Agenda

Blockchain has the potential to transform how many businesses operate, in a similar way to how the internet and file sharing transformed the entertainment industry. Collaboration is the only way to ensure adoption of the technology, so people and businesses can realise the benefits.

What's in it for us humans? 'Blockchain' is set to become a household name. It will disrupt industries and change commerce. So what is at the core of this revolutionary power, how can we anticipate how visible it will be and imagine how far it may carry? What effects it may have on the fabric of what really makes up our lives – friends, family, work, past time; our sense of home and ownership; our relationship to laws, regulations and authorities? Our personal freedom, as well as responsibilities? We'll try to extrapolate from past examples of similar nature, look at how people, political players, legal frameworks and the economy may react. What corrosion and co-option can be expected, which hopes will more likely turn out to be but fancy dreams, what new possibilities may emerge, and which developments look unstoppable.

A general overview of the different uses that have been made (or will be made) of blockchain technologies, with regard to different sectors of activity: from global payment systems to derivative markets and other financial applications; from public registries to intellectual property management systems; from trustless and automated transactions to smart devices and device-to-device communication.

How are blockchain technologies being used today across institutions? What are the key paradigm shifts in financial services enabled by smart contracts and blockchain technologies? How can multi-sig technology and smart contracts be deployed to enhance information security and institutional governance?

What are the relevant legal frameworks for blockchain technology? What challenges might regulators face when building new regulatory frameworks for crypto-currencies and other blockchain-based applications? What key characteristics would an ideal regulatory regime have?

What exactly are smart contract and how do they differ from traditional contracts? How can they be made legally valid and enforceable? What are the various use cases for smart contracts?