European Parliament to Host 4-Day Blockchain Conference Next Week

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by Polina Chernykh · 3 min read
European Parliament to Host 4-Day Blockchain Conference Next Week
Photo: European Parliament/Flickr

Members of the EU Parliament will be given an opportunity to gain wider knowledge of the digital currency and technology behind it at the upcoming blockchain conference in Belgium.

The EU Parliament is going to hold a conference on digital currencies and distributed ledgers next week, providing an opportunity for MEPs to learn more about the technology. The exhibition will take place at the European Parliament in Brussels, starting April 18th.

The four day event will bring together a wide range of bitcoin and blockchain startups, established companies, as well as academics and central banks. Besides, it will be attended by representatives from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Europol, World Bank, Bank for International Settlements, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations.

The exhibition will feature presentations from Nasdaq, IMF, bitcoin wallet provider Blockchain.info and other participants.

“I am pleased to be hosting the exhibition on blockchain and virtual currencies in the European Parliament. Legislators internationally are now looking at this area and how to protect the consumer while stimulating innovation,” said Syed Kamall, who will host the conference.

The conference was co-organised together with the European Digital Currency & Blockchain Technology Forum, a new Belgium-based public policy platform for virtual currencies and blockchain technologies.

The event will cover various aspects of the distributed ledgers, providing EU Parliament members with a detailed overview of the technology.  The conference is expected to help them handle various issues related to bitcoin regulation.

Blockchain is drawing attention of the world’s leading financial services providers due to its ability to solve problems existing in the financial industry. It has received significant investments over the last years, owing to the huge potential of the technology.

Major financial institutions believe it could fundamentally transform the way of realizing transactions. Blockchain allows companies to reduce settlement costs by conducting transfers without participation of third parties.

“For a strong and comprehensive policy and regulatory framework, collaboration based on indepth understanding of the technology and open debate is vital. The creation of Edcab signals industry’s commitment to work with policymakers over the long term to achieve positive outcomes for the sector and the European citizens it serves,” said Siân Jones, the founder of the forum.

There will be three roundtables organized for policymakers and industry members during the event. The topics include ‘Virtual currencies: The future of money’, which will focus on the benefits of using alternative currencies, and ‘Blockchain: Trusting distributed ledgers’ that will discuss how the technology could drive economic prosperity and improve people’s lives. A final topic, called ‘Regulating virtual currencies and blockchain: A balancing act’, will summarize the discussions.

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