OECD Blockchain Policy Forum: Day 1 takeaways
by Beverly Altberg, Shyft International CMO

Coming into Day 1 of the OECD Blockchain Policy Forum, I was unsure what to expect. Conferences are abundant in the blockchain industry almost to a level of paralysis. And while they provide great platforms for conversations and learning, there’s an underlying similarity to all of them.
I quickly realized this conference is different. Even with more than 1,000 forum participants crowding the halls at the OECD headquarters in Paris this week, — and an agenda peppered with common themes like identity, traceability, and health — the connections are more intimate and tangible.
What’s different? The conversations here are framed around impact. There’s a recognition that our industry will have a significant impact on labour markets, tax and monetary policies, education systems, and more — and unless we’re careful, some of these impacts may not be favourable. So before we go full steam ahead, we need to listen deeply to perspectives from all parties; this is how we’ll ensure we build the regulatory environments and technology to create the best possible outcomes.
I’m sure everyone has taken something different away from the first day of this historical conference. What I took away, with which others may disagree, is that technology in and of itself is not the solution. Blockchain is a remarkable innovation — probably the innovation of this century — and few can debate that. But the solution is much grander than the technology itself. The emergence of this technology has been the catalyst that forces us to recognize that change is incumbent, but that the change is not possible without people and process.
Technology in and of itself is not the solution. The emergence of blockchain technology has been the catalyst that forces us to recognize that change is incumbent, but that the change is not possible without people and process.
There will be new leaders that emerge in industry and government who recognize how to lead through this change. They will be the ones who ask the tough questions, who build for the long-term, who recognizing that there is a greater good than ourselves and who realize that we will be stronger when we build solutions together. And when it all comes down to it, isn’t that what leadership is all about?
To learn more about the OECD Blockchain Policy Forum, visit: http://www.oecd.org/finance/oecd-blockchain-policy-forum-2018.htm.
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Following OECD Blockchain Policy Forum remotely? Check out the event live stream, brought to you by Shyft: https://ocde.streamakaci.com/blockchain/ and read our event highlights here: https://medium.com/shyft-network-media/oecd-blockchain-policy-forum-day-1-highlights-440786e14b5b
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