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After an eventful opening day that saw discussions around the impact of Web3 and the growing adoption of the tech, Cointelegraph is all set to bring the key updates from the second day of the Summit at PBW 2023. 9355 Total views 60 Total shares Listen to article 0:00 Event Own this piece of history

Collect this article as an NFT Paris Blockchain Week (PBW) kicked off its fourth year as one of the worlds largest conferences tackling all things blockchain, crypto and Web3. The event hosts over 10,000 attendees and sold out last year.

Following two days packed with hackathons, talent fairs and investor demos, the main event of the week, the summit, continues with its second day on March 23.

The Cointelegraph team is stationed in Paris to bring readers the latest news from the ground, presented below in ascending order (the newest story at the top). Time stamps are in UTC.Paris Blockchain Week Summit 2023: Day 2

Cointelegraph journalist Joseph Hall sat down with 1Inch co-founderSergej Kunz to discuss the present and future of the crypto ecosystem. Kunz shared his thoughts on numerous topics including the limitations of investing for ordinary people, what mass adoption looks like and big companies jumping into the Web3 space.Read more here.

? Our interview with @deacix, Co-Founder of @1inch here at @ParisBlockWeek

He shares his vision on what the future of #crypto has in store. 'As soon as we have people who understand that there's a non-custodial way… then we achieve the mass adoption' #PBW2023 pic.twitter.com/DwCqkeSaIN— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) March 23, 2023

12:00: Thenext panel discussion focused on the impact of Web3 on startups and investors, moderated byMichael Amar – chairman of Paris Blockchain Week. The panel discussion was joined byIgneus Terrenus, partner relations at BitDAO, Laurenz Apiarius, founder of Blockwall Digital, Dan Tapiero, founder of 10T Holdings, Amos Meiri, founding partner at Node Capital, and Eden Shochat, Equal Partner at Aleph VC. The panel discussion revolved around the role of investors amid the emerging importance of governance and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs.)

The panel experts shared their views on the ongoing debate around crypto tokens deemed as securities and how the Web3 ecosystem is tackling the financial aspect of the innovation.Apiarius talked about the impact of bad actors in a new economic sector like Web3 and the role of investors. He explained:The movement of Web3 is misused by some bad entrepreneur land its the job of investors to filter that and not pit capital into entrepreneurs that make fun of it.”Dan Tapiero, Igneus Terrenus, Laurenz Apiarius, Eden Shochat,Amos Meiri, and Michael Amar (from left to right).

11:30 am: The new panel discussion titled ‘The Ethics of Web3’ revolved around public policy and was moderated byMoojan Asghari, the co-founder of Thousand Faces. The panel consisted ofOscar Wendel, senior manager at Dubai World Trade Centre, Margaux Frisque, co-founder of d&a Partners, and Dr Loic Brotons, CEO of Galeon.

The industry experts on the panel shed light on the role of ethics in a fast paced evolutionary tech like blockchain and Web3. Asghari in her address noted thatEthical frameworks or standards always lag behind the advancement of the technology and explained:”This is the biggest challenge of ethics – what are the right questions to ask ourselves today, in order to make sure that the technology doesnt harm us in the near or far future.Dr Loic Brotons,Oscar Wendel, Moojan Asghari and Margaux Frisque (from left to right).

11:00 am: The next keynote speech revolved around smart contracts, a key-building tool in the decentralized and blockchain space. The speech delivered by Stellar Development Foundation VP Tomer Weller touched upon the subject of smart contract development and how difficult and complex it is. He said:”Smart contracts are not easy and only as smart as the coders that build them and we need to hold them to a higher standard.”Tomer Weller talking about the state of smart contracts in today’s world

10:30 am: The next keynote speech came fromAlexandre Dreyfus, founder and CEO of Chiliz, on the integration of blockchain and gaming tokens in mainstream sports. He shared how decentralized tech added to mainstream sports is making the experience for fans more immersive.Alexandre Dreyfus talking about the evolution of fan experience with Web3

10:00 am: The first panel of the day, titled ‘The Need for Yield,’ was moderated byCinderella Amar, co-founder ofGlass Slipper Ventures and joined by Maxime Boonen, founder of B2C2 & PV01, Tim Grant, head of EMEA at Galaxy, Yoann Caujolle, co-founder of Rockby, and Charlie Meraud CEO of Woorton.

The panel discussion revolved around the concept of yield farming in crypto and how it has evolved over time. The panelists shed light on the legality and regulatory aspect of yield farming in today’s time and how viable of a business model it is.Tim Grant,Maxime Boonen,Yoann Caujolle,Charlie Meraud, and Cinderella Amar (from left to right).

9:30 am: The first keynote speech of the day came fromJeff Hasselman, the head of Web3 at Amazon Web Services (AWS).Hasselman, while talking about the interest of enterprises like Amazon in the Web3 ecosystem, said that he was highly influenced by the Bitcoin white paper. He explained:”I read the Bitcoin whitepaper in 2013 and I was like if this works, then this would really be amazing because it would redefine what the internet is all about.”

Hasselman went on to list how AWS is actively involved in helping builders of Web3 and offering the infrastructure to companies and blockchain developers alike.Jeff Hasselman, Global Head Web3, Amazon Web Services talking about Web3

8:30 am: Welcome to day 2 of the Paris Blockchain Week Summit, a day that will be focused on the culture, adoption and importance of decentralized tech. Some of the notable panel discussions to look forward to will cover the ethics in Web3, the evolution of crypto payments, how to protect users from crypto scams. The Cointelegraph team is on the ground to bring the latest updates, exclusive interviews and behind the scenes throughout the day.Paris Blockchain Week venue shot. Source: CointelegraphCointelegraphs Joe Hall looks for perspective amid Paris riots

Reporter Joe Hall spoke to Animoca Brands CEO Robby Yung to hear his thoughts on Paris hosting a major crypto and blockchain conference as many have taken to the streets in protest of a bill raising Frances retirement age from 62 to 64 years old. According to Yung, the local government had provided a warm embrace for participants of the event and saw the representation of major brands including Gucci as a positive sign for adoption. Read more here.Animoca Brands CEO Robby Yung speaking with Cointelegraphs Joe Hall at Paris Blockchain Week. Source: CointelegraphParis Blockchain Week Summit2023: Day 1

4:40 pm: Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier delivered a keynote speech during which he discussed Bitcoin:You can try to explain why you think it has flaws, but you should always have reasonable doubts. Its just like if you dont believe in God, thats OK. But you should always have reasonable doubt because the day you die, you will find out.”Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier delivered a keynote speech on the Master Stage at PBW. Source: Cointelegraph

13:40 pm: 2022 was the year of epic crypto collapses, with the collective failures of Terra, Celsius, Three Arrows Capital and FTX leaving a stain on the industry. A panel as a part of the Open Finance stream discussed how the crypto industry can recover from these events in light of the recent banking failures in the United States. Read more here.A panel discussion titled FTX, Luna, Celsius, 3AC: From Hero to Zero at Paris Blockchain Week. Source: Livestream

12:40 pm: Metaverse regulation was on the agenda during an industry panel that included representatives from IBM Consulting France, Jacob Avocats, France Meta, Crypto Circle, Metacircle and Fenwick. The general takeaway from thepanel was that businesses need to take calculated, strategic risks to grow their Web3 ambitions. Get comfortable with discomfort, one panelist said. Read more here.Paris Blockchain Week venue. Source: Cointelegraph

12:00 pm: Tether chief technology officer Paolo Ardoino talked about the recent USDC saga and stated that Bitcoin is the ultimate way to hold wealth in an exclusive conversation with Cointelegraphs Joseph Hall.

While discussing the USDC depeg, Ardoino said that stablecoin issuers should always make sure that their reserves remain protected.Read more here.Cointelegraph journalist Joseph Hall with Tether CTO Paolo Ardoino at Paris Blockchain Week.

11:00 am: Bitcoin proponent Tim Draper was the next keynote speaker, discussing The Decentralization of Everything. Draper talked about the need for decentralization in todays time amid lessening confidence in the banking system. He advised people to use Bitcoin to hedge against bad governance and banking.Tim Draper advocated for Bitcoin against bad governance and banking failures.

Draper also sang a poem about Bitcoin and how the asset has outperformed traditional financial tools amid the growing banking crisis.Read more here.

10:00 am: The first round of panel discussions kicked off, with Cointelegraph editor-in-chiefKristina Lucrezia Cornr moderating a discussion on the evolving role of Web3 technology in the traditional financial ecosystem.Cointelegraph editor-in-chiefKristina Lucrezia Cornrmoderating a panel on Web3.

The panel, titled State of the Chain 2023, was joined byPatrick McGregor, head of product at Coinbase; Matthew Savarese, vice president at Nasdaq Digital Assets; Richard Widmann, global head of Web3 strategy at Google; Dante Disparte, head of global policy at Circle; and Denelle Dixon, CEO of Stellar Development Foundation.

Live from the State of the Chain 2023 panel at @ParisBlockWeek : @RichJWidmann, Global Head of Web3 Strategy at @googlecloud, emphasizes the importance of building value for users in the next evolution of the internet. #PBW2023 pic.twitter.com/8x1hAgJTZG— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) March 22, 2023

The discussion focused on the state of traditional finance, the recent banking crisis and how Web3-based solutions are becoming a norm during times of financial crisis something envisioned by Satoshi Nakamoto themselves when they created Bitcoin.

In addition to reflecting on the current state of Web3, the experts gave their insights and predictions on how things could pan out in 2023.Read more here.Patrick McGregor, Matthew Savarese, Richard Widmann, Dante Disparte, Denelle Dixon and Kristina Lucrezia Cornr (from left to right).

Another panel discussion around the European Unions Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, set to come into effect by 2024, saw industry experts weigh in on its impact. The panel was moderated bySabine Van Haecke-Lepic, a lecturer and researcher at Sciences Po, and joined by the likes of Gundars Ostrovskis, team leader of digital finance at the European Commission; Nadia Filali, director of blockchain programs at Caisse des Dpts; Hubert de Vauplane, partner at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP; Janet Ho, head of EU policy at Chainalysis; and Vytautas Karalevicius, co-founder of Bankera.Gundars Ostrovskis, Sabine Van Haecke-Lepic, Vytautas Karalevicius,Nadia Filali, Hubert de Vauplane and Janet Ho (from left to right).

The industry experts and regulators opined on the implications and potential impacts of the proposed regulation.Read more here.

9:30 am: The following keynote speech was delivered by the CEO of Stellar Development Foundation, Denelle Dixon. She talked about the real-world use cases of blockchain technology, focusing on humanitarian aid. Dixon stressed that blockchain tech can bring efficiency to aid distribution, especially when those who need it the most are unbanked.Stellar Development Foundation CEO Denelle Dixon talking about role of blockchain in humanitarianaid.

9:00 am: The opening keynote of the event came from Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, who talked about the importance of decentralized networks in traditional finance. Lubin highlighted the diversity in the Web3 space and how it has helped the ecosystem grow stronger with a broad spectrum of talent.Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin during his opening keynote speech.

8:30 am: The next keynote speech came from Henri Arslanian, co-founder of the investment banking company Nine Blocks Capital Management, and revolved around the latest global crypto trends including Bitcoin, central bank digital currencies and nonfungible tokens.

Arslanian shed light on some of the past years key events in the crypto world, from the growth of Bitcoin to the numerous crypto contagions and recent bank runs. He stressed that there will be more stress on regulations and transparency moving forward.Henri Arslanian talking about global crypto trends.

8:00 am: The first day of the summit kicked off with a keynote from Zahreddine Touag, co-founder of Paris Blockchain Week. During his keynote, he stressed the need for events like PBW and its role in building business relationships and connecting to new people.Paris Blockchain Week Summit started with a keynote by Zahreddine Touag.Investor panel: What are the best investment opportunities in Web3?

In the next panel discussion, which focused on investment opportunities in Web3, investor Marguerite de Tavernost said that the bear market is the best time to build in the crypto market. She added that they offer more time for investors and innovators to build their reputations.Ivan de Lastours de Bernarde, Katelin Holloway, Marguerite de Tavernost, Michael Amar, Andrei Brasoveanu and Richard Muirhead(from left to right)Fabric Ventures co-founder talks Bitcoin, bank crisis

Richard Muirhead, the co-founder of Fabric Ventures, talked about Bitcoin price, inflation, the bank crisis and the emerging role of Web3 amid it all. He said that with its deflationary properties, Bitcoin is the first use case of Web3 and can become a safe haven during times of crisis. He added that Web3 is actively working on resolving traditional financial problems, but new use cases can take time to emerge, as they represent much more than simple software development.In-depth discussion on metaverse gaming

Neal Stephenson, an American author and founder of metaverse project Lamina1, joined Paris Blockchain Week chairman Michael Amar to discuss the concept of interoperability in metaverse gaming.

Stephenson, who coined the term metaverse in the 1990s, also talked with Cointelegraph editor-in-chief Kristina Lucrezia Cornr on the evolution of the word. Read more here. Neal Stephenson and Michael Amar (from left to right).

Stephenson said the idea of interoperability is irritating for some game developers, as many have been focused on building their own ecosystems for years, such as Fortnite and Minecraft. He explained that the idea of interoperability seems like an abomination because, at this point, all it offers is dragging and dropping assets from one game to another.Cointelegraph behind-the-scenes on day two

The Cointelegraph team kicked off the second day of Paris Blockchain Week 2023 with a reflection on the cultural and historical depth of the venue:

Things at @ParisBlockWeek that just make sense #PBW2023 pic.twitter.com/Sd8P6TxHJs— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) March 21, 2023 Web3 headlines the agenda on day one of the summit

The main agenda for March 21 revolves around the scope of Web3 in todays world. The one-day Web3XP event focuses on how brands and creators can generate value in the metaverse and how Web2 companies can transition to Web3.The event will see professionals representing consumer brands, gaming, collectibles, art and fashion in one place.March 20 saw a relatively crowded talent fair tailored for the crypto and blockchain industry. Source: CointelegraphCointelegraph reporter Joe Hall attends pre-summit events

The pre-summit events at the PBW 2023 included a talent fair.The Cointelegraph team making sure you get the best angle.Th Cointelegraph team arrives in Paris

Cointelegraph editor-in-chief Kristina Lucrezia Cornr, head of video Jackson DuMont and reporter Joseph Hall are deployed on the ground in Paris all week to deliver the most recent developments from the conference.Jackson DuMont, Kristina Lucrezia Cornr and Joseph Hall(from left to right). Source: CointelegraphInvestors Day

Investors Day kicked the week off on March 20, bringing together investors interested in Web3, nonfungible tokens (NFTs), the metaverse and blockchain applications.

Stay tuned for continuous updates from PWB, including key takeaways, highlights and behind-the-scenes footage.Paris Blockchain Week kicks off

The 2023 edition of PBW features speakers from some of the industrys biggest players, such as ConsenSys, Ledger, Animoca Brands, Algorand, Reddit and more. It consists of the main summit and the Web3-focused Web3XP, and its main themes include public policy, enterprise blockchain, open finance, Web3 art, and investing in Web3 culture and entertainment, among others.

PBW also has a dedicated event for investors, a competition for startups, a hackathon and additional side events.

Last years event saw around 3,000 summit-goers and featured keynotes and fireside chats from some of the most prominent figures in the industry, such as Binances Changpeng Zhao and Tethers Paolo Ardoino, among many others. #Blockchain #France #Event #Paris #Metaverse #Web3 #NFT

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Add reaction Related News 17 biggest crypto heists of all time Blockchain messaging is going to replace Telegram and Discord AAA blockchain gaming: The future of entertainment in the Web3 space AMA with Undeads Web3 a hot topic at SXSW despite bear market and declining interest in NFTs Neal Stephenson on the metaverse: Its happening in a different way

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Ukrainian officials head to US for peace talks – while dramatic footage shows Russian oil tankers being hit

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Ukrainian officials head to US for peace talks - while dramatic footage shows Russian oil tankers being hit

Ukraine’s representatives are preparing for renewed peace talks in the US, while dramatic footage has shown Russian tankers being hit by naval drones.

President Zelenskyy said a delegation headed by national security chief Rustem Umerov was on its way to “swiftly and substantively work out the steps needed to end the war”.

They are due to be greeted by US secretary of state Marco Rubio, Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, and the US president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, a senior US official told Reuters news agency.

National security chief Rustem Umerov is leading the delegation. Pic: Reuters
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National security chief Rustem Umerov is leading the delegation. Pic: Reuters

After the US-Ukraine talks, an American delegation is expected to travel to Moscow to meet President Putin.

It comes after Mr Trump released a 28-point proposal last week that would hand swathes of land to Russia and limit the size of Kyiv’s military.

It was widely seen as heavily favouring Russia and led Mr Zelenskyy to swiftly engage with American negotiators.

President Trump said on Tuesday his plan had been “fine-tuned”.

More on Ukraine

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Ukraine peace plan in 60 seconds

In his evening address on Saturday, the Ukrainian leader said: “The American side is demonstrating a constructive approach, and in the coming days it is feasible to flesh out the steps to determine how to bring the war to a dignified end.”

Mr Zelenskyy’s team in the US is without his former chief of staff and lead negotiator, Andrii Yermak, as he quit on Friday after officials raided his home amid a corruption scandal.

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What do we know about Ukraine’s corruption scandal?

Tankers hit by ‘Sea Baby’ drones

Ukrainian drones were shown hitting two of Russia‘s so-called “shadow fleet” oil tankers in the Black Sea in footage released on Saturday.

Friday’s attack was carried out by the country’s security service and its navy, an official told Reuters. They said both ships “sustained critical damage” that took them out of service.

A security source told Associated Press that domestically-made “Sea Baby” drones were used.

The tankers were under sanctions and heading to a Russian port to load up with oil destined for foreign markets, the official said.

They have been identified as the Kairos and Virat.

The blasts hit tankers off Turkey's Black Sea coast. Pic: Turkish Directorate General for Maritime Affairs/Reuters
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The blasts hit tankers off Turkey’s Black Sea coast. Pic: Turkish Directorate General for Maritime Affairs/Reuters

Read more:
Who is Steve Witkoff, the property mogul seeking a peace deal?
Analysis: Trump’s peace plan had Russian fingerprints all over it

The 274m-long Kairos suffered an explosion and caught fire en route from Egypt to Russia on Friday, Turkey’s transport ministry said. The crew was evacuated.

The Virat was reportedly struck about 35 nautical miles offshore.

It was attacked by unmanned vessels and sustained minor damage to its starboard side, the Turkish ministry said.

Russia deploys a fleet of often ageing, uninsured and unmarked tankers to circumvent sanctions on its oil exports, which continue to help pay for the Ukraine war.

Another Ukrainian attack halted operations at an oil terminal near the Russian port of Novorossiysk on Saturday.

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Russian drone and missile attack hits Kyiv

Andriy Kovalenko, from Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, said special forces were responsible.

“Naval drones managed to destroy one of the three oil tanker berths of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium in the Novorossiysk area,” he wrote on Telegram.

Six killed in aerial attacks on Ukraine

Russia carried out another onslaught on the Ukrainian capital overnight into Saturday, firing 36 cruise and ballistic missiles and launching around 600 drones.

Officials said three people were killed in and around Kyiv, two in the Dnipropetrovsk region and one in a midday attack in Kherson region in the south.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 29 others were injured in Kyiv, largely due to falling debris from intercepted drones hitting buildings.

The attacks also hit Ukrainian energy facilities and left hundreds of thousands without power in the capital. Supplies have since been restored.

Targeting such infrastructure has become a familiar tactic from Russia over the winter, in what Ukraine officials say is the “weaponising” of the cold.

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Nasdaq crypto chief pledges to ‘move as fast as we can’ on tokenized stocks

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Nasdaq crypto chief pledges to ‘move as fast as we can’ on tokenized stocks

The US Nasdaq stock exchange is making SEC approval of its proposal to offer tokenized versions of stocks listed on the exchange a top priority, according to the exchange’s crypto chief.

“We’ll just move as fast as we can,” Nasdaq’s head of digital assets strategy, Matt Savarese, said during an interview with CNBC on Thursday, when asked whether the SEC could approve the proposal this year.

“I think what we have to really evaluate where the public comments come back in and then answer and respond to the SEC questions as they come through,” Savarese said. “We hope to kind of work with them as quickly as possible,” Savarese said.

Savarese says Nasdaq isn’t “upending the system”

The proposal, submitted by Nasdaq on Sept. 8, is requesting to allow investors to buy and sell stock tokens — digital representations of shares in publicly traded companies — on the exchange.

Savarese emphasized that Nasdaq is not trying to overhaul the way stocks are invested in when asked whether he expects other major exchanges to follow suit.

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Nasdaq’s head of digital assets, Matt Savarese, spoke to CNBC on Thursday. Source: CNBC

“We’re not looking at upending the system; we want everyone to come along for that ride and bring tokenization more into the mainstream,” he said.

“We want to do it in that responsible investor-led way first, under the SEC rules themselves,” he added.

It was only in October that Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said that tokenization will “eventually eat the whole financial system.”

The crypto industry is divided on tokenized equities

Savarese emphasized that Nasdaq is aiming to be an innovator in the ecosystem, noting that the exchange was the first to transition markets from paper-based trading to electronic systems.

Related: DATs bring crypto’s insider trading problem to TradFi: Shane Molidor

Tokenizing stocks has been one of the most significant talking points in the crypto industry this year.

On Sept. 3, Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz said the company became the first Nasdaq-listed company to tokenize its equity on a major blockchain following its launch on the Solana network.

The conversation around tokenized equities has also drawn skepticism from the crypto industry.

On Oct. 1, Rob Hadick, general partner at crypto venture firm Dragonfly, told Cointelegraph that tokenized equities will be a significant benefit to traditional markets, but may not be a boon to the crypto industry as others have predicted.

Hadick said that if tokenized stocks use layer-2 networks, it creates “leakage” as value and may not flow back to Ethereum or the broader crypto ecosystem as much as hoped.

Magazine: When privacy and AML laws conflict: Crypto projects’ impossible choice