Last week’s Blockchain and Crypto Happy Hour event boasted a spectacular turnout. Set on a beautiful Spring like day at Slate, it was a perfect way to engage with New Yorkers in the blockchain community.
I was pleasantly surprised by the range of industries represented there. Finance, logistics and software development are the norm, but this event also had those from politics, retail, insurance, legal, real estate, academics, gaming, engineering, healthcare, transportation, energy, hospitality, even food service and humanitarian groups. It seems the new and innovative technology has managed to catch the attention of every industry in New York City.
Meeting this diverse group over drinks was a fantastic way to get a view of how each industry envisions their futures using blockchain technology and already adoption of this tech is happening at a rapid pace.
Having been to events hosted by BlockchainNYC.org before, I knew to expect good things, but they pulled out all the stops this time with the Celsius Network, a promising, innovative crowdsourced lending platform and crypto wallet, sponsoring the lush main space of Slate, giving everyone a chance to network and connect over blockchain and cryptocurrency in comfort and style.
The highlight? While many experts have made bold statements about how blockchain will change the future, this event encapsulated and proved this to be fact. Learning how innovators plan to utilize blockchain to revamp healthcare for example painted a scifi future of efficient and highly beneficial systems that aren’t actually so far off.
The various applications from creating indisputable digital identities on a global scale, to preventing charity fraud, keeping streamlined up to date best medical practices publicly available, even combining blockchain with the AI decision making process, were truly eye opening.
For those who still think blockchain is just cryptocurrency, it’s time to get caught up on what blockchain really means, no matter what your industry. It’s apparent from this happy hour event that those who are innovating in these early stages will likely become the new global leaders of their industries, producing real change on a massive scale, reducing their costs, and securing sensitive information in one fell swoop.
This year is already proving to be a game changer in the world of blockchain on a global scale. We’ll be covering the latest developments, events and workshops so keep your ears open.
