[THE INVESTOR] BlockShow Asia 2018, one of blockchain industry’s most acclaimed conferences, will be held in Singapore on Nov. 27-Dec. 1. The blockchain event takes place at the Marina Bays Sands Hotel as a sideline event of the Asia Blockchain Week, scheduled for the same period.

“Blockchain as a technology can no longer be ignored, and there is hardly anyone whose life will not be touched on this planet by its unlimited potential,” said an official from BlockShow, organizer of the BlockShow Asia 2018 event.

Last year’s BlockShow Asia event attracted some 1,500 attendees and 66 sponsors as well as 67 well-known blockchain figures, including Patrick Dai fom Qtum, Brock Pierce from EOS, and Alexander Ivanov from Waves. This year, the organizer aims to bring together some 4,000 attendees at the five-day blockchain event. Among the group of high profile speakers and participants for this year’s event are BTCC co-founder and board member of Bitcoin Foundation Bobby Lee, Global Blockcahain Innovative Capital partner Sinhae Lee and Justin Chow, head of business development Asia at Cumberland.

Partners for the event include LongHash, a platform for accelerating the development and understanding of blockchain technology as well as Association of Cryptocurrency Enterprises and Startups, or ACCESS, which is involved in advocacy, education, engagement in the cryptocurrency sphere and is a nonprofit organization focused on the use and development of digital currencies and blockchain technologies. Other partners include Singapore FinTech Association and Singapore University of Social Sciences.

A range of sub-events, including a hackathon to scout for talent, a startup competition and networking parties for blockchain firms and accelerators, are planned.

Although the global blockchain industry has seen its valuations fall sharply in the past months, the market itself has become more mature than before as hot money has been expunged and serious players now remain in the field, according to BlockShow.

“The maturity of the market also means that institutional investors, governments, corporates and technology companies have also gained the understanding that cryptocurrencies and blockchain are here to stay and are not just a passing fad,” the blockchain event organizer said.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)