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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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Belichick dispels Giants talk, reaffirms UNC focus

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Belichick dispels Giants talk, reaffirms UNC focus

North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said Friday he will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies after his name surfaced in connection with the vacant New York Giants job.

After the Giants fired Brian Daboll on Monday, Belichick became the subject of speculation around the opening. In a statement posted on Instagram, Belichick said, “Despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.”

Before coming to college coaching, Belichick spent his entire career in the NFL — winning six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.

But he won two Super Bowls with the Giants as a defensive coordinator under Bill Parcells in the 1986 and 1990 seasons.

“I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families. The New York Giants played an important role in my life and in my coaching journey. It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach Parcells’ staff for over a decade.”

Belichick is in his first season with North Carolina, which has won two straight games to bring its record to 4-5. He was asked during his news conference Tuesday about the speculation concerning the Giants and he reiterated he was focused on Saturday’s game against Wake Forest.

The statement Friday also reiterated his commitment to North Carolina, saying that has not wavered.

“We have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community. My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop our players, and build a program that makes Tar Heel fans proud,” Belichick said.

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‘Last Chance U’ coach Beam dies after being shot

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'Last Chance U' coach Beam dies after being shot

OAKLAND, Calif. — Celebrated former football coach John Beam, who was featured in the Netflix series “Last Chance U” that showcased the connections he made with players others wouldn’t gamble on, has died after being shot on the college campus where he worked, the Oakland Police Department said Friday.

The suspect, who police say knew and targeted Beam, 66, has been arrested.

Beam’s death a day after he was shot at Laney College rattled the community with scores holding a vigil outside the hospital before he died and remembering him as someone who always tried to help anyone.

Oakland Assistant Chief James Beere said the suspect went on campus for a “specific reason” but did not elaborate on what that was. “This was a very targeted incident,” he said.

Beere did not say how Beam and the suspect knew each other but said the suspect was known to loiter around the Laney campus. The suspect had played football at a high school where Beam had worked but not at the time the coach was employed there.

The suspect was taken into custody without any altercation and a gun has been recovered, the assistant chief added. Charges were still pending.

Authorities credited technology, specifically cameras at the college campus, private residences and on public transit, in tracking the suspect identified as Cedric Irving Jr.

Irving was arrested without incident at a commuter rail station in Oakland just after 3 a.m. on Friday and police recovered the gun. He was being held at a local jail on charges of murder and carrying a concealed weapon, according to Alameda County’s inmate locator. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday morning. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Irving’s brother, Samuael Irving, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he was stunned to learn of the arrest and that his brother excelled academically and athletically in high school, where he ran track and played football. The brother said Cedric grew distant from the family in recent years after an argument with their father. Irving recently lost his job as a security guard after an altercation, his brother said, and then was evicted from his apartment.

“I hope it isn’t him,” Samuael Irving said quietly. “The Cedric I knew wasn’t capable of murder – but the way things had been going, I honestly don’t know.”

Police said the shooting happened Thursday before noon, and officers arrived to find Beam shot. Few other details were available. It was the second shooting in two days at a school in Oakland.

The Netflix docuseries focused on athletes at junior colleges striving to turn their lives around, and Beam’s Laney College Eagles starred in the 2020 season. Beam gambled on players nobody else wanted. He developed deep relationships with his players while fielding a team that regularly competed for championships.

Beam’s family said in a statement that he was a “loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, coach, mentor and friend.”

“Our hearts are full from the outpouring of love,” the family said, requesting privacy.

Piedmont Police Chief Fred Shavies, who previously served as a deputy chief in the Oakland Police Department, said he was a friend, mentee and longtime admirer of Beam.

“John was so much more than a coach,” he said. “He was a father figure to thousands of not only men but young women in our community.”

Shavies said that he met Beam when he was in the eighth grade and that he supported him after Shavies lost his father in high school, calling him “an absolutely incredible human being.” He asked how Beam left his mark on so many people “with just 24 hours in a day, right?”

Two of Beam’s former players — brothers Nahshon and Rejzohn Wright, now in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints — posted on social media after the shooting.

“You mean the world to me,” Rejzohn Wright said in a post with a photo of Beam.

His brother shared a photo of the coach alongside a broken heart emoji.

Mayor Barbara Lee described Beam as a “giant” in the city who mentored thousands of young people, including her own nephew, and “gave Oakland’s youth their best chance” at success.

“For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family,” Lee said.

Beam, who was serving as athletic director, joined Laney College in 2004 as a running backs coach and became head coach in 2012, winning two league titles. He retired from coaching in 2024 but stayed on at the school to shape its athletic programs. According to his biography on the college’s website, at least 20 of his players have gone on to the NFL.

Beam’s shooting came a day after a student was shot at Oakland’s Skyline High School. The student is in stable condition. Beam had previously worked at Skyline High School, and the suspect had played football there after Beam had already left for another job.

Lee said the back-to-back shootings on Oakland campuses demonstrate “the gun violence crisis playing out in real time.” She gave no indication that they were connected.

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AD: USC wants long-term benefits of equity deal

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AD: USC wants long-term benefits of equity deal

In a letter to the USC fan base Friday, athletic director Jen Cohen addressed the school’s stance on the pending Big Ten private capital deal that could infuse the conference with up to $2.4 billion.

“As we continue to evaluate the merits of this proposal or any others, our University leadership remains aligned in our stance that our fiduciary obligation to the University of Southern California demands we thoroughly evaluate any deals that could impact our long-term value and flexibility, no matter the short-term benefit,” Cohen said in the letter.

The proposed deal would extend the league’s grant of rights an extra 10 years to 2046 and create a new business entity, Big Ten Enterprises, that would house all leaguewide media rights and sponsorship deals. Each school, as well as the league office, would get shares of ownership of Big Ten Enterprises, while an investment fund that is tied to the University of California pension system would receive a 10% stake in the new entity in exchange for an infusion of over $2 billion to conference athletic departments.

USC and Michigan are the two Big Ten schools that have pushed back on the deal, which has otherwise been supported by a majority of the programs in the conference, as well as Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti.

In a call last month between USC and Michigan trustees, sources told ESPN’s Dan Wetzel that both programs were skeptical of the deal and talked about how it does not address the root issue — soaring costs — that has made cash so imperative for athletic departments. Just providing short-term money, sources said, does not solve that issue.

The schools also noted pending federal legislation that makes predicting the future of college athletics difficult, as well as a general apprehension about selling equity in a university asset — the conference media rights.

Beyond the potential impact to long-term value and flexibility in exchange for a “short-term benefit” that Cohen suggested (an extension to the grant of rights to 2046 could limit conference expansion and the departure of any programs, for example), she also noted in her letter that the $2.4 billion would be “unevenly distributed” among the schools and “create a tiered revenue distribution system moving forward.”

According to reporting from Wetzel and ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the exact equity amounts per school in Big Ten Enterprises are still being negotiated. There is expected to be a small gap in the percentage of the remaining equity among the schools that would favor the league’s biggest athletic brands, but it’s likely to be less than a percentage point. A tier system for initial payments is also expected, but with the lowest amount in the nine-figure range. Larger athletic departments could receive an amount above $150 million.

“We greatly value our membership in the Big Ten Conference and understand and respect the larger landscape,” Cohen said. “But we also recognize the power of the USC brand is far-reaching, deeply engaging, and incredibly valuable, and we will always fight first for what’s best for USC.”

The Big Ten is in the middle of a seven-year, $7 billion media rights package that runs through 2030. The money infusion is believed to be acutely needed at several Big Ten schools that are struggling to pay down debt on new construction and budgeting for direct revenue ($20.5 million this year and expected to rise annually) to athletes.

In a move that altered the college football landscape, USC left the Pac-12 and joined the Big Ten conference in 2024, alongside UCLA, Oregon and Washington, pushing the league to 18 members.

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