The 20th global edition of the World Blockchain Summit (WBS) was a wrap. Held in Singapore from 14–15 July 2022 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, The summit features enterprise use-cases, government use-cases, inspirational keynotes, panel discussions, tech-talks, blockchain exhibition, startup pitch competitions, and a host of networking opportunities.
Organized by Trescon, Forks Daily had the opportunity to attend and cover the WBS where we get to meet and learn from more than 700 of the world’s leading crypto and blockchain influencers, policymakers, and government stakeholders and curated investors.
Comprising keynotes, use-case studies and instructional sessions, the World Blockchain Summit has featured leading global technology companies presenting their most recent creations with the primary goal of facilitating the adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrency solutions that are transforming the industry.
The event also focused on addressing more trending issues within the crypto ecosystem:
- the NFT market overview
- the changing face of decentralized finance
- the role of stable coins
- Web3
- Navigating crypto as a venture fund
- the implementation of blockchain in businesses and much more.
We managed to catch H.E.Dr. Jerry Sambuaga, Vice Minister of Trade, Republic of Indonesia UP. with his opening keynote as he addresses the leaders of Singapore’s blockchain fraternity.
The summit also boasted a groundbreaking line-up of speakers including:
- Illia Polosukhin, Co-Founder, NEAR Protocol
- Daniel Liebau, CIO, Modular Blockchain Fund at Modular Asset Management
- Jan Camenisch, CTO, DFINITY Foundation
- Mance Harmon, Co-CEO – Swirlds Labs, Co-Founder – Hedera
- Hassan Ahmed, Regional Director of Southeast Asia, Coinbase
- Arjun Kalsy, VP – Growth, Polygon
- Ken Chia, Head of APAC, Abra
- Amy Zhao, Lead, Ocular Fund, Openspace Ventures
- Daniel Oon, Head of DeFi, Algor and Foundation
Day 2 of WBS was packed with valuable information as we listened to the various topics being covered
- The sustainability of smart contract platforms from the Modular Blockchain Fund at Modular Asset Management
- The internet computer: web 3 in its purest form from DFINITY Foundation
- A panel discussion on the digital assets sector: What to watch for in 2022
- How crypto assets are driving the future of finance in Asia.
We especially enjoyed the informative session about the sustainability of smart contracts platforms by Mr. Daniel Liebau, the Chief Investment Officer of Modular Blockchain Fund at Modular Asset Management and we had the opportunity to meet him after he had delivered his keynote. The importance of building sustainable platforms which will be adopted broadly by entrepreneurs and corporations and the understanding of how to assess sustainability characteristics would help investors pick winners.
We also had a very exciting fireside chat amongst the panel of speakers on Cross border Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and Digital Asset Between Singapore and Indonesia. The discussion about the different utilities of various NFTs that could be life changing which also include Cannabis NFTs. This, however did raise some eyebrows as Cannabis is banned in Singapore and many countries across the world as highlighted by the Bitcoin Man, Mr. Herbert Sim during the Open dialogue, Q&A sessions.
There are many more considerations as Mr. Herbert Sim raised further concerns to ensure investors to check with their regulators whether investing in Cannabis as a commodity is an offence in their home country. With the decriminalization of Cannabis in Thailand, we have also seen an increase of Cannabis sales, however e-commerce of Cannabis is illegal in Thailand. Some food for thought for those who want to venture into Cannabis business in Thailand.
The summit saw a footfall of 1000+ global attendees over two days which included the newly founded “Asia Blockchain Association”, “A Community To Create, Connect and Collaborate”. We are certain that with their Core Principles of the 3 Cs, ABA will foster deep relationships among the members, the stakeholders and beyond.
Together at WBS, we got the opportunity to experience informative sessions, powerful networking sessions, an afterparty, and the SWC pitch competition. We expect more to come.