Due to COVID-19 and travel restrictions, the conference was hosted as a virtual event and not in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The dreaded breach and infiltration, designed at the core to bring crypto exchanges to their knees. Crypto exchanges often make the headlines for the wrong reasons; what are exchanges doing to ramp up security, and what can users do to ensure the safety of their digital assets?
Klever Finance is a trusted permissioned blockchain network for the emerging decentralised economy, by providing a safer, faster and smarter cryptocurrency experience for all users globally to enter and thrive within. Misha will discuss the Klever Ecosystem and the importance of blockchain technology.
Moderated by Lohan Spies. Existing traditional identity systems are fragmented, insecure and exclusive. Blockchain technology allows more secure management and storage of digital identities by providing unified, interoperable, and tamper-proof infrastructure with several benefits to enterprises, users and management systems. What is the value of Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) for organisations and citizens? What are the current initiatives and traction of SSI in South Africa? What are the economic benefits and the hurdles to SSI adoption in South Africa?
Norbert will discuss how Metis is building a hub for the entire Web3 economy in 3 stages: a Layer 2 Ethereum scaling solution; no-code integration via smart contract templates, and a Decentralised Autonomous Company (DAC) infrastructure enabling both blockchain and Web2 companies to build decentralised businesses on-chain, with all the functionalities of real-world enterprises and all the advantages of blockchain technology.
Dr. Obasi will discuss how DafriBank Digital Limited (a Comoros licensed Digital Bank set up by DafriGroup) facilitates banking, finance and crypto adoption in Africa and globally.
Moderated by Ernest Mbenkum. The traditional correspondent banking model results in high fees for both FX and transaction costs, with settlement ranging between 1-5 days. These inefficiencies can significantly impact the end user. Digital assets are emerging as changing the game for international payments, especially in Africa. While there is some regulatory uncertainty surrounding how digital assets function in the global economy, the value add they bring to cross-border transfers is undeniable.
Blockchain and crypto adoption is on the rise due to technological advancements, increasing institutional investment, and the rise of new use cases such as Decentralised Finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that are attracting an increasing number of consumers. This session will provide an overview of the key initiatives Mastercard is pursuing to enable safe and compliant crypto payments for consumers, and to help fintechs, issuers, merchants, and regulators in their exploration of the blockchain and crypto space.
Moderated by Elisha Akyaw. Smart contracts can redefine business and are one of the biggest reasons that people are excited about both blockchain technology and investing in cryptocurrency. Which smart contract platforms are ahead of the rest and why?
The Master of Ceremonies will close off Day 1 of the conference.
All delegates are invited to attend the networking event virtually.
Moderated by Kristina Lucrezia Cornèr.
The talk will highlight the blockchain-powered healthy livestock solution developed by E-Livestock Global and launched in Zimbabwe, as the first pilot case and under rapid expansion in several other countries.
Moderated by Ruby Nimkar. Even in an uncertain regulatory environment a staggering $32.8 billion was invested into crypto and blockchain technology businesses in 2021. Is this trend set to continue and what type of businesses are these that are receiving this investment?
Moderated by Nathan Williams.
Herco's talk will provide a regulatory update within the context of South Africa, including central-bank specific topics and initiatives by the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). The talk will also include regulatory considerations of various countries towards stablecoins and DeFi regulation. Herco will also discuss some of the latest views from international bodies on digital money such as the BIS and the Financial Stability Board.
As the concept of wealth changes, with innovations in the financial ecosystem and digital assets going mainstream, there is an urgent need for investors to rethink the way they build wealth in a future that is increasingly digitised and decentralised. Sophia will discuss this and how Amber Group help shape this decentralised future.
Moderated by Carmelle Cadet.
Moderated by Ciaran Ryan. Central banks stand at the centre of a rapid transformation of the financial sector and the payment system and as such are engaged in the development of retail and wholesale CBDCs. Nigeria recently became the first African country to launch its CBDC, the eNaira. What are the potential market structure effects, technical risks, and rights implications of a CBDCs? How will this all unfold in the future?
Moderated by Jackson Vaughan.
Hosted by Piers Ridyard. There is an unprecedented level of distrust in traditional financial institutions now more than ever, with crypto emerging at the forefront of improving access to financial services for people who historically haven’t accessed them. Lane will discuss how crypto is emerging as the financial system of the internet, and how blockchain is impacting access to financial services. As optimism continues to grow toward crypto, Lane will speak to this new inflection point as crypto adoption increases among both consumers and institutions, and what this means for companies opening up in this space.
The Master of Ceremonies will close off the conference with a few final thoughts.