Giving Compass' Take:

• The inaugural Blockchain Revolution Global conference showcases how blockchain technology has helped progress social good in various ways. 

• How are philanthropists that are unfamiliar with this technology, learning more about the impact of blockchain on the broader social sector?

• Here are the risks and opportunities for blockchain philanthropy. 

Toronto has been at the forefront of the blockchain effort, with the Blockchain Research Institute (BRI) (@blockchainRI) founded there in 2017. And Toronto celebrated their first official Blockchain Week April 22-28. The founders of BRI, Don Tapscott and Alex Tapscott, are also the authors of the breakout book, “Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin Is Changing Money, Business, and the World.”

So, Toronto made sense for the inaugural Blockchain Revolution Global (#BRG2019) conference, with more than 150 speakers holding over 60 sessions focusing on ten pillars of possibility in the blockchain space.

The event’s technical host, MCI Canada, used a unique setup that facilitated being able to hear many more speakers, tracks, and sessions in two days than a traditional conference could allow. Using headsets for breakout sessions, a 360-degree hexagonal stage setup meant that keynotes could be viewed and heard by all from any side as speakers shifted, and then the stage was set for 5 concurrent speakers or panels on each side of the center.

There were countless examples of wins in the social good space, and here just are a few more:

  • 70% of land rights globally are currently unenforceable; putting property records on an unalterable blockchain provides documentation that cannot be burned, lost, or seized
  • Clean energy can be both produced and consumed by everyday people directly to and from each other, making them prosumers, and creating more streamlined and efficient clean energy
  • 1.2 Billion people globally do not have an identity; blockchain allows an immutable record of one’s identity to be kept, which is critical for refugees and others without proof they exist

This was a fascinating conference, and the possibilities for positive social impact using blockchain and AI in the nonprofit/NGO and social enterprise space are already real, and growing.

Read the full article about blockchain and social impact by Amy Neumann at Beth's Blog.