Blockchain technology plays a central role in the platform economy. It allows services to be unbundled and re-bundled into new forms, allowing new and different connections among the parties involved, such as suppliers, technology and service providers, consumers, or enterprises.
In a scenario where DLT/Blockchain makes it possible to reduce or eliminate the role of traditional intermediaries, the role of blockchain developers and smart contract programmers, or anyone who has the right to change the platform’s ground rules, has become crucial to define the governance, i.e. the rules of the game for all other stakeholders including transaction validators, token holders and platform users).
In this Policy Dialogue, policymakers, market players and IT experts will gather to discuss ongoing developments in the blockchain, its promise for future EU policies, and the prospects for innovative regulatory approaches. Participants will include the members of the ACE BRAIN scientific advisory board, currently being set up with the participation of high-level representatives from EU and national institutions, as well as academia and businesses. The goal is to explore how different regulatory approaches can enable the smooth functioning of the ecosystem so as to ensure that the interests of all stakeholders are aligned and appropriate incentives are in place in order to foster virtuous and cooperative behavior aimed at enhancing the value of the ecosystem in the long term.
The event marks the launch of ACEBRAIN, a new research centre dedicated to the analysis of the compatibility between blockchain technology and EU legislation, the study of policy options to regulate blockchain-enabled services such as crypto assets and decentralised digital identity, the promotion of (sustainable) blockchain technology as a pillar of the future EU Single Market, and as a foundation for a more democratic, resilient and sustainable society.
ACE BRAIN is a joint initiative of the University of Rome 3, the Catholic University of Milan, the Ugo Bordoni Foundation and the European University Institute. The project received funding for five years from the Algorand Foundation. Attendance at this event is by invitation only.