Los Angeles, California | October 20, 2022 04:53 AM Eastern Daylight Time

In keeping with the spirit of Blockchain@USC’s mission to educate and connect community members with the blockchain industry, the student-led group has teamed up with MarketAcross to launch the inaugural VanEck Southern California Blockchain Conference. From November 10th to 11th, the USC Marshall School of Business will host the VanEck Southern California Blockchain Conference featuring expert panels, demonstrations, and networking opportunities for both students and the global blockchain community. The two-day event will be held across the University of Southern California campus.

Aimed for students and developers in the southern California area, the inaugural conference will bring together the experience of Web3 founders, researchers, and investors of leading protocols, exchanges, marketing agencies, and funds. Attendees will be able to hear from experts and forge new connections across the global blockchain community. The conference was sponsored by the USC Marshall School of Business, VanEck, a16z, Messari, Bitcoin Association, NGC Ventures, Ava Labs, BNB Chain, Chainwire, MarketAcross, and Aptos.

“After talking with many students, it was clear this type of immersive event was needed,” said Anthony Borquez, Faculty Member at the Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. “Yes, attendees will hear from leaders in blockchain, cryptocurrency, the metaverse and more, but they will also participate in workshops and classes designed to catapult the builders of the future. We are proud to have now created the largest blockchain event in Southern California.”

Featured keynote speakers joining the conference include Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood, a16z Partner Jeff Amico, Zuckerberg Media Founder Randi Zuckerberg, Frax Finance Founder Sam Kazemian, Pantera Capital Partner Lauren Stephanian, Pentagon CEO Jai Bhavnani, The Sandbox US CEO Mathieu Nouzareth, Dragonfly Head of Talent Zack Skelly, Makers Fund Principal Andrew Wilson, EthSign Co-Founder Jack Xu, Moon Holdings General Partner Thomas Vu, and ProofofLearn CEO Sheila Marcelo.

Commenting on the upcoming event, Blockchain@USC Director Gabriel Perez notes, “It is absolutely thrilling to be able to connect our aspiring community of blockchain enthusiasts and developers with globally recognizable names that are leading the Web3 revolution. From the outset of Web3’s conception, community has served as the backbone of innovation, and I’m confident that future breakthroughs in the space will be a function of our ongoing and open collaboration, communication, and conviction in Web3’s potential.”

The conference’s presentations, panels, and workshops will assemble industry insights, emerging trends, and cutting-edge research by bringing together perspectives from leading infrastructure providers, CeFi founders, DeFi experts, and NFT developers. Participants will gain access to technical workshops covering subjects like hybrid smart contracts along with chances to engage one-on-one with other community members at social events.

“We are very encouraged by the stellar community of future industry leaders that Blockchain@USC is cultivating and are excited to play a role in supporting this important Web3 conversation,” according to MarketAcross Partner Managing Partner Itai Elizur. “It is both impressive and inspiring that the student and blockchain communities can coalesce around a collective mission, and, in turn, champion an effort to transform this region into a global Web3 powerhouse.”

Registration for the VanEck Southern California Blockchain Conference is open and can be accessed.

About USC Marshall School of Business

USC Marshall is a premier business school located in the experiential learning lab of LA, the creative capital of the world and one of the world’s truly great cities. The mission of the Marshall School is to incubate transformational ideas and to translate them into world-changing impact. To appreciate and embrace the broader implications of innovation, Marshall imbues future business leaders with a deep appreciation of the far-reaching disruptive consequences of innovation, the great value of inclusion throughout society, and the ever-expanding societal responsibilities of business.

About Blockchain@USC

Founded in 2018, Blockchain@USC is a student-led organization that is helping cultivate and develop the University of Southern California’s blockchain community. The organization works to promote blockchain technology through a range of value-added experiences that are designed to educate and encourage a community of more than 300 members. By collaborating with leading blockchain organizations, Blockchain@USC is making it a mission to promote Web3 development through educational conversations, activities, and events while using its platform to connect enterprising community members with the budding blockchain industry.

About MarketAcross

Since its inception in 2013, MarketAcross has advanced to become a seasoned and accomplished blockchain public relations and marketing firm providing end-to-end marketing coverage for blockchain initiatives operating across the globe. MarketAcross has worked alongside the industry’s leading exchanges and blockchains, including Polkadot, Solana, Binance, and Polygon, helping these projects broaden their reach and awareness among cryptocurrency and blockchain audiences.

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Gabriel Perez

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