Bitcoin and Blockchain assets - Should they be regulated?
In the wake of several large-scale cryptocurrency heists in recent months, coupled with the ever-increasing hype around blockchain, several regulators across the world are in active discussions towards defining and regulating both the technology and its applications. Regulation provides clarity and guidelines to the startups and established firms innovating with the technology and is welcomed by many companies that wish to do business with other regulated entities such as banks, asset managers, and payment services. On the other hand, many players in the space believe that regulation contradicts the decentralized nature of the technology, or at least how it was initially envisioned, and prefer to conduct activities outside of regulatory supervision. Join us on September 5th to hear from two Hong Kong based bitcoin and blockchain asset exchanges with opposing views on regulation and find out about the challenges faced by the Bitcoin Association of Hong Kong in their efforts to lobby local regulators. Whether you’re a bitcoin believer, blockchain enthusiast or just curious about the technology, bring an open mind and plenty of questions!
Panelists
Leonhard Weese - Bitcoin Association of Hong Kong Arthur Hayes - BitMEX Aurélien Menant - Gatecoin
Leonhard is an expert on bitcoin, information security, and online privacy. He currently serves as president of the Bitcoin Association in Hong Kong and as a mentor at the Fintech Supercharger Accelerator. He holds a master of statistics from the University of Hong Kong and a bachelor’s in economics from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. He previously worked as a data analyst for MeToo! and Demand Analytics, focusing on spontaneous deals and group buys.
Arthur Hayes obtained his BA in Economics at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 2008. Subsequently, he moved to Hong Kong where worked as an equity derivatives trader for Deutsche Bank and Citigroup for 5 years. Arthur was the head ETF market maker at both firms. In January 2014, BitMEX - Bitcoin Mercantile Exchange was formed. BitMEX is a trading platform that gives retail investors access to the global financial markets using Bitcoin, the Blockchain, and financial derivatives. BitMEX through the use of Bitcoin as collateral, allows anyone anywhere to trade any type of financial asset.
Aurélien is co-founder and CEO of Gatecoin, a regulated online trading platform for cryptocurrency and blockchain assets based in Hong Kong, where he is responsible for the firm’s management, strategy and investor relations. He is a well-known member of the global fintech community and is regularly invited to speak at industry events and conferences such as Global Blockchain Summit (Beijing), Finnovasia (Hong Kong) and Inside Bitcoins (Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore). Aurélien is also a founding member of the Bitcoin Association of Hong Kong, a lobby group that aims to work with the Hong Kong government to design appropriate regulation for cryptocurrency and other blockchain technologies. Aurélien also dedicates time to work on CoinCharities.org, a platform to facilitate donations for charities and non-profit organizations around the world using cryptocurrencies.
Agenda 19:00 - 19:15: Networking 19:15 - 19:45: Panel discussion 19:45 - 20:15: Q&A 20:15 - 20:30: Networking and Drinks