The terms ‘revolutionary’, ‘disruptive’, ‘transformative’ are increasingly being associated with blockchain technology. Some are even considering it to be the next big thing since the internet. Although the technology is itself at a very nascent stage, the rising interest among industry players makes it ever-more critical to see what real-world applications are available and where the money is going for investment.

“We’ve heard a lot now about smart contracts” says Stacey Mankoff, managing Principal of The Mankoff Company whose firm is hoisting “Beyond POC: Blockchain Applications in the Real World” on April 28th in London. “But what else is available now and where is the money going for further investment? Also, what about private vs. public blockchains?”

The London blockchain event has now included ‘Investment area of opportunity’ in the panel discussion topics, which now includes:

• The evolution of blockchain: A transformative and evolving platform
• Applying blockchain technology to financial markets and beyond: Clearing & settlement, international remittances, land registries, smart contracts; Reaching other verticals i.e. Supply chain, Insurance, Healthcare
• Open ledger initiatives
• Adoption of blockchain to improve existing functions; addressing legacy systems and enabling other technologies
• Public vs. Private blockchains: Understanding the differences and which is best for your firm
• How blockchain impacts collaborative economies - is it a decentralizing force?  And what is its application in the developing world?
• Investment area of opportunity: What should you look out for?

The panel consists of industry insiders including Peter Randall of Setl; Jamie Burke of blockchain investment firm Outlier Ventures; Stephan Tual, formerly of Ethereum and now at Slock.it; Paul Gordon of Quantave and Coinscrum; Pinar Emirdag, Founding Member of the UK Digital Currency Association and Garrick Hileman, an Economic Historian who also runs MacroDigest.com.

“Together these panelists bring a broad breadth of experience and action.  What I especially like about this panel which is different from others,” says Ms. Mankoff, “Is that they are actually BEYOND the Proof of Concept stages in many cases and getting into what blockchain can actually execute.”

The London program, which follows on from an earlier program held in December, will be held in Mayfair and combines an interactive panel discussion with networking.