“You can’t stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere and the world will have to readjust. World governments will have to readjust.” – John McAfee
Cryptocurrency is a growing industry, with more than 20 million people using bitcoin across the globe in 2018, according to Bitcoin Market Journal. However, with innovation comes challenges, like how to connect with other people in what was, until recently, a largely niche market segment.
How can professionals entering the field connect with seasoned veterans? Where do startups find investors and where do people go to learn more about a widely misunderstood but often lucrative topic? These are some of the challenges many people in the crypto field are facing.
Further, the instability and unpredictability of the cryptocurrency market can make it seem like a fly-by-night endeavor when in reality, it’s become a highly professional field full of visionaries, risk-takers, and matured investors who are more than willing to weather the storm while crypto works through its growing pains.
The Value of Expos
The relative uncertainty of the sector is leading many to participate in conventions and expos where they can discuss their concerns, talk shop, and gain a better grasp of the challenges and triumphs other people are facing. These insider events are an excellent opportunity for novices to learn from the experts and for experts and investors to stay abreast of innovative newcomers and inventive ideas entering the space.
One such event bringing people together is CryptoBlockCon, an annual conference in which startups, investors, and enthusiasts can come together to learn from each other, share best practices, and make connections. We spoke with Innovation & Tech Today’s Editor-in-Chief Charles Warner to learn more about the event and what he gained from his attendance during the December 2018 conference.
Takeaways from Attendees
“I learned, on the crypto side, that businesses pay a lot less if they accept transactions through crypto than if they’re doing like Visa, or debit, or things like that, and also it opens up the customer base because there are currently over a billion people that are underserved by the banks who don’t have access to shop online and buy services and goods.” Warner continued, “When they have crypto and a phone, all of the sudden if your business accepts crypto, then you have just added a potential billion new customers that can buy products and goods from you, so that definitely was something that resonated.”
Events aimed at less understood market segments, like crypto and blockchain, offer more than just information. They are an invaluable opportunity for industry professionals to network. By carefully curating the timing between sessions, these conferences provide a pivotal opportunity for interindustry connections. Warner elaborated, “There is a lot of time between sessions where you just get a chance to go up and talk to people. Everybody is really approachable and it gives you a chance to ask questions about blockchain or crypto with the people who are giving the talks, the authorities. They make it pretty easy at an event like that. It was just the right mix for you to be able to get to talk to the people you want to talk to.”
Gaining Insights
Industry events are often overlooked as niche gatherings of people intricately involved in the space. In reality, these events are gateways of opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about the sector. As Warner so coyly stated, “I think people who want to know about crypto or blockchain should attend an event like this because most people don’t even know what it is. You’ve heard of it but don’t know how to explain it. By the time you leave something like CryptoBlockCon, you’ll be able to have a conversation and sound halfway intelligent, just like me.”
