Now’s the Time for Blockchain Companies to Deliver: Gabriel Yang of Beyond Blocks
December 8, 2018 by Jon Southurst
“For a market that’s crashing, the vibe seems to be very good.” Bitsonline spoke to Beyond Blocks CEO Gabriel Yang in the closing stages of his company’s Summit Bangkok in Thailand last week. How do event organizers maintain a positive attitude at a time when many investors are turning away from blockchain and crypto? Or does the industry now have a solid enough foundation to keep things moving even during a price downturn?
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Yang: Maybe ‘Accelerate Things a Little Bit’
Some background: Beyond Blocks Summit Bangkok happened at what some might call the worst possible time in 2018 — right in a week where prices for bitcoin and other digital assets were plunging by double-figure percentages.
Despite that, most attendees Bitsonline spoke to at the Summit maintained an upbeat focus, and observed that it was still pretty well-attended, all things considered. It was definitely a larger-scale event than many early blockchain conferences — something Yang says should encourage business operators to focus, and perhaps move to the next stage.
“The market is down. However we’ve got existing businesses, we’ve got all these things going on. There’s still brilliant projects, people are starting to mature. You’ve got to realize that, ‘maybe I need to accelerate things a little bit, maybe I should start making money, maybe I should start delivering a product.’”
Yang says it’s his job to make sure people who bought a ticket to the event, and took time out of their work scheduled, could get as much out of the experience as possible.
How to Hold a Positive Event in a Bear Market
Thailand is showing some promise as a destination for blockchain development, with the government and regulators showing an interest in creating clearer parameters for companies to operate in — and most importantly, raise investment.
That’s beside the point, though, Yang says. When choosing a host city for an event he looks for those with plenty of activities and adequate transport/tourism facilities for visitors. Bangkok certainly has all those — it’s nice and close to other major cities in Asia, quite easy to get around, and affordable.
Beyond Blocks was part of a week of blockchain-oriented meetups and social events in the city, and conference organizers also posted regularly about local sights and happenings to check out.
Do you attend blockchain or cryptocurrency conferences? What’s your impression of them, and what would make them better? Tell us what you think in the comments.
Images and video via Bitsonline, Jon Southurst
