On November 3, 2021, the biggest blockchain event in Ukraine, BlockchainUA, presented its 10th semi-annual international blockchain conference that brought together the strongest sectoral communities in Ukraine and Europe.
The key topic at BlockchainUA x10 Edition was “Problems and benefits of DeFi, development of NFT markets, and features of private tokenization systems”.
Over 1000 blockchain entrepreneurs, investors, enthusiasts, IT experts, and media representatives from all over the world discussed and solved pressing problems in blockchain and decentralized technologies.
Experts of the field provided high-quality speeches of innovative blockchain projects and trends; attendees facilitated personal connections with blockchain industry thought leaders. Also, it was a unique opportunity to find partners, investors, and other valuable relationships in a friendly and open environment.
Background: Key numbers of the global blockchain/crypto market via the recent research
According to the State Of Blockchain Q3’21 Report by CB Insights, 2021 became a record-shattering year for blockchain/crypto financing, highlights:
- 2021 is the year of crypto: $15B is the global blockchain funding 2021 YTD. Up 384% compared to 2020’s 12-month total of $3.1B.
- 4.5 Deals per business day in Q3’21. 286 deals in total. The quarterly total has increased 71% compared to 167 deals in Q3’20.
- 15 Mega-rounds ($100M+) in Q3’21. This is up from just 1 in Q3’20. Mega-rounds account for 5% of the global deal count in Q3’21 but 66% of total funding dollars.
- 31 Blockchain unicorns. 12 added in Q3’21. The global blockchain/crypto unicorn herd reached 31 in Q3’21 after 12 new unicorns were born — the highest birth rate ever. More than half of new unicorns in Q3’21 came from the US.
- 2,240% Crypto exchange funding growth Q3’21 vs. Q3’20. Crypto exchanges raised nearly $2B in venture funding in Q3’21, a record high and more than any other blockchain/crypto category. This is a 2,240% increase from the $84M raised in Q3’20.
- Q3’21 also saw the birth of 4 crypto exchange unicorns, bringing the total to 11.
- 6,523% NFT funding growth 2021 YTD vs. 2020. NFT funding skyrocketed to over $2B in 2021 so far, with a growth rate of 6,523% over 2020s 12- month total. More than 90% of NFT deals this year have been early-stage. There were 46 deals to NFT startups in Q3’21, 3 of which were mega-rounds.
- 191 DeFi deals in 2021 YTD. Up 57% vs. the 2020 total. Decentralized finance startups saw 191 equity deals in the first 9 months of 2021, up 57% from the 2020 total. Total funding in 2021 YTD is at $2.1B, over 6X the amount raised in 2020.
Let’s discover what’s discussed and showcased within BlockchainUA.
Highlighted speeches during the event
Michael Chobanian, the founder of the first public Ukrainian exchange of crypto assets KUNA.io and the first Bitcoin agency in Eastern Europe and the CIS countries, presented the vision of the Ukrainian crypto market: “Crypto. Ukraine. Past → present → future”
Pavel Kravchenko, Distributed Lab, talked about the bold trends in the industry
We can already see that governments globally are moving into digital economies and the adoption of their digital currencies.
Yegor Aushev, Co-founder CyberUnit & Cyber School, “Cybersecurity challenges in the world of blockchain” – key points of the speach:
- Bitcoin: 2016 – 750$ vs 2021 – 60 000$.
- Frauds with cryptocurrencies skyrocketed up to 15-20 times.
- Ukraine is in the TOP 5 globally according to the 2021 Global Crypto Adoption Index.
- Ukraine is also in the top 5 countries estimated to receive illicit funds by crime type (darknet marketplaces and extortionist threats)
Artem Shevchenko, CEO of Epicentr Marketplace, overviewed the trends and opportunities in e-commerce: “E-commerce and cryptocurrencies: introducing new payment methods for online purchases. Why do we need it?”
Bohdan Prilepa, CTO of Qmall and the Prof-it Blockchain, during a speech on “Modern exchanges. What actual demands should they cover,” represented the deep analysis of the industry on the global and local market. Also, Bohdan announced launching the Ukrainian cryptocurrency exchange Qmall in partnership with Ibox bank that developed a bank card for cryptocurrency transactions.
BlockchainUA is aimed at a diverse audience and is dedicated to raising awareness of blockchain and decentralized technologies, building a solid community, and showcasing the Ukrainian tech scene.
