The pulsing city of Amsterdam was a fitting home for Blockchain Expo Europe’s return for 2018, with the frenzy around the technology perhaps at its most vital.
The city’s RAI convention centre welcomed over 8,000 attendees through its doors over the course of the two days, buzzing and eager to chew over the latest trends in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and, of course, blockchain itself.
Lots going on at the #iottechexpo #blockchainexpo and #aiexpo in Amsterdam pic.twitter.com/RUJ5gbJaNS
— IoT Tech Expo (@iottechexpo) June 27, 2018
The place to be for anyone involved in emerging technologies on this side of the Atlantic, the sell-out exhibition floor was abuzz with live demos from some of the biggest leaders in technology, including HedPay, IBM, Stratis, IGE Solutions and eToro.
Among representatives from some of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, some of those more memorable were drone delivery services, augmented reality tools for the construction business and blockchain-based social media.
This paved the way for rare networking and partnership opportunities, many of which are undoubtedly crucial for success in what is remains and industry of fierce competition, and where connections and knowledge are power.
There has been a constant flow of people coming to our stand in London during the Blockchain Expo at Kensington Olympia! Our platform was a success! 100% proven: that’s what the market needs.#sbcplatform #blockchainexpo pic.twitter.com/bC5fBIndEa
— System Bit Consulting (@system_bit) April 20, 2018
Providing the latter, no less than 10 speaker tracks spanned the two-day expo, covering the mind-boggling landscape of applications, and predictions for AI, IoT, and blockchain’s development within the coming years.
In blockchain, that includes its potential to revolutionise supply chains, healthcare and financial services, moving away from its former association with cryptocurrencies to be the fundamental architecture for wide and global social good.
Vincent Doumeizel’s (@lloydsregister) take on #Blockchain for Food industry and #Sustainability: “Coffee, tea, and sugar are three major commodities for the slavery. Blockchain can help you vote against it, choosing the validated food.” @Doumeizel #BlockchainExpo pic.twitter.com/GeyNlil4cB
— Victoria Hanchar (@HancharGonchar) June 27, 2018
An opening keynote by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) CEO, David O’Gorman, embodied this concept directly, revealing how the not-for-profit is trialling blockchain technology for sustainable fishing, attaching RFIP chips to tuna to track along the supply chain.
On the business and enterprise side, it’s IBM that’s topping ranks, with the company’s senior technical staff member of web and blockchain open technologies, Arnaud Le Hors, taking the stage to reaffirm the group’s commitment to bringing full-service blockchain solutions to the masses, claiming over 400 projects being worked on at present.
“Blockchain has the potential to reduce friction, it takes us to a different level when talking about optimising business workflows,” said le Hors.
Meanwhile, in a panel tasked with mapping the progress of blockchain technology by 2030, one speaker said it will become “all-pervasive”; you will even have a ledger for putting your rubbish out…
“What does the future hold for blockchain technology – where will we be in 2030?” #blockchainexpo pic.twitter.com/KoiZd8P2h3
— EdgeFund (@edgefundteam) June 28, 2018
Bringing together the tech pioneers and benchmarking success remains a crucial component of Blockchain Expo’s mission, and that manifested itself notably in The Blocks, an award ceremony devoted to recognising the best-and-brightest across a range of disciplines.
Hosted on the banks of the beautiful Boerenwetering canal in the glow of the summer sun, it was an evening to celebrate those pushing the envelope in blockchain applications, the startups to watch for the year ahead, the best contributor to the technology’s rise, among so much more, with winners to be available to view here in the coming days.
?#Blocknet **WON** “Best Blockchain Technology Developer 2018” at #TheBlockAwards2018 ? It was an honor to be considered among the 250+ applicants. This is just the beginning– #XRouter coming July 1st ? #internetofblockchains #BlockchainExpo pic.twitter.com/T9DcyPQjOs
— The Blocknet (@The_Blocknet) June 27, 2018
Our team was just awarded the biggest contributor to the rise of Blockchain in 2018!
Thank you Blockchain Expo!#BlockchainExpo pic.twitter.com/RK3duAmFDY
— Digital Currency (@MScDigital) June 27, 2018
With the curtain drawing on Blockchain Expo Europe’s 2018 return in Amsterdam, once again the conference has proven a breeding ground for new ideas, debate, partnerships and progress with the hottest emerging technologies.
The Block New held interviews with a host of experts across the two days, including Huobi, eToro, Deepbrain Chain and more. Keep an eye out for these in the coming weeks.
Interested in hearing leading global brands discuss subjects like this in person? Find out more at the Blockchain Expo World Series, Global, Europe and North America.
