Event: Crypto, Web3, DeFi – the future of finance or hype?

Great to be back at the University of Exeter covering crypto and related technology. Exeter is a region with much activity in this sector. Surprised perhaps? Well, when you hear that Exeter has 642 students taking the “Bitcoin Money and Trust” module in addition to their nearly 100 strong #FinTech #MSc #students, perhaps not such a great surprise after all.

Not only did Dr Jack Rogers, the University’s MSc FinTech Programme Director, reveal those facts, he made a case that financial education should start with Bitcoin and how, by getting the balance right between being a “#cypherpunk” and “#entrepreneur”, it can deliver a better payments system.

With little time to collect our thoughts on that, we were treated to a discussion around decentralised finance from Ben Lee of PKF Francis Clark. Ben, explained what DeFi was, what you can do with it and what can go wrong. Not perhaps what you would normally expect to hear from an accountant but if you know Ben, you know he’s not an ordinary accountant!

Darren Jackson of CrypTegridy Blockchain Security and Gareth Malna 🧙🏻‍♂️ Malna of Englebert then did a great double act covering some of the myths and misconceptions around blockchain both from a technology and regulation angle. Hearing some of their stories around investigations into crypto fraud and helping people get their money back was both fascinating and to be applauded.

James Trebble-Sargent of NewMint gave the final presentation looking at #Web3 as the next generation of the internet and how it’s evolved, incorporating decentralization and blockchain. He examined opportunities and challenges as clearly, it’s still an emerging field.

The event finished with an extended panel discussion sparked off by plenty of questions from the mixed industry and academic audience interested to explore more detail on some of the subject matter.

Thanks to the University of Exeter hosting the event in one of their superb #Business #School lecture theatres and to the presenters for making it so engaging and fun.

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