| SOUTH AFRICA Adrian Hope-Bailie, chief standards officer: Ripple
[Danette Breitenbach] When Bitcoin and cryptocurrency first hit the scene, people really jumped on the bandwagon, thinking they were part of a revolution... |
| SOUTH AFRICA Aatish Ramkaran, digital architect, Nedbank
[Danette Breitenbach] It is difficult to believe that in 1992 the internet was little understood; yet today people can't live without it. This is where blockchain has to get to, if it is to be successful... |
| SOUTH AFRICA Marcus Swanepoel, CEO of Luno
[Danette Breitenbach] Existing financial systems are not able to meet the today's world's needs. It's evolving once again - just as money developed from favours to bartering to what it is today,.. |
| SOUTH AFRICA Naomi Snyman, chair of the South African Financial Blockchain Consortium and blockchain lead for Standard Bank
[Danette Breitenbach] Banks are grappling with blockchain, applying it to almost everything from digital identity to cross border payments... |
| SOUTH AFRICA Farzam Ehsani, blockchain lead at Rand Merchant Bank
[Danette Breitenbach] What has regulators scratching their collective heads right now is understanding exactly what blockchain is, and where it slots in as an asset class... |
| SOUTH AFRICA Brad Torien, CEO of FMI
[Nicci Botha] Although they are usually dealt with as separate entities, risk planning and investment planning are intrinsically linked, as both are ultimately about income protection... |
| SOUTH AFRICA
[Danette Breitenbach] Interoperability is the key to achieving blockchain adoption at scale, even though this creates competition between currencies... |
| SOUTH AFRICA Andrew Keys, head of global business development at ConsenSys and co-founder of ConsenSys Capital
[Danette Breitenbach] Bitcoin is just the opening act of blockchain disruption. "It's the gateway drug to the Ethereum blockchain," said Andrew Keys, head of global business development at ConsenSys and co-founder of ConsenSys Capital... |
| SOUTH AFRICA Tricia Martinez, founder of WalWala
[Danette Breitenbach] Globally 2.2-billion people don't have access to financial services, mostly in the emerging market. By harnessing the best of blockchain, cryptocurrency and tokenisation, these technologies will empower the underbanked and the unbanked, solving the financial inclusion problem and creating a more equal society... |
| SOUTH AFRICA
[Danette Breitenbach] Last year, blockchain and its proponents were described as the "lunatic fringe". This year, the Blockchain Africa conference reflected just how far and how quickly this technology how come in such a short space of time... |
| SOUTH AFRICA Chris Skinner
[Nicci Botha] In this digital era in which we find ourselves, we are undergoing a massive revolution of humanity which has virtually democratised every aspect of our lives... |
| SOUTH AFRICA Thuli Madonsela, chair of social justice, Stellenbosch University
[Nicci Botha] Former public protector, Thuli Madonsela, says she has neither the skills nor inclination for political office, but is committed in her role as chair of social justice at the University of Stellenbosch to help "create the South Africa of our dreams"... |
| SOUTH AFRICA Lullu Krugel, chief economist at PwC
[Danette Breitenbach] While there has been an upward revision in growth for the year - 1.5-1.8% for South Africa - with business confidence also increasing, the country is still not where it needs to be by a long shot... |