While being big in 2017, blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies will become even bigger in 2018. Despite recent backlash from regulators worldwide, the cryptocurrency market continues to grow with many planned ICO’s and alternative investment products such as futures trading becoming available. Unlike cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology is being embraced by both governments, and firms. As the technology matures, it is likely that a gradual shift from experimentation in specific use cases to large scale deployment will occur throughout the year. Demystification, explorations, challenges, controversies and opportunities will all be at the heart of this year’s numerous events aiming at shaking the industry and spur innovation.  

Here is the non-exhaustive list of the key events Holland FinTech selected:

Blockchain Middle East Forum, 5^th-6^th of February, Dubai, UAE

Hosted in Dubai, who aspires to become the first blockchain-powered government, this event will explore distributed ledger solutions and innovations. Speakers and attendees are mainly executives from governmental, logistics, health and other sectors.

The Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Blockchain Superconference, 16^th-18^th of February, Dallas, US

With over 800 expected attendees, 35 top-notch speakers and 50+ exhibitors from the bitcoin, ethereum and alt coin worlds, and talks from ICOs and blockchain startups, this conference aims at gathering experts together to discuss key trends and opportunities.

Genesis London Conference, 22^nd of February, London, UK

When experts gather to demystify blockchain technology, it give the Genesis London Conference! International thought leaders and specialists will provide theoretical and practical insights, ranging from security to scalability and potential use-cases.

Tokenfest, 15^th-16^th of March, San Francisco, US
Taking place in San Francisco, this two day event is mainly focused on networking and providing token based economy insights with over a 1000 leading figures from the ecosystem. Speakers and attendees come from various backgrounds including lawyers, executives, entrepreneurs, VC’s and more.

Blockchain Africa Conference 2018, 8^th-9^th of March, Johannesburg, South Africa

During this 5^th edition of the Blockchain Africa Conference, local and international experts will discuss blockchain and cryptocurrency use cases, the regulatory environment, technology hurdles and opportunities in innovation and disruption that can be leveraged using this technology.

TechNova  Blockchain Summit, 22^nd of March, London, UK
This London summit will examine recent distributed ledger innovations and use case studies from various sectors such as the banking, energy, music and many more.  Among the topics discussed will be how to develop strategy, smart contracts and the future of cryptocurrency. Speakers include executives from banks, energy companies and other professionals.

Blockchain and Bitcoin Conference, 22^nd of March, Tallinn, Estonia

With Tallinn being one of the most innovative capitals when it comes to blockchain and cryptocurrency, this conference will probably be among the most captivating in Europe this year.

Blockchaingers Hackathon, 5^th-8^th of April, Groningen, the Netherlands
The world’s biggest blockchain hackathon will take place in the city of Groningen. Spanning over three days, 64 teams divided into eight tracks will compete for a 100,000 Euro cash prize. The hackathon is part of year-long innovation program, designed for companies and investors who are seeking to cooperate with the best performing teams.

World Blockchain Forum, Investments and ICOs, 16^th-17^th of April, Dubai, UAE

This event will attract among the most competent players in the blockchain industry. Speakers to be announced.

MoneyConf 2018, 11^th-13^th of June, Dublin, Ireland

With 5,000 attendees, 200+ CEOs and 1,000+ companies from all over the world, the MoneyConf 2018 is the largest cryptocurrency event this year. Keynotes, workshops and networking are going to flow during two days, with a focus on numerous tracks covering the challenges and opportunities of innovation.

Blockchain for Finance Conference, 20^th-21^st of June, Singapore
Held in in Singapore, this conference will provide insights on use cases of distributed ledger technologies within financial institutions, asses the regulatory landscape and discuss business strategies in the age of blockchain. The vast majority of speakers are financial institutions executives and blockchain specialists.
Blockchain Expo, 27^th-28^th of June, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
This two day blockchain event, taking place in Amsterdam, is one of Europe’s largest with more than 6000 attendees.  The expo will revolve around the evolution of blockchain technology by exploring its applications, trials being conducted and the opportunities lying in sectors such as retail, healthcare, real-estate and others. Speakers include executives from DHL, Royal Bank of Scotland, Hyperledger, Deutsche Bahn  and the Swedish Land Registry.