Event Recording: Rise of Crypto Capitalism: Crypto, Blockchain, NFTs and Beyond
When
March 31, 2022
5:00 - 8:00 PM EST
Where
Berkshire Innovation Center
45 Woodlawn Ave
Pittsfield,
MA
Click here to watch the full event recording.
Cryptocurrency, also known as crypto, is a digital currency that allows one to purchase goods and services. Crypto is seen as the currency of the future. Unlike traditional financial systems, crypto uses blockchain technology that manages and records transactions in a distributed ledger.
Blockchain technologies go far beyond crypto. With its ability to create more transparency and security in enabling and recording transactions, blockchain is impacting various sectors in ways that range from minting NFTs representing original works of art to allowing government to work more efficiently. NFTs are non-fungible tokens that attest to ownership of goods cryptographically on a blockchain. NFTs can represent anything, whether it's a piece of art or a song. The NFT market exploded in 2021, and the tangible real-world use-cases of NFTs are just starting to be explored.
The BIC brought together a panel of blockchain and crypto enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and patent counsel to discuss the future of crypto and blockchain.
Speakers
Justin McKennon
Co-Owner and CEO, CoinBusters.io
Justin is an electrical engineer and scientist. He has spent the majority of his working on electromagnetics problems related to aerospace platforms and space radiation effects on space-borne vehicles and materials. Justin attended the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth for his graduate and undergraduate studies in electrical engineering. Justin has been keenly interested in the applications of blockchain technology, with a particular emphasis on the cryptocurrency ecosystem since 2015. His website, CoinBusters.io, serves as a hub for research and best practices within the cryptocurrency space, aiming to reduce the barriers to entry and increase cryptocurrency adoption across the masses.
Dave Nadig
Chief Investment Officer & Director of Research
ETF Database
Dave Nadig is the Chief Investment Officer and Director of Research of ETF Trends (ETFTrends.com) and ETF Database (ETFdb.com). Dave has over 25 years in the investment management and ETF business, having served as the CEO of ETF.com, Director of Exchange Traded Funds at Fac tSet Research Systems, and Managing Director & Chief Strategy Officer of Barclays Global Investors. You can follow Dave in his column at ETFTrends.com, his frequent CNBC appearances, or you can read his book, "A Comprehensive Guide To Exchange Traded Funds," which was published by the CFA Institute.
Chetan (Chet) Manikantan
Chetan (Chet) Manikantan is a software engineer, blockchain expert, and a serial entrepreneur. Chet currently serves as the founder and CEO of an NYU Grant-funded startup, "StonkLeague" - acrypto-gaming platform. He also serves as Venture Partner at Companyon Ventures and as amentor, judge, and advisor to several companies, independent and university accelerators. Prior to this, Chet co-founded a Crypto / Fintech venture, Tengu, which was acquired in 2018 by Future Fuel where he served as their CTO. Chetan also served as the Director of the MIT Bitcoin Club and ranthe 2018 MIT Bitcoin conference and as the Global Entrepreneur in Residence at UMass, Boston. In this role, he provided teaching assistance to professors, and lectures, mentorship, and guidance tothe students of various disciplines. He also functioned as UMass VDC entrepreneurship ambassador. Chetan obtained his electronics engineering degree from BIT India.
Giovanna Fessenden
Counsel
Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds
Giovanna is a computer scientist, intellectual property attorney, and blockchain specialist with 18 years of experience advising high tech companies and startups in all areas of intellectual property law with an emphasis on the blockchain, NFTs, esports, wearables, open source software license compliance, software-related agreements, patents, and trademark branding.
Moderator
Ben Sosne
Executive Director
Berkshire Innovation Center
Ben Sosne is the Executive Director of the Berkshire Innovation Center, which opened its newstate-of-the-art facility in February 2020. The BIC serves as a catalyst to spark innovation andsustainable growth of technology-enabled companies, start-ups, and advanced manufacturers. Ben is a Berkshire County native and a graduate of Monument Mountain Regional High School. He earned a BA from Columbia College in 2002 and a JD from Pace University School of Law in 2009, where he focused on renewable energy and climate change law. He has been focused on regional economic development since returning to the Berkshires in 2015. Prior to that, he spent seven years as a Principal Court Attorney for the Appellate Division, Second Department, in Brooklyn.
