The Best Virtual Blockchain Events to Follow This Fall
Where are the best blockchain events this Fall? Online, of course!
Where are the best blockchain events this Fall? They’re online, of course! Not only has COVID 19 influenced how we do business it’s also influenced how we meet up to share industry insights. Suffice it to say digital transformation is underway in events as well as the industry. Since the advent of the pandemic, event organizers have been hard at work to reinvent their platforms to go virtual. Be it large-scale, multi-day events or new webinar series, the push is on to bring you up-to-date information from industry leaders.
But, what are the benefits of a virtual event and why should you bother? Well, the obvious benefit is that you can attend the event from the comfort of home. Most virtual events allow you to stream the full conference or just tune-in to the discussions that are relevant to you. And many virtual events have either waived or lowered the cost; thereby saving you and your company time and money. We’re a startup, so virtual events give us access we might not have been able to afford. Another plus is that digital recordings are almost always made of the event and made available to registered attendees after the event has ended which is very useful for catching quotations, recaps, and distilling relevant takeaways.
The drawback of virtual events is that it’s harder to connect with the other attendees and presenters. Each of the events presented here is trying new interactive ways for you to connect to enhance the online experience. It is also difficult to “read the room” and how a presentation resonates with the audience. But, on the flip side, the discussions can feel more intimate and conversational (which is one of the reasons podcasts are so popular).
So what’s on and where can you find the best information the blockchain industry has to offer this Fall? In this article, we’ll give you our round-up of the best virtual blockchain events for Q3 and Q4 of 2020.
Virtual Blockchain Event Shortlist
Short on time? See our super shareable, saveable shortlist:
OR if you want to learn more about each event, read on!
GBBC’s Blockchain Central UNGA — September 17–18
The Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC) Blockchain Central Conference at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) will take place during the UN Foundation’s Global Goals Week this Fall. The GBBC is a leading non-profit association based in Switzerland that focuses on exploring how blockchain technology can be used “to create a more secure, equitable and functional society”. Their two-day conference this September brings together an impressive roster of industry leaders to discuss how blockchain technology is being applied in fields of finance, education, energy and climate change, supply chain, food security, and health.
The conference will be entirely virtual and open to the public at no cost. It will be presented in a single continuous stream during each day of the event. To access the event register online via the GBBC website. #BlockchainCentral
The GBBC also holds regular webinars that are available to its member’s forum. If you are working with blockchain technology, GBBC offers a wealth of industry information. You can apply for membership and see their webinar schedule on their website.
EU Blockchain Convention, Virtual — Sept 20–21
We attended the European Blockchain Convention (EBC) in Barcelona last January and we were really impressed. Within the realm of tech and finance events, this was a smaller and more intimate event that was particularly thoughtful, informative, and focused on connecting attendees in a way that made it unique. As a result, this blockchain event is gaining some serious momentum. This September they’ll launch their virtual edition with a fantastic lineup of industry leaders to discuss a range of blockchain topics including central bank digital currency, cross-border payments, intellectual property, digital identity, blockchain regulation, and more. We definitely recommend including it in your events calendar.
Event access is available via two low-cost pass options. The Infinity pass includes access to exclusive workshops and session recordings following the event. #EBlockchainCon
Forbes Blockchain 50 Symposium — September 22
To celebrate the release of their top Blockchain 50 list, Forbes media will host the Forbes Blockchain 50 Symposium. This will be a short hour and a half long symposium with key infrastructure players to discuss the latest in live blockchain applications and relevant financial trends. The agenda will focus on three conversations around infrastructure strategies, central bank digital currency impact, and enterprise solutions.
This event is virtual and open to the public at no cost. Register via the link above. #Blockchain50
Sibos Online, 5–8 October
SWIFT’s signature conference, Sibos goes online this Fall. The week-long program will focus on smart finance evolution around four sub-themes — delivering digital value, responsible innovation, the future of finance, and banking for humanity. Leading experts in banking, payments, securities services, technology, and FX will debate big industry issues, and engage in spotlight sessions, fireside chats, panel discussions on theme topics each day. Sibos is promising a “gamified experience” to engage attendees.
The event is free of charge for the Sibos community members, or you can apply to attend. #Sibos
R3 CordaCon Virtual, October 20–22
R3 is an enterprise software company and developer of Corda, an enterprise blockchain software that is at the core of many high-profile projects including central bank digital currencies, digital payments, asset exchange, international trade, insurance tech, and supply chain management. Each year they hold a flagship conference for their community called CordaCon where industry experts along with R3’s own development and product teams present comprehensive use cases and technical deep-dives.
This year, Cordacon goes virtual with over 85 sessions scheduled across three days and time zones (APAC, EMEA, and Americas).
General admission to the event is free. We attended the live-event last year, to learn more about the type of content to expect check out our review R3’s CordaCon — this blockchain means business for banking. #CordaCon
MoneyNext Blockchain Summit, London, October 20–21
The Blockchain Summit is a branch of the MoneyNext Fintech Summit that will take place in London. That’s right! This will be an actual live event with speakers, audience, vendors, in-person networking — the whole shebang. BUT, if you can’t get there in person, you can get a digital conference pass. So, what does this two-day event have in store for you? Day 1 will have two parallel tracks — blockchain vision and enterprise use. Day 2 has a single track covering a range of topics including smart contracts, applications, and adoption.
The digital pass is free and will give you access to “a live selection of contributors discussing presentation highlights and key points.” What does that mean? Less choice, most likely some live streams and some on-demand video, but hey — it’s free! And with a solid agenda of panel discussions, case studies, presentations by major industry leaders on the future of blockchain technology, as well as cryptocurrency, you’re sure to get access to some great content. #MoneyNextSummit
MoneyFest, 26–28 October
In the wake of COVID Money20/20 had to cancel both its European and North American events. Instead of letting those planned programs go to waste, they are putting them together into MoneyFest, a virtual financial services and fintech conference that will be broadcast live from their New York studio and as well as on-demand. Join the industry leaders, visionaries and innovators who are inventing new ways to spend, manage, save, borrow, share, and protect money for this four-day online event.
Registration just opened and is free for all. 2019 or 2020 pass holders will have additional access to exclusive content and their networking platform. The agenda for this event is not live yet, keep an eye on their website for more information to come. #MoneyFest
Hong Kong Blockchain Week, 17–19 November
Professionals and industry leaders from all parts of the global blockchain community will converge online during Hong Kong Blockchain Week to discuss the latest developments, insights, and real-world applications of blockchain technology and digital assets in finance, investment, enterprise, socially important projects, and the global payment industry.
This event will be entirely virtual. The agenda and registration are forthcoming. You can sign up to receive updates as they come available. #HKBlockchainWeek2020
MoneyNext Online, North America, December 8–10
The 3-day North American MoneyNext Fintech Summit will be entirely online this December. They’ve banned PowerPoint presentations to provide a more engaging and interactive online event experience for the summit speakers and attendees. You will be able to personalize your program and organize an agenda that fits with your workday. Discussion Q&A will be live and spontaneous rather than squeezed in at the end and “Extra Time!” open-mic pop-up sessions will allow viewers to take part in the panel discussions.
The summit agenda has yet to go live, but registration is open and priority for limited sessions will be given based on ticket issue number, so save your spot as soon as possible. #MoneyNextOnline
SFF X SWITCH Festival, December 7–11
The Singapore Fintech Festival and Switch have teamed up to create SFFxSWITCH, a week-long, round-the-clock global tech and fintech festival that will be both live and digital. The festival will combine a 24x7 digital platform for curated networking, meetups and workshops with live presentations from different countries around the world following the clock. The agenda will be organized into three tracks by sector, tech, and community.
The festival agenda and registration are not available yet but you can sign up to receive more details as they emerge. #SFFxSWITCH
It’s sure to be an exciting season! And it will be interesting to see how it goes and what it’s longer-term impact may be for events, the industry, and attendees alike.
Did you attend one of these events or some others? We’d love to hear how it was in the comments below!
STAY TUNED: Some of the best blockchain events of the year take place in Q1 & 2, so follow us here on Medium and on Twitter and Linkedin for blockchain event updates to kickstart your new year.
