Next Generation Digital Identity 

Digital identity is changing the way institutions connect with consumers and how people communicate online.  According to many experts, blockchain is the missing component that enables trust in relationships without the need for an intermediary identity provider. Blockchain technology holds the potential to solve multiple prevalent digital identity issues by providing a decentralized approach to identity management. In this session we will discuss how blockchain will change the current landscape for individual’s identity in the digital age.

The Future of Supply chain will be Built on the Blockchain 

Experts predict Blockchain will forever change the supply chain industry. According to a recent article published, interest has accelerated significantly during the past year, making blockchain a top trend for supply chain leaders to watch in 2019. Many companies including IBM, Walmart, Airbus and many more are adopting new blockchain solutions to enhance and optimize their global supply chains. Learn more about how global companies like these and many more are adopting & using the technology to facilitate transparency and traceability across suppliers and retailers globally.

Rise of Digital Assets and Digital Money

There is no question that digital money and digital currencies will continue to disrupt the financial industry. According to a recent paper published by the IMF (“The Rise of Digital Money”), cash and bank deposits – today’s two most common forms of money – are facing intense competition from tech companies and digital currencies, requiring banks to quickly evolve, or else risk extinction.  Blockchain technology’s simplest and most obvious application today has to do with a payments system, such as remittance – a global multi-billion-dollar industry. In this panel, we will explore the rise and normalization of cryptocurrency, big tech and fintech companies and their effects on traditional national and international financial institutions.

How are Governments Adopting Blockchain

Blockchain technology continues to be the subject of intense interest among governments around the world. Currently, the U.S. Congress is moving forward on legislation designed to lay the regulatory framework for blockchain technology and to explore how the government could benefit from its use. Dubai has set a goal to become the world’s first blockchain-powered government. In this session we will discuss various government’s involvement in blockchain technologies, advancements and regulations.

Exploring the Intersections of Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence

Blockchain technologies and artificial intelligence are starting to be adopted by companies in their long-term strategic plans and there’s never been a better time to explore the convergence of both these industries. During this session panelists will discuss why you must be aware of these emerging technological trends, how they will intersect and propel forward the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is characterized by a range of new technologies like AI, blockchain, cryptocurrencies, IoT, cybersecurity, etc. that will undoubtedly change the physical, digital and biological worlds, impact all economies and industries.

What’s Next in Governance and Compliance?

Governance and compliance are more important than ever to foster the growth of the blockchain industry. In this panel subject matter experts will discuss a range of subjects including but not limited to: legislation, antitrust, intellectual property, privacy, smart contracts, and open source software. Blockchain technology will make verified data more accessible, transparent and immediate and will provide extra layers of security for consumers and businesses alike. Topics discussed by industry experts will also include internal & IT audit, policy management, regulatory change management, enterprise risk management, IT risk, cybersecurity, data protection, privacy and proof-of-provenance.

Can Smart Cities Really be that “Smart”?

Can a city really become “smart” using blockchain technologies? What does that even mean? The formation of smart cities will make for more integrated cities in which automation simplifies the lives of populations and increases efficiencies.  In this session we will discuss the future of interconnected cities and how blockchain technologies and applications will revolutionize the way we live, commute and communicate every day.

Unpacking the Top 5 Blockchain Applications

Depending on who you ask, opinions vary as to the most fundamental, disruptive, and promising applications of blockchain technology.  Could it be core technical applications or more surface level functional applications? In this session, panelists will weigh in on this topic with their opinions in a debate as to what top five applications companies, institutions, and consumers should be focusing on.

Supercharge your Blockchain Strategy

The rise of blockchain technology has compelled corporations, startups, and institutions alike to devote considerable attention towards effective strategy.  Anyone in the enterprise world that has yet to develop a strategy risks missing an opportunity or, worse, being passed by. Statistically, the number of marketing startups devoted to developing blockchain strategies increased by over 1,200 percent in just 18 months (2017-2019).  In this session, panelists will discuss strategies as they relate to tokenization, platforms, interfaces, trade promotion, email marketing automation, advertising, infrastructure and network, security and analytics, and more.

Blockchain 2025

Now in its second stage of adoption, blockchain stands poised to become a mainstream technology by 2025 according to many experts.  A recent report states that the blockchain market will surpass $41 billion in the US by 2025 [“United States Blockchain Business Opportunities and Outlook Databook Series (2016-2025)]”.  This tidal wave stands to have a significant impact on all economic sectors, including: banking and financial, insurance, healthcare and biopharma, energy, education, retail, real estate, manufacturing, marketing, and logistics—to name a few.   Join us as panelists explore the economic, social, political, and environmental implications of blockchain in the upcoming years.

What Blockchain Business Models are Working and Why?

As blockchain technology evolves, so too do the business models which guide its character and trajectory.  But what model(s) are most effective? Generally-speaking, is it the traditional client-server model, or a more decentralized system?  Perhaps there is another concept on the horizon? And what impact is the peer-to-peer nature of blockchain technology having on traditional business models of centralized organization such as has existed since the rise of capitalism during the Industrial Revolution?  In this panel experts will expand upon this subject of effective business models in the age of Blockchain.

The Early Winds You Need to Know in Blockchain 

As with the rise of the Internet in the 20th century, blockchain technology promises to fundamentally modify the way that we live in a myriad of areas in the 21st century and beyond.  Most people who are at least somewhat familiar with the concept identify cryptocurrency (i.e. asset tokenization) as the most significant use case, often overlooking other ones that are highly relevant.  Supply chain management, automation, health care, voting, digital identity, robotic process automation, food safety,  fundraising, intellectual property, real estate, and insurance are just a few of the many more areas of society that have begun to undergo transformation and development due to blockchain technology.  In this session, panelists will debate the various economic, social, and political areas of blockchain influence, and which top 5 applications should be used, considered or implemented.

Start-Up Showcase

The ELEV8 exclusive startup showcase is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for entrepreneurs and companies to showcase their blockchain solutions, services and applications to a panel of industry experts and venture capitalists. You don’t want to miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity to watch the selected startup companies pitch their unique products and innovative services. One of the selected startups will be crowned as the 2019 ELEV8 Las Vegas showcase winner and will be awarded prizes and funding.

Decentralization vs. Centralization. Which will Prevail?

Whereas before the past ten years networks were virtually ubiquitously centralized, relying on a single server, the rise of technologies like blockchain and cloud have shifted the nature of network management towards decentralization, thus capitalizing on fundamental advantages such as increased system reliability, scale, and privacy.  However, some individuals and entities are resistant to such decentralization, arguing that centralized network management provides greater consistency, efficiency, and affordability. In this panel, our featured blockchain experts will highlight this increasingly common debate between centralization and decentralization on a fundamental level, as well as its pertinence to specific use cases.

Privacy and Security on the Chain

In the age of digital revolution, cybersecurity is an underlying and dominant theme that we hear discussed in business, political, academic, and social circles, and in the media.  With the rise of cybercrime, data fraud, and theft in recent years, many have argued that blockchain serves as a boon within a volatile landscape, demonstrating its resistance to the latter intrusive and disruptive digital-based crime.  Others have argued that the most established use case of blockchain, cryptocurrency, reveals that there are fundamental flaws with respect to privacy and security. That said, one thing everybody can agree on is that cyberhackers are scrambling to find ways to undermine this novel technology, thus begging the question of what must be done to ensure that privacy and security remain safeguarded.  In this session, our panelists will discuss this topic in greater detail.

Reshaping the Global Economy with Blockchain 

If successfully integrated, blockchain promises to reshape every aspect of the daily lives of people all over the world—even the very ecologies in which people live.  The successful use case of cryptocurrency has already demonstrated tangible changes in the banking system at the national and global levels, while in other use cases tech and retail giants, governments, and start-ups in various industries are adopting strategies that incorporate blockchain technology as a centerpiece.  In this session, our panelists will discuss the most significant ways that blockchain stands to change the world that we live in.

What are Stablecoins and who are they Relevant For?

Sometimes it is better to synthesize revolutionary concepts with the status quo rather than attempt to break away from the latter altogether.  Such is the concept of stablecoin—a form of cryptocurrency that is more fixed than standard cryptocurrency because it is pegged to other conventional assets such as the US dollar, Euro, or gold, thus allowing both the benefits of cryptocurrency while avoiding its volatility and enjoying the greater stability of traditional forms of currency.  Some have argued that stablecoins could prove to be the bridge between the relatively marginal concept of cryptocurrency and its enthusiasts on the one hand, and the general public and governments on the other. In this session, panelists will discuss the nature and forms of stablecoin, its real-world applications, and it’s supposed risks and limitations.

The Revolution of Tokenization

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved a $28 million Reg A+ offering for Blockstack, a decentralized internet company also specializing in cryptocurrency; this approval from the SEC was one of the first of its kind for a cryptocurrency organization. In this session we will discuss and explore why and how Blockstack & similar token offering companies will revolutionize the way tokens are utilized by the government and consumers alike in the United States.

Securitization of Illiquid Assets

In the first phase of the rollout of blockchain technology, Initial Coin Offerings were made, in some cases ill-conceived and often under scrutiny from the SEC.  The next and current phase of the evolution of blockchain integration is focused largely on the securitization of illiquid assets such as currency, sports, real estate, art, and precious metals.  It appears thus far that blockchain is well-suited to such securitization for many reasons. In this panel, our experts will discuss the actors involved in this process of securitization of illiquid assets, how they are doing it, and the advantages thereof, as well as the legal and regulatory aspects and implications.

Blockchain, Changing the Gaming Industry

Given the giant boom of the gaming industry concurrent with the rise of blockchain technology, it is not surprising that the two would eventually form a marriage. Digital casinos and card games were the first sector of the gaming world to implement blockchain technology, with users in games of chance preferring decentralized systems.  Now, big video game developers (multiverses and massively multiplayer online game) are increasingly monetizing their games by incorporating cryptocurrency transfers into their final product offerings; they are also touting blockchain as a way to protect their users identity and the integrity of the gaming experience. Join us in this session as our panelists discuss the exciting fusion between blockchain and gaming.

Media, Entertainment and Blockchain. The Revolution will be Digitized.

It is likely that blockchain technology will completely transform the media and entertainment industries.  The blockchain has provided companies the capacity to produce wholly encrypted records of ownership, and to carry out smart contracts (in which there are no middlemen).  According to a recent article by Forbes: applying this technology to media consumption has alleviated the problems surrounding “content access, distribution and compensation; managing assets and digital rights; and financing, among others.” While the mainstream entertainment industry may be reluctant at this time to officially adopt the blockchain due to lack of regulation and uncertainty, there is cause to be optimistic about the future of the technology in this space.  In this session, our panelists will delve deeper into this topic.

Are you Cold, Hard, Warm or Hot?

Crypto certainly has much fewer middleman fees and less muddled bank regulation than traditional currency, but it requires individuals to assume the responsibility to ensure that their crypto investments are stored in a safe place.  Should you store your investments in a hot wallet that is accessible online, or offline in a cold wallet that is more secure? Having recognized the urgency of combining the security benefits of offline cold wallets with the convenience of an online wallet, users are now utilizing segregated wallets that combine the best of both worlds.  In this panel, speakers will explore the various forms of crypto storage, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each, and provide suggestions as to how you can best manage your crypto assets.

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