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Fourth Annual
DC Blockchain Summit
Wraps Up

DC Blockchain Summit 2019 Finishes First Day

 

The DC Blockchain Summit 2019 brought together the best and brightest from the industry and the public sector. This morning, we heard from Congressman Tom Emmer, Co-Chair, Congressional Blockchain Caucus (R-MN), who recognized that “the Chamber is in the best position to represent the many diverging branches of the blockchain ecosystem and unify the industry.” Congressman Emmer supported the Chamber’s proposed National Action Plan for Blockchain and reminded his colleagues in government to take pause and consider that “before we stifle, we must encourage the private sector to develop these technologies. The National Action Plan provides a needed call for clear regulation prior to enforcement.”

Matthew Roszak, Co-founder & Chairman, Bloq, and Manmeet Singh, Chief Financial & Investment Officer, EMURGO, discussed their predictions for the future of tokenization. They anticipate that in 2019 we will see more corporations coming out with genuine use cases, particularly in the supply chain.

Jonathan Johnson, President, Medici Ventures, later moderated a panel to discuss the future of blockchain in voting. He noted that “blockchain will be bigger than the Internet and it will transform our lives.”

Mark Fisk, Public Service Blockchain Leader, IBM Global Business Services, highlighted the important shift from placing emphasis on blockchain projects to now discussing innovation projects that also include blockchain technology.

The day wrapped up with Erik Bethel, Executive Director, The World Bank, who discussed how the organization is examining the use of blockchain for financial inclusion and infrastructure projects globally.

The Summit this year focused on the progress and accomplishments of the industry to date, as well as a look forward toward the future of the blockchain industry.

Just because the Summit has ended doesn’t mean the conversation is over. We encourage you to continue to follow @DigitalChamber and join us next year on March 11-12, 2020.