ. “The crypto industry is one of the most promising areas, the fastest growing and the most profitable,” he emphasized.“Ukraine can become a top country on the blockchain map in the next few months.”
An alternative opinion was expressed by Nazar Polyvka, co-founder and partner of Axon Partners. “Attempts to regulate the crypto market in Ukraine are focused on finding a middle ground between business and consumer. And most countries do this in such a way as to attract foreign investment and fit into the global context,” the speaker is convinced.
Discussions at Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Kyiv
Discussion panels at the conference were lively and informative. The Innovation Hall stream hosted a discussion “Implementation of Blockchain in Ukraine” with the participation of Georgy Givishvili, CMO of Bitfury Group, and representatives of government agencies of Ukraine. The participants focused on the practical application of blockchain and the advantages of the technology. Thus, a member of the board of directors of the Bitcoin Foundation Ukraine, Konstantin Yarmolenko, stated that Ukrainians annually spend about a billion US dollars on bribes. He is convinced that the introduction of blockchain will help in the fight against the shadow economy.
And in the Tech Hall they talked about blockchain and cryptocurrencies as a means that can revive traditional financial markets. The discussion was attended by an expert from the USA, Tony Weiss, trader, consultant on blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
Demo zone: from paintings to Bitcoin ATMs
The traditional exhibition zone within the Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Kyiv brought together more than 40 companies. Guests saw a miracle of technology: Hotmine mining equipment with a room heating function; "Bitcoin" crypto-ATMs from Paytion, which operate on the principle of a platform.
Software developers presented the crowdfunding platform Icoyard, Litenett (a network with crypto-payments) and other applications on the blockchain.
Art objects became unusual exhibits: a gallery of paintings on the theme of blockchain, located in the exhibition space.
The exhibition organizer, Smile-Expo, thanks the participants and guests of the event.. In 2018, the company will hold five more blockchain events. Details - on the website.
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