Hassans joins the quest to decrypt the myths of cryptocurrencies

Hassans joined KPMG last week in hosting over 140 local and international delegates to take a detailed look at the burgeoning crypto-currency industry. The event was held at the luxurious Sunborn Hotel in Gibraltar, and saw contributors flying in from across the globe. The session was spent understanding the opportunities offered by crytocurrencies and discussing the associated issues of taxation, regulation, and security.

After welcome addresses from Micky Swindale, MD of KPMG Gibraltar, and Albert Isola, Minister for Financial Services and eGaming, the opening presentation was delivered by Jon Matonis, Founding Director of the Bitcoin Foundation. He was followed by Eric Benz, from the Isle of Man based crypto merchant services provider GoCoin (who also co-sponsored the event) and Miles Paschini, Group President of Wave Crest, a Gibraltar based payments company. Archie Watt, Head of eBusiness at KPMG, then moderated a Q&A session on the topic.

The day’s sessions continued with more senior international contributors in the second half of the afternoon. Sian Jones, founder of COINsult and a well-respected industry figure in the EU, presented on the global regulatory landscape. Konrads Smelkovs, an ethical hacker from KPMG UK, then presented on ‘How to be Crypto-Secure’, before a second Q&A session moderated by Anthony Provasoli, Partner of sponsor and international law firm Hassans. The panels also benefitted from expert contributions from Sandra Skuszka, Head of VAT at KPMG, and Tom Robinson, Co-founder of Elliptic and a board member of the UK Digital Currency Association. The afternoon was rounded off with drinks and canapés provided by Hassans.

Managing Director of KPMG Gibraltar, Micky Swindale, commented on the event:

“The overwhelming message from the day’s speakers was that the opportunities in this space are massive, and that Gibraltar could really benefit as a result of its strength in the eBusiness marketplace. The response from delegates was fantastic, and we are extremely excited about where this space is going.”

Tony Provasoli, Senior Partner at lead event sponsor Hassans, also commented:

“We were very keen to hold this event in partnership with KPMG because this industry could very easily become the ‘next eGaming’. It is of extreme importance to us as a jurisdiction that we stay abreast of the technology’s development – as well as the tax, regulation, and security issues surrounding this opportunity so that we can be prepared – in order to ensure Gibraltar does not miss out on this global trend.”