Blockchain - It's a word appearing everywhere today, from news headlines to corporate strategies and it has even become one of Google's most popular searches. But why is this technology creating such a global buzz?

This is a question that technology consultant James Wicker hopes to answer via a unique event aimed at those who are yet to explore the fascinating worlds of blockchain and cryptocurrency.

At the Blockchain for beginners one-off event on 28 March, industry experts will guide blockchain newbies in this ground-breaking technology, while exploring the possible impact blockchain could have on Malta's future.

"We are currently living through a period of unprecedented change due to many disruptive technologies maturing at the same time - some have even named it the fourth industrial revolution," explains James.  "But out of all these technologies, such as artificial intelligence, 3D printing, or Internet of Things, the one I see as having the greatest potential to benefit society in the coming years is, by far, blockchain."

Meanwhile, Malta and blockchain are increasingly linked. In a world-first in 2018, our island nation launched three legal bills that established a regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies, blockchain and DLT in general. This cemented a global reputation as "The Blockchain Island" that was further solidified by the first Malta AI & Blockchain Summit held later that year.

"Malta's government is one of the most progressive in the world regarding blockchain and has set the development and integration of the technology as a main pillar of its innovation strategy," James continues. "I believe, that by focusing on real use cases outside of just cryptocurrencies - like digital identities, real estate or utilities - this could represent a fantastic opportunity for the island. Now our Blockchain for beginners will help prepare the next generation of potential blockchain experts (and those with a simple interest) to learn about what to expect."

Indeed, the Blockchain for beginners event is perfectly timed to coincide with Malta pioneering even further into the blockchain industry, with more regulation possibly in the governmental pipeline and the second Malta AI & Blockchain Summit planned for May. And while this now-globally recognised summit will attract hundreds of international industry experts to Malta, some will share their knowledge a few months earlier at the Blockchain for beginners event.

While James will be presenting the event, its exciting talk, fun panel discussion and Q&A session moderated by Jo Caruana, the event will also feature three leading blockchain experts, Jasper de Trafford, Matthew Sacco and Mark Bugeja.

Operating in the fintech area with a focus on blockchain, de Trafford is the director of advisory firm Zeta. Sacco, meanwhile, is a Blockchain developer at Ledger Projects, with a focus on the Ethereum Blockchain App platform. Completing the speaker line-up is Bugeja, who is the chairman of Tech MT, a joint international marketing arm for the promotion of new emerging Fintech companies wishing to invest in Malta.

"We are very fortunate to have three Maltese experts on the subject at the event and so I expect the panel discussion to be a rich and fascinating exchange with the audience about concrete applications, how our lives could change in the future and what this could mean for the island," James emphasises.

James himself will also be bringing considerable experience in the industry to the Blockchain for beginners event. As a technology consultant, he has advised multiple large multinational corporations on the likely impacts of breakthrough technologies on their respective industries and on society. More recently, he has led the marketing efforts of several blockchain ventures and is a firm believer in the many opportunities that distributed ledger technologies represent.

"My first encounter with the world of blockchain was reading about bitcoin in 2014, but I didn't think too much of it at the time," recalls James. "It was only a year or two afterwards that I came across a TED talk by Don Tapscott which opened my eyes to the incredible potential of the technology behind bitcoin. What really struck me was the promise of truly peer-to-peer interactions and transactions, with no intermediaries. I have a passion for technology and sustainability, about how technology can help us tackle global challenges and be used for the greater good. Blockchain, for me, is what the internet should have been all along, in this regard - it allows for a real 'sharing economy'."

As Malta looks to the future and boldly lays the foundations for these innovative technologies, it also remains attached to its rich cultural heritage, so proceeds from Blockchain for beginners will support the Save Valletta's Skyline Appeal. Aiming to raise more than €8 million to fund vital restoration work on the tower, spire and structure of St Paul's Pro-Cathedral in Valletta, the appeal hopes to ensure that the Cathedral's silhouette will remain central to Valletta's iconic skyline.

While conserving Malta's past, however, James hopes that the event will contribute to blockchain's continued supernova at the heart of global industry.

"Blockchain represents the web's natural evolution," James concludes. "We are now at the dawn of the third generation of the internet, which will revolutionise the way we exchange value over a network of computers, all thanks to blockchain. The implications for society are enormous and I see this technology transforming our lives over the next decade or two in ways we can't even imagine."

Blockchain for beginners - a talk in aid of Save Valletta Skyline - will be held at Palazzo De la Salle, Valletta, on 28 March at 6.15pm. Tickets cost €25 and include wine and nibbles. They may be booked in advance via email on [email protected]. This event is kindly sponsored by Charles Grech and Fifth Flavour