Recapping New York 2024

It's the city that never sleeps and always leads the way in trends. For the third year in a row, we were honored to attend Benzinga's legendary Future of Digital Assets Conference and the Fintech Deal Days and Awards. It was a fantastic opportunity to share the latest developments from 1io.

Why 1iO attended a Finance-Focused Event

For those familiar with us, you might initially find it surprising to see our name on the participant list of such a "finance-heavy" event, especially since we're not a fintech company. The reason is simple—our project, 1io, takes blockchain technology beyond mere financial applications. It's not about speculation or chasing the next big coin. It's about creating tools that simplify our digital lives, giving us back time to focus on what we truly want to do.

Our Mission: Decentralization and User Sovereignty

Our message is clear: Tech giants have amassed too much power in too few hands. Control over our data needs to return to the users. Our technological approach? Complete decentralization—no intermediaries, no clouds. Everything is local-first, peer-to-peer, and controlled by the collective community of users. It's a paradigm shift, transferring power from a privileged few to the majority: the users.

These ideas naturally stand in stark contrast to what companies like Google, Apple, and Meta envision. And that's precisely what makes our approach so compelling. In the panel titled "The Promises & Complexities of Internet Breakthroughs", our founder and CEO, Markus Kuhnert, discussed these points alongside Aviad Stein from Broadridge Financial, Richard Widmann (Head of Web3 at Google), and Tanya Solati from Propy. You can find the full panel discussion on YouTube.

On the topic of tokenization and increasing utility in the crypto and Web3 space, Jonas Schönberger, 1io's company speaker, moderated an engaging panel. Esteemed participants included Jay Jacobs, US Head of Thematics and Active ETFs at BlackRock; Mitchell diRaimondo from SteelWave; Ian Graham from Lockton; and Alan Konevsky from tZero. This discussion is also available on YouTube.

The Evolving Crypto Landscape: Beyond Speculation

The crypto landscape has evolved significantly over the past few years, moving beyond its early reputation as a speculative asset class. Today, the focus has shifted to utility, real-world applications, and how blockchain can solve problems across industries. From decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms providing unbanked populations with access to financial services to supply chain transparency powered by immutable ledgers, crypto technology is proving its value far beyond trading and investing.

Decentralization is at the heart of this transformation. As centralized systems face criticism for their lack of transparency, high costs, and vulnerability to single points of failure, decentralized alternatives are gaining traction. Blockchain enables peer-to-peer interactions without intermediaries, reducing costs and increasing trust. This is particularly evident in the rise of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), which offer a new way of governing and funding projects collaboratively.

However, challenges remain. Regulatory uncertainty, scalability issues, and energy consumption concerns are key obstacles that the crypto industry must address. Projects like Ethereum's transition to proof-of-stake and the growing interest in Layer-2 solutions highlight the ecosystem's commitment to overcoming these barriers. Collaboration between traditional institutions and blockchain innovators is also paving the way for mass adoption.

The American 'Get Things Done' Mindset

Our annual trip to vibrant New York is always exciting. Similar to events in Davos, the density of meaningful conversations here far exceeds what we encounter at many European conferences. Perhaps this is due to the distinctly American mindset at these events, where the motto "Let's get things done" often accelerates the realization of visions and projects. To be fair, though, every event—whether in Europe or elsewhere—adds value to our network. Ultimately, the goal is to generate more awareness for 1io's mission.

Ultimately, the shift towards decentralization is about more than technology—it's about redefining how we interact, transact, and govern in a digital world. As more people embrace this vision, the promise of a decentralized future becomes increasingly tangible. The journey is far from over, but the momentum is undeniable.

We extend our gratitude to our partners at Benzinga, especially Renato Capelj, our go-to contact across the Atlantic for several years. We deeply appreciate your invitation and continued support.

What's next?

Looking ahead, December will see us focusing on further developing our prototypes and preparing for the World Economic Forum in Davos this coming January. Stay tuned for updates in our monthly newsletter. Sign up, and you'll receive a free eBook of GENESIS—the first Web3 thriller written by our speaker, Jonas Schönberger.

As always, "Go for CO," and we wish you a wonderful holiday season!