Angie Lau, Editor-in-Chief of Forkast.News, sits down with Karim Sabba, Co-Founder of Paris Blockchain Week, to discuss how France is trying to grow its influence in the blockchain industry.
In the first released episode of “In Conversation With,” Angie Lau speaks with Karim Sabba, French entrepreneur and co-founder of Paris Blockchain Week who sheds light on the future of the blockchain space for Paris, France, and an increasingly tech-conscious world.
When the average person thinks of Paris, blockchain typically does not come to mind. However, the city is home to a number of well-established tech companies, with the most notable example being Ledger. When Sabba entered the Blockchain space in 2016, he was surprised of how “up-to-date” regulators and members of parliament are of Blockchain and how willing they are to get involved.
Despite the receptiveness within France, it is difficult for major French regulators to take a step forward in creating a common regulatory framework without first coordinating with the European Union. For Sabba, this is why it would be a significant milestone to invite members from the EU and ESMA to determine the best way to create a regulatory framework that is welcoming to foreign startups to set up operations in France.
Beyond financial figures, Sabba has also invited UNICEF to Paris Blockchain Week for a discussion on social impact. He tells us how one French start-up has partnered with UNICEF to accept donations in cryptocurrencies, which hey says, “made a lot of noise” in Paris. Wanting to learn more, Sabba reached out to UNICEF and found that the organization is investing in traditional tech funds with a social impact. Christine Alamato, UNICEF’s Blockchain lead based in New York, will be speaking at Paris Blockchain Week to discuss what else the organization is doing in the space.
According to Sabba, London is a hub for the established industry, Luxembourg, the center for investment funds. As the global macro-economic landscape continues to shift, Paris can play its role as Europe’s leader in fintech and startups.
