Blockchain enthusiasts gather on billionaire Richard Branson's private island

Rage Comment : This billionaire named Richard Branson has always been known for his eccentricity. I believe many people are familiar with him. Even the most popular blockchain technology has his presence. Last year, an elite gathering called the Blockchain Summit was held on his private island. The participants were all well-known, including the former Prime Minister of Haiti and members of the European Parliament. Last year's gathering caused a lot of controversy, but BitFury said that this gathering still had positive results, including the establishment of a blockchain-based Georgian land use rights registration project and a blockchain alliance. This year's event will also be held, and the content remains unchanged, but in order to deal with social controversy, half of the participants are women and blockchain enthusiasts who cannot afford the high entrance fee.

Translation: Annie_Xu

A blockchain technology meetup is planned to be held on Richard Branson’s private island in the Caribbean, with attendees including the former prime minister of Haiti and a member of the European Parliament.

Among the 40 or so people in attendance was Marietje Schaake, a member of the European Parliament who in March co-hosted the Internet Governance Forum with the Dynamic Coalition on Blockchain Technologies and COALA (Coalition of Automated Legal Applications) to explore the feasibility of recording regulatory code on a blockchain.

Also attending the gathering were Beth Moses, an engineer and astronaut at Branson’s space company Virgin Galactic; former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe; former US Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Jim Newsome; and Elizabeth Rossiello, CEO of bitcoin startup BitPesa.

The meetup was organized by bitcoin mining company BitFury and event planner Mai Tai.

The Blockchain Summit, held on Branson's private island Necker Island, is back for its second year, and despite some controversy, the content remains the same. Although some say the attendees are mostly elitist, the combination of education and entertainment is clearly working.

Valery Vavilov

BitFury CEO Valery Vavilov continued his description of the gathering from last year, albeit with a few tweaks.

"The theme of this year's gathering is to bring together thinkers from different backgrounds around the world, including humanities and social sciences, non-governmental organizations, businesses, technology and government, to enjoy this paradise of free thought and cutting-edge innovation together."

Elite on the island

Guests at the June 3-7 gathering will participate in panel sessions and take part in three major theme discussions - FinTech, Security and Global Change.

In addition to the serious agenda, there is also time for leisure. Although cocktail parties on the beach sound desirable, the leisure activities also have a purpose, organizers said.

Jamie Smith

Jamie Smith, former senior White House staffer and BitFury’s global communications director, told the media that the purpose of arranging leisure time is to increase interaction and cooperation among participants.

"Once people have the opportunity to explore new and interesting things and discuss them openly, you can never predict the outcome; that sense of mystery is what we and all the attendees like."

Elite social network

Despite the leisure activities, or perhaps because of them, last year's gathering attracted controversy, with some accusing the event of being elitist and sexist.

As a result, BitFury said this year’s event was designed to cater to attendees who couldn’t afford the high entry fee, and that half of the guest list was made up of women.

As for the outcome of last year’s gathering, it was mixed; while the future of “mining lightbulbs” is unpredictable, two important milestones were achieved.

Last year, economist Hernando de Soto proposed the idea of ​​using blockchain for land use rights, and finally got an implementer. In April, BitFury's project was dedicated to developing a land registry project in Georgia; the economist also became an advisor to BitFury.

Jason Weinstein

Jason Weinstein, a partner at the law firm Steptoe & Johnston, proposed the concept of the current "Blockchain Alliance" at the gathering last year, pointing out that the relationship network built at the gathering was crucial to the formation of the alliance.

"The way the Necker Island meetups are structured gives you the opportunity to really network with all the attendees, and everyone spends a few days and nights sharing ideas and discussing how to implement them."