Blockchain, blockchain, blockchain. If you read the news these days, you will see that word everywhere. Most people don’t even know what blockchain is, but there is a lot of hype about it.
Most of you have certainly heard about cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (which price has quadrupled since September 2020), Ethereum, Polkadot or Cardano. Blockchain is the technology behind them.
What you may not know is that blockchain goes far beyond cryptocurrencies. Blockchain can revolutionise several industries and the way private companies or public institutions trade and do business.
Hear from experts from The Economist, ConsenSys, Worldline, and the Crypto Curry Club about blockchain’s state of art, its pros and cons, why and where it is creating new opportunities, and some best practices to implement them.
Our panel will be moderated by Matthieu Favas, Finance correspondent at The Economist, and composed of:
· Didier Le Floch - CTO at ConsenSys Codefi
· Manuel Machado - Global Head of Blockchain Solutions at Worldline
· Erica Stanford – Founder of the Crypto Curry Club
Wednesday 10th February 2021
6-7.15pm GMT / 7-8.15pm CET
Online
About the Panel
Matthieu Favas – Finance correspondent at The Economist
· With roots in the wine industry, Matthieu is now a finance correspondent at The Economist, covering banking, fintech, insurance and private equity, among other things.
· He is also keen on monetary economics, development finance and international relations, and has just wrote a special report on finance and geopolitics.
· Matthieu has been named Journalist of the Year, Alternatives, in the 2020 State Street Press Awards. He was also a winner in the MHP 30 To Watch awards.
Didier Le Floch - ConsenSys – Codefi CTO
· Didier has more than 16 years of banking experience followed by several experiences on decentralised platforms.
· At Codefi, he is building the decentralised operating system for global commerce and finance. Previously, he co-founded TradeQuorum, a Trade Finance Platform and Marketplace powered by Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence.
· Didier worked at HSBC and BNP Paribas (Paris & London) to develop their commodity derivatives models, pricing and risk management tools. He also joined the commercial side to develop the commodities business.
Manuel Machado - Worldline - Global Head of Blockchain Solutions
· Manuel is a specialist in Digital Transformation, working on Blockchain Solutions but also Transport Ticketing & Payments.
· Concerning Blockchain, Manuel is mainly working on areas such as Self-Sovereign Identity, Decentralized Finance, StableCoin, Asset Tokenization, and Supply/Value Chains Digitization. Furthermore, he is interested in the convergence of Blockchain with other technologies such as IoT or AI.
· Manuel is also a member of the following organizations: EU Blockchain Observatory & Forum, Alastria Public-Permissioned Blockchain Consortium, International Association of Trusted Blockchain Applications (INATBA)
Erica Stanford – Founder of the Crypto Curry Club
· Erica is the founder of the Crypto Curry Club, the UK's no. 1 rated networking and educational events for crypto, blockchain, emerging tech and tech for sustainability.
· She is also Associate Guest Lecturer on crypto at Warwick Business School on use cases and applications of crypto and digital currency
· The Crypto Curry Club hosts invite-only networking events on crypto, blockchain, fintech, AI and tech for sustainability with industry leading speakers and over thousands of members. Its Crypto Currier is read by over 3,500 people each week. You can subscribe here.
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Please contact HEC UK Alumni Relations Coordinator christina.keo@hecalumni.fr for feedback or help to register to events.
