Guinness for a Monday – thanks to ConsenSys Ireland

So I have of course heard all the buzz words – crypto currency, bitcoin, blockchain etc., however yesterday was an education in itself to attend the launch of ConsenSys Ireland with Kerri & Adrian, and to hear Joe Lubin, Lory Kehoe, Kean Gilbert, Sydney Lai and the rest of the team speak about the company and their work.

If I was to attempt a brief explanation; ConsenSys is part of the Ethereum family blockchain with the aim to be “the new internet”. Ethereum is the base – a type of opensource blockchain ecosystem that can easily plug into an area of relevance and unlock value through creative thinking. Fantastically exciting stuff.

ConsenSys was founded by Joseph Lubin, who also co-founded the Swiss-based Ethereum cryptocurrency, was fantastic to listen to – my favourite part being when he mentioned that Satoshi (anonymous creator of Bitcoin) is in fact a woman! It was as surely an evening of learning, (as well as Guinness) and the energy and excitement in the room was palpable –a sense of looking at what very well may be the future. If things work out in some form of what was described, blockchain will become part of our everyday and we won’t imagine a world without it (similar to pre-internet or pre mobile phone)!

Minister Paschal Donohoe spoke about how this is fully government backed and highlighted how proud we should be that Dublin has been chosen as a growth hub, progressive and developed in terms of tech talent. The turnout of some three hundred people was a glowing indication of the the interest people hold in this emerging and fast moving area as well as the curiosity surrounding where this technology may take us. Did I understand it all? No way. Is it exciting? For sure. 

Lory Kehoe, Managing Director, quoted Oscar Wilde –

 “A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”

This type of forward thinking & ‘think big/ dream big’ philosophy is what will continue to change the ecosystem and how we work, invest and live our lives in the day to day.

Thanks for the invite and wishing ConsenSys Ireland continued success in the future.