Malta Blockchain Summit: Interview with Hyperbridge’s Advisor Rob Dawson
All eyes were on Malta this month as one of the most anticipated blockchain events of the year kicked off on November 1st and 2nd. The event aligned with two major legislative acts introduced by the Maltese government that will create a regulatory foundation for blockchain companies to function in the country. The summit was an exciting opportunity for those in the space to come together, network, and gain new insights on the evolving trends and regulatory and technological breakthroughs in the field of blockchain. Hyperbridge’s Advisor and CEO of BLOK Technologies Rob Dawson was among the attendees. We therefore decided to sit down with Rob and hear more about his experience in Malta.
Tell us more about Malta Blockchain Summit. What was your impression of the event?
With over 8,500 attendees the Summit was the largest blockchain/crypto event I’ve been to and definitely a highlight conference of the year. A major focus of the conference was how the regulatory environment for blockchain is evolving. Malta is at the forefront of regulating the industry and at the same time encouraging investment and new businesses in the industry.
A major focus of the conference was how the regulatory environment for blockchain is evolving. Malta is at the forefront of regulating the industry and at the same time encouraging investment and new businesses in the industry.
The event also marks the increasing maturation of the overall blockchain industry as business models and use cases for the blockchain economy are coming to fruition. Companies utilizing blockchain begin to stand out as they build functional technologies and platforms to drive the blockchain-enabled economy. Among the increasingly prevalent trends that I observed is the tokenization of assets and the emergence of platforms that enable the utilization of tokens inside an ecosystem.
What events did you attend and what were the main highlights for you?
There were four main tracks, covering the most relevant fields about blockchain : Government and Regulation, Marketing and Investment, Tokenomics and Cryptocurrency, and Development and Technology. I attended all four of them and also had chance to check out the ICO Pitch competition, VIP Networking, Investor Event and the Expo Floor.
The Expo was certainly a highlight for me. It showcased over 80 companies operating in and providing services to the blockchain industry. That was impressive! Since last year the utility and functionality of what is being developed in the industry has come a long way.
Any particular blockchain projects that you were impressed with?
I was particularly impressed by the companies focused on disrupting and enabling the financial sector. This included Fintech organizations developing new tools for processing transactions and enabling the use of cryptocurrencies, as well as organizations providing exchange and liquidity services to crypto-focused companies.
Other areas that stood out for me were the applications in entertainment, education and government. The more infrastructure that is developed to run the crypto-economy, the more utility and ease of use it will have. This helps the industry to go mainstream and realize its potential of being the engine that drives the global economy.
The more infrastructure that is developed to run the crypto-economy, the more utility and ease of use it will have. This helps the industry to go mainstream and realize its potential of being the engine that drives the global economy.
In many ways I see Hyperbridge’s vision as being aligned with this trend. Hyperbridge is enabling the crowdfunding, tokenization and democratization of application development, and BlockHub is just the starting point.
The summit also attracted the representatives of other tech sectors, including AI, IoT, Quantum Technology. What are some enticing highlights and trends happening there? And is there an overlap with blockchain development?
Absolutely. AI and IoT are closely aligned with blockchain. Sophia, the humanoid robot celebrity created by Hanson Robotics, attended the conference. She addressed the audience to discuss her thoughts on blockchain, cryptocurrency and AI. She discussed the benefits of both blockchain and AI improving human life and the economy.
I believe the key trend in this area is the integration of these technologies. Blockchain, AI, quantum technologies are all emerging at the same time, and interesting combinations of these technologies are being explored by multiple organizations.
A startup called Tatau, which won the ICO Pitch battle, is developing a marketplace to reallocate under-utilized crypto-mining computational power and switch it to AI processing in real-time.
I believe the key trend in this area is the integration of these technologies. Blockchain, AI, quantum technologies are all emerging at the same time, and interesting combinations of these technologies are being explored by multiple organizations.
We’ve heard that Malta is often referred to as the Blockchain Island. Is the title justified?
More and more. Malta as a country is taking a VERY progressive stance in regulating, encouraging investment, and reducing red tape for companies looking to operate in their jurisdiction. Its position as an EU country has a great potential for companies and for the industry itself. Malta is a small country of just 450,000 people but it is being recognized globally as one of the top 3–5 jurisdictions for blockchain. This is quite a feat. Interestingly, Malta just announced as well their foray into AI, having just struck a task force to look into developing a national AI strategy.
What can we learn from the current blockchain regulatory developments in Malta?
First and most importantly, blockchain is here to stay. Countries that embrace the new technology and its potential will be further ahead and those that try to ignore or regulate it under old, traditional structures will be further behind.
We are moving to a global economy and financial system where borders have less relevance. Blockchain holds much promise to make transactions, contracts, financial services, and other interactions between parties much more efficient, trustless and seamless. The rapid changes that we are witnessing, mark the democratization and decentralization of our economy, where people and organizations are connected peer to peer.
We are moving to a global economy and financial system where borders have less relevance. Blockchain holds much promise to make transactions, contracts, financial services, and other interactions between parties much more efficient, trustless and seamless. The rapid changes that we are witnessing, mark the democratization and decentralization of our economy, where people and organizations are connected peer to peer.
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