IDACB Readies the Asian Blockchain Roadshow

Cryptocurrency is a market that’s faced with rapid change and perhaps more than its share of trouble. Trying to take this market mainstream, meanwhile, is proving to be a challenge in and of itself. Greater awareness is likely hoped to help clear up some misconceptions and help drive new operations, and the folks at the International Decentralized Association on Cryptocurrency and Blockchain (IDACB) dropped word our way about plans to help spread awareness with its upcoming Asian Blockchain Roadshow.

The numbers demonstrate quite clearly why this show is taking place; in 2017, around $5 billion was invested on initial coin offerings (ICOs), and so far, a report from Coindesk says that just the first three months of 2018 were enough to almost match all of last year’s investment at $4.8 billion.

If that pace holds for 2018, investment in ICOs will be nearly four times that of 2017’s figures, and given that we’ve already seen enough ICOs launch to represent 60 percent of 2017’s count, there’s every reason to believe this will hold.

Thus, the IDACB’s World Blockchain Roadshow was born, and the tour will swing through several Asian nations. Twenty different Asian capitals are on tap, including Brunei, Macau, Manila, Singapore, Tokyo and more. Even Hong Kong is on the list, and given the reaction to cryptocurrency from the Chinese government recently, such a move may be either particularly welcome or particularly hated, depending on who you talk to. Representatives from 14 different countries will be showing off during this event.

Given the reaction to cryptocurrency in Asian countries of late—particularly India and China—it’s not surprising that the IDACB would have an interest in spreading the word about crypto in a fashion that doesn’t make everyone think it’s nothing but a haven for thugs. Trying to break some of those misconceptions would be the first step toward driving mainstream operations, particularly in those countries that have already staged bans, partial or otherwise.

The IDACB’s show might be a real help in mainstreaming cryptocurrency, and hopefully, we’ll see some relaxing of the rules in China and India soon, along with some further boosts in places like South Korea and beyond.