“Future of Blockchain Conference” to Bring Major 4-Day Technology Event to Frisco

FRISCO –The Future of Blockchain Conference Dallas-Frisco 2018 (October 10-14) is one of the first major blockchain events in the metroplex to bring national and international speakers and educational resources together for businesses, investors, application developers, lawyers, accountants, tech startups, enterprise, students, and young adults.  Novices will experience hands-on, effortless engagement with blockchain technology, with the option to be issued a “proof of presence” certificate on blockchain.

Blockchain technology, also known as distributed ledger technology (DLT), secures information and promotes transparency of transactions with an immutable ledger.  Developed first for cryptocurrencies (such as Bitcoin) and smart contracts, DLT offers a mechanism for companies to improve efficiency, trust, and provenance of data, while reducing cost and waste.  This year, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest professional organization for technology professionals, launched a blockchain initiative to promote blockchain-related education, publications, and development of standards.

Distinguished speakers at the Future of Blockchain Conference will include:

• Dr. Ramesh Ramadoss, co-chair of the IEEE Blockchain Initiative and chair of the IEEE Blockchain Standards Working Group, CEO of BitCasas Inc.;
• Ven Kumar, chief technology officer of IBM for the company’s Pepsico account, who will discuss IBM’s supply chain blockchain solutions; 
• Dr. Ephraim Feig (IEEE Life Fellow, 33 patents), author of over 100 publications including "A Framework for Blockchain-Based Applications”;
• Ann Greenberg, founder of Entertainment AI™ a blockchain company at the nexus of AI, Blockchain and media, and cofounder of entertainment data company Gracenote (licensees include Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Mercedes, Ford, Honda, and BMW);
• Hyong S. Kim, cofounder and CEO of Switzerland-based Emoji Games, who has claim to Switzerland’s first officially approved blockchain gaming platform with Pocketarena.com.
• Monique Morrow, a member of the IEEE executive committee on AI & Ethics and cofounder of the Humanized Internet, an organization focused on providing digital identity for refugees using DLT;
• Jon West, VP Blockchain Engineering, Thomson Reuters.  Jon also co-chairs the Tech Titans Blockchain Forum and the Accounting Blockchain Coalition's Tax Working Group;

…and many more. Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney and Ron Patterson of Frisco Economic Development Corporation will welcome attendees and make a proclamation. Joining them are Michael Rondelli, associate vice president of innovation and commercialization at the University of North Texas, and Dr. Wesley Randall, dean of New College, responsible for regional campuses in Frisco. Dean Randall will reveal details of the university’s expansion in Frisco.

An “Introduction to Blockchain” basic course for blockchain newcomers is included free every day before the main program starts. Pre-conference training courses are also offered that that target specific professional fields and include continuing education credits (such as “Blockchain for Accountants & Lawyers: Taxation & Accounting” - CPE/CLE and “Businesses & Agencies accepting Cryptocurrencies”- CLE). Four developer coding classes are provided for creating decentralized applications using public and private blockchains: Corda, Hyperledger, Ethereum / Solidity, and EOS:

• Corda is a major blockchain platform used by multiple industries. Training is provided by Enterprise Blockchain Solutions, Dallas’s only authorized developer training provider. The class is designed to enable attendees to obtain Corda developer certification from R3.
• Hyperledger developer training is being provided by Mr. Kumar’s team from IBM Dallas.
• EOS is the fifth largest cryptocurrency by market cap and is Ethereum’s contender for smart contracts.  EOS New York, a block producer, is providing developer training.

At the end of each course, graduates will receive a Certificate of Completion using Blockcerts, an open standard for issuing blockchain-based digital records that remain verifiable for a lifetime. Blockcerts  was developed by MIT Labs and Dallas-based Learning Machine and is the platform for issuing MIT graduates their diplomas on a blockchain.  

“Companies are increasingly interested in using blockchain commercially, and there is a severe shortage of talent. Once the technology matures it will recede into the background as a layer of the internet, but until then there is an immediate unfulfilled need for learning opportunities for students and professionals,” says Farhin Ali, president of Blockchain & Crypto Education Network (BCEN), the event organizer. “This conference will cover many of the different ways individuals can intersect with blockchain and hopefully will have a hand in expanding the workforce in this area.”