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After the devastation left by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico last September, I wanted to attend this event, not just as a major Disruptive Tech Investor and Blockchain leader, but as someone who would like to be part of the effort to facilitate the rebuilding of Puerto Rico through Blockchain and Digital Currencies.
Presented in association with the government of Puerto Rico and Blockchain Industries Inc., the Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan came alive for three days from the 14th to the 16th of March 2018. This truly amazing event which had an undercurrent of high emotions and raw energy, served as a fantastic opportunity for me to touch base with the major movers and shakers in the global Blockchain industry. Big names included Brock Pierce, the leader of the Puertopia movement - the new crypto-utopia for billionaires.
Highlights of the Unbound Event
During the event, Manuel Laboy, the Department secretary, announced the introduction of an advisory council for the promotion of Blockchain for the country's businesses. This will comprise members of both the public and private sectors. "The private sector side will include "several investors, entrepreneurs, and Blockchain technology experts who have moved to Puerto Rico in recent months, as well as industry leaders from the United States." Moreover, the council are "set to act "unofficially as a kind of filter" to determine with projects will help solve legitimate needs on the island with Blockchain." This sounds like a wise strategy.
Talks
These included 'Cash, Cryptocurrencies and Digital Payments,' with Rod Garratt, a Professor at UCSB; 'Bridging Blockchain Adoption,' with James Slazas, Director of Capital Markets, and Founder of JSGA; 'Social and Economic Impacts of Blockchain Technology,' with David Orban, the Founder of Network Society Ventures; and 'The Asia Opportunity and the Next Hundred Million Users,' with Apolo Ohno, the Co-Founder of Hybrid Block.
Panel Discussions
The panel discussions were extremely lively, and included topics such as: 'The Puerto Rico Blockchain: The New Frontier;' 'Blockchain for Impact and Social Good,' 'Banking Bitcoin and Other Crypto Assets,' 'Security Tokens and the Future of ICOs,' 'Securing Virtual Currencies in a Modern World,' and 'Living on the Ledger and the Coming Licensing Revolution.' These were all very well received, and particularly relevant to me, as you may have seen on various TV news sites that I am introducing an innovative tokenization strategy that can have a vital role in bringing liquidity to non liquid funds. - An answer to an age long problem that will have enormous benefits across multiple industries around the world, as until now, if sold or exchanged for cash, illequid assets have meant a substantial loss in value; and cannot be sold quickly due to the absence of ready and willing speculators or investors.
And not just this - one of my companies, LEO Investment AG, has just launched a state-of -the-art new service that is dedicated to advising blockchain companies within the global Blockchain space. A number of high profile companies have shown interest, and an online payment provider based on Blockchain is just one of a number which have already signed up. I received overwhelming interest in both these ventures at this terrific Blockstack Unbound event, and my bumper packed days and super long evenings which offered a DJ set and a Local Quartet, involved having great discussions on these exciting developments with government officials, other industry leaders, and attendees from all corners of the globe.
Other Offerings
Remarks from George Joyner, the Financial Commissioner of Puerto Rico, were very important, and it was wonderful to hear about his enormous support for this industry. Fireside chats such as 'Getting to Know the Digital You,' 'Conversations on the Social Impact of Blockchain,' and 'The ICOs of the Future,' were riveting. And the talk entitled 'Social and Economic Impacts of Blockchain Technology,' was very uplifting, as were the keynote speeches: 'The Blockchain Will Disrupt Everything,' and 'How Free Markets and Blockchain Can Make Puerto Rico the Hong Kong of the Caribbean.' - I am very optimistic on this front.
"Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies can positively impact the lives of billions of people“ Sven Donhuysen
Positive Changes for the People of Puerto Rico
Just last month, Nellie Bowles reported in the New York Times that a number of tech entrepreneurs who have recently become mega rich overnight thanks to cryptocurrencies, are heading en masse to Puerto Rico to set up residency due to favourable tax incentives, and being able to maintain their US citizenship. Their collective funds run into billions, and they have a brilliant game plan: "They want to build a crypto utopia, a new city where the money is virtual and the contracts are all public, to show the rest of the world what a crypto future could look like.