Why Is Everyone Talking About Blockchain In Berlin?

Berlin — the capital and largest city of Germany, has developed a reputation for its thriving startup scene.

Megan Doyle
Linum Labs Blog
6 min readMay 28, 2018

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Image created via Photofunia

Credited as a creative design city, Berlin has positioned itself as an industry leader in setting new trends. Creatives, thinkers, innovators and entrepreneurs all form the framework that makes up the city’s talent architecture. Berlin could soon claim the title of Europe’s number one destination for technology startups. According to Gruenden, an advisory agency for new businesses in Germany, a new company is founded every 20 minutes in the German capital. In today’s current state of digital transformation, Berlin is just as modern and forward thinking as the talented individuals that reside within its borders.

At present, traditional operations have progressed into technologically advanced systems, streamlining a number of operational inefficiencies that businesses currently face. With a popular startup landscape, an abundance of talented community members and an enticing business environment, it’s clear to see why everyone is talking about blockchain in Berlin. The possibilities are endless.

As the popularity of cryptocurrency rises, Berlin is rapidly becoming known as a leading Crypto-Community, recognised for its prime location and growing tech ecosystem. With such a vast network of startups, incubators and interested community members, the city has become a hub for progressive innovation.

This flourishing community provides infinite potential for blockchain enthusiasts and developers working in the space. There is imminent value in co-creating communities that are implementing impactful change utilizing web3 technologies. This value is found within education. With the right resources, society can make informed decisions on how to improve existing processes when given the tools to foster knowledge development. Information empowers individuals. Expanding this global blockchain community is of utmost importance — for us to fully accrue value and to benefit from it, society would need to accept and fully understand blockchain’s immense potential to change industry landscapes.

Facilitating the Expansion of the Blockchain Community

The first generation of the digital revolution brought us the Internet of information. The second generation — powered by blockchain technology — is bringing us the Internet of value: a new platform to reshape the world of business and transform the old order of human affairs for the better” — Don Tapscott

Into the rabbit hole you go. The best way to fully immerse yourself into the world of Crypto, is to start attending community events. The blockchain community serves as a borderless community that is all inclusive. Events cater to various levels of experience and provide an open platform for individuals to start engaging in current topics of discussion. Attending one of these events is an opportunity for individuals to engage with and learn about ideas and projects within the blockchain ecosystem. As if this wasn’t enough, Meetup’s are a great way to network and connect with key players in the industry.

Since Germany’s Capital is at the forefront of technological innovation, Linum Labs has initiated a series of events to establish itself as a valuable contributor to the Blockchain Community in Berlin. These Meetup’s provide an open space for people to learn more about blockchain and Ethereum, share their ideas, ask questions and to make valuable connections with others.

In addition to the more informal ‘Casual Drinks and Discussion’ Meetup’s, Linum Labs has held a number of large-scale events in Berlin as seen here.

Ethereum, Open Identity Systems and The Decentralized Web — 29 August 2017

Presentations by some of the industry’s leading experts, covered updates on the latest blockchain news. Joining us at the event was Devon Krantz (Linum Labs) giving an Introduction to the Ethereum Meetups, Paul Kohlhaas (uPort, ConsenSys) presenting on Identity Management on the Blockchain, Genevieve Renoir (Web3 Foundation) and Robert Habermeier (Parity Technologies).

Presentations

uPort: Powering Decentralized Identity

Paul Kohlhaas, from ConsenSys, spoke on how uPort is utilizing blockchain technology to create a self-sovereign identity system built on Ethereum.

Polkadot Network: Scaling Solution for Blockchain

Robert Habermeier spoke on the current issues with blockchain technology and how the Polkadot Network will resolve these problems.

Web3 Foundation: The Polkadot Network and Decentralization

Genevieve Renoir spoke on how the Web3 Foundation is supporting the Polkadot Network and the benefits of working towards a decentralized future.

Video links to each presentation:

A Celebration of Female Entrepreneurs — 28 September 2017

Linum Labs launched the Berlin chapter of Future Females, the first city globally to host a Future Female event celebrating female entrepreneurs. Mind The Gap presented on finance and wealth surrounding the gender divide gap with salaries and investments. Farina Schurzfeld, co-founder of Selfapy and Daria Markova, co-founder of the Space Shack, were keynote speakers at the Future Females Meetup.

Blockchains and Market-driven Forecasting Technology — 7 November 2017

Gnosis joined us for another insightful Ethereum Meetup. Speakers included Nadja Beneš (Brand & Content Strategy at Gnosis) and Richard Meissner (Mobile Developer Lead at Gnosis). In addition, Tim Bansemer , founder of a Blockchain Startup inblock.io , also presented at the event.

A Focus on Blockchain Insights and DApps — 2 December 2017 (CHECK)

Linum Labs welcomed leading Ethereum venture production studio, ConsenSys, to Berlin by hosting a Meetup in partnership with the company. ConsenSys founder, Joseph Lubin presented his vision for Ethereum’s future development and disruption. Second Speaker, Kavita Gupta, Managing Partner of ConsenSys Capital, shared her insights on how traditional venture capital is being transformed by ICOs and crypto investment trends. View the event here.

The Framework of Decentralization and Open Source Software — 13 April 2018

With a title such as ‘ Interplanetary cat herder’, Andy Tudhope of Status, delivered a compelling presentation on “Community and Communal Magic”. Andy outlined the framework for thinking about the benefits of decentralization and open source software, whilst team member, Martin Klepsch, conducted a presentation on Sustainable OSS, Decentralized Organizations and the Status Open Bounty.

Decentralized IOT Networks — 20th April 2018

Linum Labs hosted an Ethereum Meetup alongside Ambrosus, where the Ambrosus team presented their project, most recent achievements, milestones and hosted a live interactive Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) session with community members.

Proof of Location and Geospatial Blockchain Applications — 23 May 2018

Fresh out of New York City Blockchain week — Linum Labs hosted an Ethereum Meetup in partnership with FOAM and Dether. Discussions centred around Proof of Location and geospatial blockchain applications with the event being live-streamed on YouTube.

Encouraging Community-Wide Conversations

Formed from a community of enriched, vibrant and enthusiastic individuals, Berlin promotes a culture of collaboration.

You can too become part of a thriving and supportive environment for budding entrepreneurs. Meet people from every corner of the world by attending blockchain events that consist of incredible networking opportunities.

So if you’re asking, ‘How can I connect with the blockchain community in Berlin?’ There are a number of groups that one can join.

It’s exciting to see where the future of this emerging technology takes us. Berlin, just so happens to be a city renowned for its wealth of innovation projects and skilled individuals who challenge ‘the norm’ of traditional enterprises.

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Attracting blockchain engineers, developers and enthusiasts alike, Berlin continues to evolve and to facilitate the growth of fresh, new ideas with an ever increasing wealth of talent. This movement towards web3 technologies, towards a more secure, a more intelligent way of living, is sure to benefit the whole of humankind.

Blockchain is, and will continue to be, an important part of our technological digital future.

If you would like be a global representative, committed to expanding the blockchain and Ethereum community in Berlin, fill in this form to become an Linum Lab’s ambassador.

If you enjoyed reading this piece, please leave a ‘clap’ or comment below.

Linum Labs is a software studio for blockchain architecture with a focus on community, production, training and consulting.

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Megan Doyle
Linum Labs Blog

Marketing alum at @nextbigthingag, @LinumLabs and @Molecule_to.