Gartner predicts the business value-add of blockchain will grow to around $176bn by 2025 and exceed to $3.1tn by 2030. This is a giant leap for a technology that, although developing fast, still has significant gaps in meeting business challenges to generate value. CIOs are under pressure to guide decisions on ‘if’ and ‘how’ they should implement blockchain, but struggle with how to apply this technology to meet new business challenges. Cryptocurrencies, themselves require a degree of financial and technical knowledge to understand.

But there is a growing focus on the business challenges that blockchain could solve and soon it will be able to show real business value, real-world applications and an ecosystem of organisations supporting it.

As part of Malta Gaming Week, the third edition of the Malta Gaming Awards will be held on the 27^th of November at the MFCC, Ta’ Qali.

One of the biggest events in the iGaming calendar, the awards will kick off SiGMA 2018 in style. One thousand of the most influential and innovative individuals in the industry will gather for a decadent night geared towards recognising the best and brightest to illuminate the Maltese iGaming sphere. Setting the tone for the evening is guest of honour, Her Excellency, the President of Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro-Preca. Adding a touch of class to the evening is internationally acclaimed opera star, Joseph Calleja.

The inaugural edition of the Malta Blockchain Summit has been a resounding triumph. Held on the 1st to 2nd November, at the Intercontinental Hotel, St. Julian’s - the Summit saw intense interest, from both local and global quarters, with 8,500 attendees turning up for the event.

The success of the show means the Summit will likely move to a larger venue better equipped to handle the scale of a growing Summit.

The first FiNext Tech Awards & Conference was held on the 25th & 26th of October at Ballys in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event was the much awaited Finance and Technology conference of the year 2018 which aimed at bringing together the best and brightest from the field of Finance & Technology under one roof.

The conference strived to build a platform for startups, SMEs, key decision makers, researchers, investors and people from the media to interact and garner meaningful alliances.

The buzz around the Malta Blockchain Summit is palpable. It’s no surprise that the Expo floor has been sold out for some time now. Due to the high demand for a sought-after-stand we’ve added a special section to accommodate extra booths.

In addition to a slew of carefully curated exhibitors, a line-up of some of the most influential movers and shakers in the crypto-world have signed on as speakers. Heading the pack and lending prestige to the conferences are leading figures such as W. Scott Stornetta, the infamous Winklevoss twins, live-wire John McAfee and Hanson Robotics’ most exciting creation – Sophia the robot. 5000 delegates, many flying in from right across the globe, can expect a series of riveting discussions about the world-changing potential applications of the blockchain, as well as AI, Big Data, Quantum Technology and IoT.

Lending their patronage to the event is Her Excellency, Marie-Louise Coleiro, President of Malta and The Honourable Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Malta, who is slated to give the official opening keynote speech at the Regulatory Conference. The President is guest of honour at the upcoming Blockchain Awards on the 31^st of October.