First installment relies on interactive layout & global network
Over 1,000 blockchain experts and enthusiasts tuned in from around the globe for Luxembourg’s first-ever Blockchain Week.
After an opening keynote by Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, the virtual event featured 90 speakers, of whom 60 percent were C-level and 25 percent were women.
Each day centered on different topics: supply chain and logistics; health; technology; R&D; finance; public sector; digital assets; SDGs and climate. The finance portion opened with a speech from Minister of Finance Pierre Gramegna.
Regardless of the topic, the organizers – Luxembourg Blockchain Lab – prioritized interaction.
It was very interactive. For the Infrachain Summit we had a lot of presentations, but here we focused on discussions.
Luxembourg Blockchain Week consisted mainly of moderated discussions and panel discussions. Speakers invited the audience to ask questions, with some using polls. Nicolas Mackel, CEO, Luxembourg for Finance, led one particularly animated discussion that investigated blockchain’s relevance.
The event’s digital platform, InEvent, provided networking opportunities and facilitated interactions that would have otherwise happened in person.
In a stroke of luck, the European Investment Bank (EIB) addressed attendees the day after publicly announcing a €100 million, 2-year digital bond issuance using public blockchain technology, the first of its kind in the market. The audience received the EIB’s first exclusive presentation on the project following the announcement.
The Luxembourg Blockchain Lab – created in 2019 by Infrachain, The LHoFT, LIST, SnT and Letzblock – drew upon its deep network and expertise to organize a successful first installment.
“We have excellent connections and great sponsors, ” Kettels added. “We also collaborated with the Boston Blockchain Association, pulling in speakers from MIT and across the US.”
This year’s purely virtual format, necessitated by the pandemic, brought new possibilities – specifically, broad participation from blockchain voices based around the world.
