Big Banks Get Practical about Blockchain Technology at New Congress
Santander, UBS and Barclays are just a few of the financial institutions confirmed to attend the European Blockchain Congress, hosted by Kisaco Research, to assess the business and technology case for adopting blockchain.
Taking place 26-28 April in London, this new event is specifically designed to give business executives an update on the practical progress blockchain technology has made. For two days, leading technology, insurance and financial institutions will present case studies and assess the success and failures of blockchain projects.
It still remains to be seen if blockchain will revolutionise decades-old banking infrastructure. Since breaking onto the financial scene under the rebellious guise of BitCoin in 2008, major banks, retailers and financial institutions have been lining up to explore the possibilities of blockchain. Santander estimated that blockchain technology can save banks up $20 billion on transactions and the tamper-proof ledger can massively improve transparency and efficiency.
But while the advantages of blockchain are beyond doubt, many questions hang over how to implement the technology in reality. Can it cope with the massive increase in transactions that it will need to process? Even if it becomes technologically feasible, how can the technology comply with existing and future regulation? How secure and stable is a decentralised ledger? Whatever the answers, one element remains key: companies need to collaborate. That’s where the European Blockchain Congress comes in. Cutting through the revolutionary rhetoric, it will give business executives from big banks to payments start-ups a practical overview of the industry to date.
Julio Faura, Head of R+D and Innovation, Santander will be shedding light on the proof of concept work that the company has been developing. He will also explore the future of regulation and the common standards companies need to have in place in order to grow the industry. Simon Taylor, VP of Blockchain R+D and Experimentation, Barclays will tackle questions regarding regulation, industry challenges and how to deliver efficiency savings without implementing drastic restructures. Other speakers include Fredrik Voss, Vice President, Blockchain Innovation, Nasdaq, Alex Batlin, Head of FinTech Innovation Lab, UBS and Joseph Lubin, Founder, Consensys.
The European Blockchain Congress will provide a key space to explore the practical perspectives, approaches and applications of blockchain technology for all stakeholders in the industry. It will be taking place from 27-28 April at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London - Docklands Riverside in London.
For the full speaker panel and agenda, visit: http://www.europeanblockchain.com/
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