Web3 Tales Conference explores DeFi, Diversity, and Financial Inclusion

Alice in Blockchains, the non-profit association for fintech, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain, is once again bringing together global and regional blockchain and crypto experts with enthusiasts at its Web3 Tales conference. After last year’s success, the conference will be held again on October 1, 2024, in Zagreb, Croatia, Europe. This year’s event is titled DeFi DeTangled, which perfectly reflects the spirit of the conference and unveils the theme— demystifying decentralized finance.

The spotlight remains on women, diversity and financial inclusion, as this year’s speakers include Circle (the issuers of the USDC stablecoin), ConsenSys (the company behind the development of the MetaMask wallet and Infura products), Polygon, Raiffeisen Bank (Austrian blockchain hub), the Slovenian company NAKA (focused on addressing financial inclusion issues in third countries), SwissAssetDao, Visa, Chaisecurity, and many others whose announcements are yet to be revealed. 

This year’s conference is once again organized in collaboration with long-standing partners: Base58, Neuralab, Studio Size, the Embassy of Canada, LostHex, Blockchain Alliance Europe, with new support from companies such as the Circle, NAKA, Decenter, Thrilld Labs the networking app and A1 Croatia- one of the leading telecommunication companies in Croatia.

Decentralized finance (DeFi) based on Web3 technologies offers many advantages over traditional investment methods. It encompasses various services in the traditional financial world, such as lending, investing, and savings. On the other hand, it also introduces new services related to cryptocurrencies and derivatives, tokenization of digital assets, and more—all in a decentralized manner, without intermediaries.

“Our conference aims to foster a deeper understanding and broader acceptance of blockchain technology while pushing boundaries through innovative solutions. This year’s conference focuses on finance because DeFi is not just a passing trend; we believe it will play a key role in the future of the financial sector. Through the conference’s content, we want to provide insights into significant transformations and trends within the DeFi world through the conference’s content. This includes diverse topics, from specific uses of cryptocurrencies like staking to the integration of traditional financial practices with Web3 technology, such as the tokenization of digital assets, already implemented by leading global players like BlackRock or Goldman Sachs,” emphasized Belma Gutlić, VP of engineering at Chainsafe and vice president of the Alice in Blockchains association.

The conference program will focus on topics such as web3 payments, CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies), staking, wallets (virtual wallets), crypto-economics, stablecoins, and DEX (decentralized exchanges). The program consists of two parts: theoretical through lectures and panels and practical through workshops, allowing all participants to find something of interest—whether they want to discover the world of DeFi or apply it to their business and financial world, thus enhancing their business or personal finances. 

One of the experts at the conference and this year’s keynote speaker is Sanja Kon, Vice President of Circle Europe, a leading global Web3 company focused on using stablecoins (USDC) for payments and e-commerce. She is also the author of the book “Web3 and Blockchain 4 Women” and a board member of the European Web3 Organization. Sanja highlights the importance of the DeFi concept, emphasizing that DeFi enables financial inclusion by providing access to financial services via the internet without relying on traditional institutions.

“Decentralized finance can be empowering and practical for women living in underdeveloped regions who face barriers to accessing traditional banking services, giving them greater control over their finances and economic independence. Additionally, the transparency and openness of DeFi can help address gender inequality in financial access and decision-making, providing equal opportunities for participation and investment.”

The Web3 Tales conference has three main goals: empowering more female DeFi speakers, networking (in person, in the expo area at the conference, and through the Thrilld Labs networking app), and education by giving away two Web3 books to all the participants.

Magda Milas, president of the association, further emphasized, “The conference, once again this year, is organized with great effort and love by the volunteer team of the Alice in Blockchains association. We believe in empowering everyone with knowledge and inspiration. That’s why we’re thrilled to host two live book promotions and give away free books to everyone: “Web3 and Blockchain for Women” by Sanja Kon (Kindle version) and “Decrypting Money: A Comprehensive Introduction to Bitcoin” by Marco Krohn, Anthony Jefferies, Marco Streng, Zoran Balkić (signed hardcopy). Through niche themes, practical examples, and symbolic ticket prices, we want to contribute to the community and allow everyone to gain value, knowledge, and perspective on the web3 industry.”

The Web3 Tales Conference will occur on October 1st in Zagreb, Croatia. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.entrio.hr/event/web3-tales-18636. 

For more information, visit https://web3tales.io/.