Returning for its third year, Elevate is now simply too big for one event guide. So BetaKit has produced a guide to every event and stage taking place across the seven-day festival. You can find a link to each individual guide on our Guide to Elevate 2019 hub page.
It’s no secret that the business of money is changing. Financial services around the world face new challengers, new technology, and shifting regulatory environments that will dictate the future of money for the 21st century.
“I think that blockchain and crypto could be the saviour for Africa in many ways because it brings the power back to the people.”
– Akon
The speed of change poses important questions. Is cryptocurrency the future of currency or an unregulated boondoggle? Is open banking the future of banking or an open door to data privacy abuse? What will banking look like for Gen Z (and will they care)?
Answering those questions might require new leadership. Elevate Money will feature an in-depth conversation with multi-platinum recording artist-turned-entrepreneur, Akon, who will share his plans to build a city in Senegal economically run on cryptocurrency. Similar to his Akon Lighting Africa project, the global icon sees Akoin as an opportunity to leverage new technology for social good.
“I think that blockchain and crypto could be the saviour for Africa in many ways because it brings the power back to the people,” Akon says. “Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology offer a more secure currency that enables people in Africa to advance themselves independent of the government.”
Elevate Money will also highlight Canadian entrepreneurs making money moves, featuring fireside chats with Michael Katchen, co-founder and CEO of Wealthsimple, and Ted Livingston, founder and CEO of Kik. While one CEO is laying groundwork for an IPO, the other is facing a legal battle with the SEC over the 2017 ICO of its Kin cryptocurrency. Both will speak to the two most important levers driving their businesses today: trust and value.
“What we sell at the end of the day is trust,” Katchen told BetaKit following the close of the company’s recent $100 million financing round. “That is the hardest part of the business we’re in.”
Elevate Money is the perfect Elevate stage for FinTech startups looking to disrupt the incumbents, incumbents looking to stave off disruption, and crypto and digital currency enthusiasts.
Click here or use the code “ELEVATELOVESBETAKIT” to purchase your Elevate 2019 tickets at a 20% discount.
BetaKit is an Elevate media partner.
