Blockchain ecosystem Singapore: What remains after the block show Asia

We traveled to Singapore for the Blockshow Asia conference to learn more about the blockchain adaptation in Asia and to see what the big blockchain conference is all about.
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We were invited by Cointelegraph to report on Blockshow Asia as a media partner on November 29th and 30th, which should not prevent us in the following from addressing criticisms as well. The venue, the Resort World Convention Center, has provided impressive spaces that Cointelegraph has staged no less impressive - a dimension unaccustomed to from Europe.

ICOs put everything in the shade

It quickly became apparent that the event was dominated by one topic: ICOs. So after a short while we entered the Exhibitor Hall, where there were countless booths of Blockchain start-ups that had exactly one goal: to attract investors for their upcoming ICO.

Hoping for stimulating discussions about exciting blockchain solutions, we were disappointed because the attendees had a marketing rather than an IT background. An exception was Victor Bonhomme, Full Stack Engineer at iExec, a French blockchain start-up that has built a platform to monetize free computer capacity. The decisive difference to most of the other exhibitors, however, was that iExec has already carried out an ICO and can offer added value with an already functioning blockchain solution.


The lectures were also dominated by CEOs, who were represented with an advertising stand at the fair. One reason why we only visited a few lectures and instead tried to meet interesting personalities. For example, we had such a stimulating conversation with Google's Allen Day, who researched artificial intelligence and wanted to inquire about intersections on blockchain. Together with dr. Michael Raumann, founder / CSO of CryptoTec AG, talked about blockchain applications in the real economy and how artificial intelligence can be integrated in the future.

The block show was a voluntary mandatory event for ICOs and individuals with international networking ambitions. On the other hand, if you were looking for a technically sophisticated approach to blockchain technology, you could have saved yourself the money.

Blockchain hotspot Singapore

Away from the conference, we met with the scientist Simon Trimborn, who is researching blockchain technology at the National University of Singapore and is developing indicia for cryptocurrencies, among other things. It quickly became clear that Singapore did not have to hide from Stanford or MIT from the US when it came to blockchain research.

Among other things, this is due to the fact that the smallest state in Southeast Asia offers much that fuels a blockchain ecosystem. As the second most important financial center in Asia to Hong Kong, sufficient capital has been provided to enable rapid investment thanks to deregulated and investment-friendly or tax-friendly regulation. This environment, in turn, attracts the Chinese elite, who are pushing to Singapore with knowledge and capital and are making their way into universities and financial institutions. Supported by the ICO ban in China, Singapore is also a haven for blockchain innovations from China.

Furthermore, Singapore is probably the westernmost country in Asia. Not for nothing the cost of living in Singapore is considered one of the highest in the world. A high standard of living and English as an official language make it easy for anyone from the US or Europe to gain a foothold here.


These are the reasons that attract well-known blockchain companies like TenX to Singapore. It is advisable to look with a keen eye on Singapore, because Singapore is the blockchain hotspot of Asia and it will certainly not change that quickly.