Upcoming Blockchain Connect Conference Emphasises Cooperation Between East And West

The upcoming Blockchain Connect[1] Conference that will take place on Jan. 26, 2018 in San Francisco, claims to be the first of its kind to focus on the cooperation between the Chinese[2] and US Blockchain[3] markets.

The two largest economies[4] in the world do not only dominate on the global arena, but also on the smaller scale of the Blockchain industry.

Up until recently, China used to host the largest share[5] of the world’s Bitcoin mining power and trading volume. The country’s position has weakened to a degree, after the People’s Bank of China decreed that all local Bitcoin exchanges must close[6] and issued a blanket ban[7] on Initial Coin Offerings[8], all in September 2017.

This resulted in a large number of traders fleeing[9] to the neighboring Japan, which has built a more welcoming[10] regulatory environment around Bitcoin. However, China still remains a powerful player on the market, with many new Blockchain-oriented startups emerging from the country[11] by the month and the remaining traders defying[12] the government’s draconian regulations.

The US government, on the other hand, is somewhat skeptical of Bitcoin, still debating[13] what it is and how to regulate it. However, individual officials – often former ones – have voiced many positive opinions, ranging from lukewarm support[14] to outright endorsement[15].

Consequently, the US has been a fertile ground for Blockchain companies over the years, with some of the most prominent[16] players in the industry operating from the country, such as Coinbase[17] or BitPay[18].

Another massive boost to the cryptocurrency market came in the form of Bitcoin futures trading, which has started in December 2017 on the CBOE[19] and CME[20] exchanges, both major institutional players based in the US.

Overall, the US and China remain two of the most important countries that are driving the growth of Bitcoin and related industries. The Blockchain Connect Conference recognizes this fact and aims to bridge the gap between the two communities separated by the Pacific Ocean.

Organized by the SV Insight[21] media company and four other partners[22], the event is scheduled to happen in San Francisco, California, on Jan. 26, 2018. The number of attendees is expected to exceed 1,000 people, many of which[23] are well-known experts and opinion leaders from the US and Chinese Blockchain communities, such as Charlie Lee[24] or Tim Draper[25].

Notably, the speeches planned for the event are going to cover some of the issues that are only emerging on the market and are not yet well-understood, such as the growing shift from ICOs to cryptocurrency forks[26] for fundraising and Blockchain applications in healthcare[27].