April 24, 2017

  • Chamber Membership Hits 100
  • Chamber Co-Produces Emerging Links, Brazil’s First Blockchain Conference
  • Georgetown University, Chamber of Digital Commerce and Digital Currency Group Release “Blockchain & Financial Inclusion” White Paper

At the DC Blockchain Summit we announced the addition of 20 new member companies to our membership. The new members include: Ad Meliora, AlphaPoint, Argon Group, BankCoin.Global, Bitcoin IRA, Blockchain Capital, Blockstream, Cooley LLP, Crowell & Moring LLP, Finchain, Frost Brown Todd, Grupo Cimcorp, Hashed Health, IHS Markit, Locke Lord LLP, Milligan Partners, OTC Exchange Network, PokitDok, Unocoin and Vertex.

These companies join a membership base that has more than doubled over the past year, now comprising of over 100 members.

Read more here.

The Chamber of Digital Commerce is proud to be one of the producers of Emerging Links, the First Brazilian International Blockchain Conference, in Sao Paulo, April 5-6, 2017. Chamber President Perianne Boring was also invited to participate as a keynote speaker where she provided a update on blockchain policy in the U.S. and the importance that our government not overcomplicate blockchain technology innovation through regulation. This exclusive, two-day event included an international array of expert speakers from business, academia and government to explore how blockchain technology poses a unique opportunity for Brazil to spur a revival in its economy.
Commissioned by the Chamber of Digital Commerce, Georgetown University and Digital Currency Group, “Blockchain & Financial Inclusion” discusses the significant role blockchain technology can play in empowering and transforming the lives of billions. The paper was co-written by MBA candidates Charles Gallo,  Anna Jumamil and Pak Aranyawat who are pursuing their degree from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. The authors describe how using blockchain can lower costs, reduce risk, and enhance financial innovation.

“Blockchain technology allows financial innovators to provide specific solutions to the regional problems faced by the unbanked, allowing them to develop tailored solutions to a massive and complex global problem.” 

Thanks to the following Chamber members and partners for their contributions to the paper:

  • Professor Reena Aggarwal, Director, Center for Financial Markets and Policy, Georgetown University
  • An expert advisory panel: Perianne Boring, President and Founder, Chamber of Digital Commerce; Matthew Gamser, Chief Executive Officer, SME Finance Forum, International Finance Corporation; Meltem Demirors, Director, Digital Currency Group; Jessica Dybfest, Assistant Director, Center for Financial Markets and Policy, Georgetown University, and other faculty and staff from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business
  • Interviewees who provided input and guidance: Melissa Bradley, Adjunct Faculty, Georgetown University; Jason Brett, Director of Operations, Chamber of Digital Commerce; Ron Hose, Founder & CEO, Coins.ph; Elizabeth Rossiello, Founder & CEO, BitPesa; Billy Jack, Professor, Department of Economics, Georgetown University; Jordan Kruger, Director of Research and Operations, Bloq; Ross Leckow, Deputy General Counsel, International Monetary Fund; Matthais Mordi, CEO, National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria; Sunny Ray, Co-Founder/President, Unocoin; Carla Reyes, Visiting Assistant Professor of Law, Stetson University College of Law; Pia Roman, Director, Inclusive Finance Advocacy Office, Bankgo Sentral ng Pilipinas; Aaron Siwoku, Founder, Toast; James Angel, Associate Professor, Department of Finance, Georgetown University

Download the paper here.

The Chamber announced its newest working group, the Blockchain Intellectual Property Council last month at the DC Blockchain Summit 2017. The BIPC will help promote innovation in blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, and encourage member collaboration to address intellectual property issues. The council is chaired by Marc Kaufman, partner at Rimon Law; Patrick Murck, special counsel, Cooley & fellow at Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University; and James Murdock, chief business officer and general counsel at Blockstream.

The Chamber will host in-person meeting for the BIPC on May 22, 2017 at Consensus in NYC. Non-Chamber members may apply for a guest pass to attend. Please contact Dan Spuller to RSVP at dan@digitalchamber.org.

The Chamber recently submitted joint comments with the Structured Finance Industry Group in response to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s report entitled “Distributed Ledger Technology: Implications of Blockchain for the Securities Industry.”  The report provides an overview of distributed ledger technology and discusses key implementation and regulatory considerations. Our comments can be viewed here.

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