Last week saw thousands of blockchain industry experts fly down to Malta for the inaugural edition of DELTA Summit 2018, Malta’s Official Blockchain Summit. Taking the global blockchain scene by storm, the tiny Mediterranean island has managed to position itself as a key player in the industry… and last week was definite proof of that.

The three-day summit saw a number of very big names take to the stage, from Malta’s very own Joseph Muscat to Changpeng Zhao, CEO of cryptocurrency exchange giant Binance. Here are some standout quotes from a conference that quickly became chock-full of highlights.

1. “What we’ve started here today is a movement”

After an impressive first day that saw both the Intercontinental hotel and every Paceville hotel in the vicinity being absolutely sold out, Malta’s own award-winning Fintech and AI expert Dr. Abdalla Kablan took to Facebook to thank everyone for the phenomenal response… and reflect on what this meant for the tiny island.

“What we’ve started here, today, is a movement,” Dr. Kablan said. “It’s the launch of Blockchain Island, it’s the launch of the DELTA movement, which symbolises change.”

2. “This is a country where the leaders and the government understand blockchain technology”

Binance is one of those bodies that definitely need no introduction for enthusiasts of all things crypto. The exchange’s CEO Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, took to the stage to not only discuss the impact of the blockchain technology on driving economic growth, but also compliment Malta on its forward-thinking leadership in this sector.

While he was at it, CZ also encouraged more companies to consider establishing their business in Malta, following Binance’s own plans to move to Malta earlier this year.

3. “Blockchain for social good”

Binance-initiated Blockchain Charity Foundation also had a place on the podium, with BCF Head Helen Hai speaking about a different side to blockchain technology that many people might not at first think of.

“When you talk about blockchain for social good, it’s not only a technical issue; it’s actually about how to work with the traditional world,” Hai said. “For that, leadership is very important. At this stage, we need industry shapers to drive the technology to the right applications.”

4. “More machines will take the place of people, and this time round, machines can learn”

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat took to the podium at the launch of the Delta Summit, saying Malta had truly become “first and best not only in Europe, as we wanted to be, but in the world, where nobody expected us to be”.

Making reference to the underlying technology that Malta has been taking strides towards regulation, Muscat said that “those with a dim outlook will see this quantum leap as a threat because more machines will take the place of people, and this time round, machines can learn.”

However, he didn’t let this dampen the spirits of what the future has to offer, saying “not only can we not stop change, we have to embrace it with anticipation since it provides society with huge opportunities”, opportunities that included giving individuals more control

5. “Malta stands out next to other countries”

Taking to a small panel discussion all about Malta: A Small Island With A Global Ambition, beloved singer Imogen Heap had some great things to say about our island.

Saying that Malta manages to shine in certain industries even when compared to other, larger countries with more resources, the British superstar went on to say that this is the perfect opportunity for local singers to make use of the new technology up on offer.

Of course, it wasn’t all speeches at last week’s summit

Kicking the first night in style at a special pub crawl we organised in collaboration with the DELTA Summit, Lovin Malta gave out an entire Bitcoin worth around €6,000 to two lucky people!

Thanks to ChronoBank.io and BRND WGN, the Bitcoin up on offer was shared between the two lucky winners of a lottery, Luka Knezić from Croatia, and Philip Rasch from Germany.

BRND WGN is a brand consultancy that supports business leaders drive change across organisations and markets. Using their agile and collaborative process, they unlock business potential by blending creativity and insight with their customer’s expertise. Their solutions are delivered through strategy, design and tech services.

ChronoBank.io is reimagining hiring for the blockchain age. Founded in Australia following its successful token sale in February 2017, the company has developed the most sophisticated blockchain-based hiring ecosystem in the world. ChronoBank is led by an accomplished executive team with deep domain experience in HR, banking, and fintech. It boasts one of the strongest technical and product teams in the blockchain world and is well-funded to innovate in all sectors of HR, from hiring to workers compensation to lending to insurance.

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David Grech Urpani

Lovin Malta's Head of Content, Dave has been in journalism for the better half of the last decade. Prefers Instagram, but has been known to doomscroll on TikTok. Loves chicken, women's clothes and Kanye West (most of the time).