Binance Blockchain Week 2023: Day 1 Highlights & Recap

Main Takeaways

• Binance Blockchain Week completed its first day of talks, speeches, and networking in Istanbul on November 8.

• From international markets to blockchain, charity, stablecoins, and more, our attendees covered the width and breadth of Web3 together.

• Make sure to stream our Main Stage talks on Binance Live and join in the Binance Blockchain Week Istanbul 2023 conversation.

How can we build a strong global Web3 ecosystem? How can we use crypto for more good? These are just some of the topics that will be discussed by industry experts and specialists on day 1 of Binance Blockchain Week.

Binance Blockchain Week 2023 is taking place right now from 8th November to 9th November 2023. 

This annual conference gathers the most innovative and influential figures from the Web3 industry and beyond, bringing them together at Divan Kuruçeşme to explore and shape the future of blockchain technology. The two-day gathering features enlightening panel discussions, in-depth fireside chats and powerful keynote speeches. For more details, please visit our official page.

Don't fret if you weren't able to join us on the first day. We have compiled some of the key highlights below. 

Opening keynote by Richard Teng, Binance’s Head of Regional Markets

“Every milestone, every improvement at Binance, puts us one step closer to our central mission — empowering every individual to realize their financial freedom.” - Richard Teng, Head of Regional Markets of Binance. 

Taking to the stage to inaugurate the ceremony was none other than Richard Teng, Head of Regional Markets of Binance. This year, a special announcement was made to kick off the event. Binance has launched our very own Web3 Wallet, a self-custody crypto wallet built within the Binance application. 

Richard believes that the future is bright for crypto - we are on the path of mass adoption because of two reasons.  First, every major global financial institution is either embracing crypto and pushing aggressively ahead with the blockchain agenda. 

Furthermore, regulatory authorities worldwide are laying out a blueprint to govern this sector, which is essential for fostering trust - a key element for widespread adoption.

Panel Discussion - The Web3 Consumer & Brand Revolution: Progress and Challenges 

“The Web3 strategy is the way to accelerate, complement or enhance the company strategy.” – Pär Helgosson, Head of Web3 and Metaverse, Paris Saint-Germain

Web2 consumers and brands are hungry for Web3 change. But what does this mean for both sides of the equation? Led by Rachel Conlan, Chief Marketing Officer of Binance, this panel welcomed industry specialists to enlighten us about the growth status of Web3 technology, and shared insights on how brands can design a stimulating and valuable user experience.

As more consumers are becoming hungry for Web3 developments and fractional ownership, more brands and businesses will have to start considering the implications this will have on products and services. 

“Security is a critical success factor.” – Sinem Cantürk, Fintech and Digital Finance Leader, Partner, KPMG Türkiye

At the same time, how will the integration of Web3 technology redefine the relationship between brands and consumers, fostering trust, loyalty, and personalized experiences? Sinem believes that there is no one way to go about it, brands need to start asking themselves key questions to build their own optimized strategies. 

John Liu, Head of Product for Web3 and Blockchain Services, Amazon Web Services, summarized that the companies that succeed are the ones that keep on trying. Just as it has happened to machine learning in the past, continued experimentation and development in Web3 infrastructure will be the key to evolution. 

Panel Discussion - Onboarding the Next Billion: Charting the Road Ahead

“If the next one billion users is defined by risk appetite, what are they afraid of?” – Eowyn Chen, CEO of Trust Wallet. 

This year’s Binance Blockchain Week is centered around empowering the next billion users around the world. To kick-start the conversation, the panel was led by Vishal Sacheendran, Regional Director, Strategy and Operations of Binance, and featured guest speakers: Eowyn Chen, CEO of Trust Wallet, Asst. Prof. Bora Erdamar, Director of BlockchainIST Center and Yuelin Li, Chief Product Officer of Onfido. 

During the panel, the experts discussed the inclusivity and accessibility in crypto and blockchain adoption, as well as who the next billion users would comprise.

Asst. Prof. Bora Erdamar, Director of BlockchainIST Center said: “We need to make it easier to understand, we need to make it easier to enter the ecosystem.” He goes on to highlight the roles that projects, developers and experts play in bridging the gaps between the crypto ecosystem and the conventional financial system. 

Yuelin Li, Chief Product Officer of Onfido also chimed in on the importance of having clear regulatory frameworks in providing a sense of safety for consumers, which marks the defining factor between those who are willing to give crypto a shot and those who prefer to stay within the realms of traditional finance. 

Panel Discussion - Crypto for Good: Rewriting the Rules of Humanitarian Aid 

“These technologies have huge impact and huge potential for positive outcomes on children.” – Shane O'Connor, Innovation Manager of UNICEF

The fundamental features of blockchain have transformed the way humanitarian aid is delivered. In this panel discussion, Esra Özdemir, Blockchain Desk Leader of EY Türkiye was joined by Shane O'Connor, Innovation Manager of UNICEF, to discuss how blockchain and crypto can significantly impact and improve the lives of those in need. 

“UNICEF is the only UN agency that is able to accept, hold and disburse cryptocurrencies.” Backed by numerous successful examples of blockchain-powered humanitarian initiatives, blockchain technology has been proven to be a unique and reliable way to provide international aid. 

Without a doubt, sustainability and scalability are crucial for long-term impact. Shane explores how interoperability standards or frameworks can facilitate the integration of various blockchain systems, allowing seamless collaboration between organizations such as UNICEF and native Web3 companies.

Fireside Chat - Exploring the Global Regulatory Landscape 

“One of the positive things about regulatory frameworks springing up is that markets like certainty. Ultimately, as we get more certainty into the market through policies such as MiCA, it is going to encourage more people to enter the space.” – Noah Perlman, Chief Compliance Officer of Binance

As more parts of the world begin to transition from traditional finance to blockchain, global regulations and compliance is becoming more important than ever. Noah Perlman, Chief Compliance Officer of Binance and Kristen Hecht, Deputy Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) & Global Money Laundering Reporting Officer (GMLRO) of Binance, break down the challenges, developments and impact of global regulations in this evolving landscape.

Given his background in traditional finance, Noah highlighted the parallels and differences between the two industries before delving into the best approach for regulating digital assets in the Web3 space. 

It is no secret that the Web3 industry is still very much in its infancy, with diversifying regulatory approaches taken by local authorities around the world. However, we can all agree that 2023 is the year in which regulators and policymakers really stepped up on their efforts to develop frameworks for the industry. 

“It is very difficult to follow the rules, if the rules are constantly changing.” Noah added. Having regulations that are difficult to follow or denies users of products that they want inevitably pushes users to unregulated spaces. 

Innovation Stage & Streams

At Binance Blockchain Week, our Innovation Stage is designed to foster an engaging atmosphere, encouraging interaction via questions and forging connections with both the projects and the speakers. As the day unfolded, attendees had a chance to delve deep into topics such as P2P crypto trading, blockchain usability, data sovereignty, and various Web3 projects. 

You can catch the replay of our Innovation Stage on our stream, which will be available on Friday, November 10. You’ll also be able to view back our Main Stage sessions on Binance Live.

Stay Tuned for Day 2

That’s a wrap for day 1! Keep a look out as we still have many exciting panels and speeches lined up for day 2 of Binance Blockchain Week Istanbul.

Look forward to topics on decentralization, gaming in Web3, the metaverse, smart contracts and artificial intelligence, with some of the industry’s best experts. Check out the full line-up of topics here!

Tune in here at 7AM UTC to catch Day 2 of Binance Blockchain Week. 

Further Reading

• Join Our Five Binance Blockchain Week Istanbul 2023 Live Streams! 

• Binance Blockchain Week Istanbul 2023: Agenda Announcement