Global crypto platform will be title sponsor of eMerge Americas

Blockchain.com CEO Peter Smith also reflects on Blockchain’s move to Miami and aggressive hiring plans

Just six months ago,  Blockchain.com was the first major crypto company to announce it was relocating its U.S. headquarters from New York City to Miami. The global cryptocurrency platform that has surpassed $1 trillion in transactions is currently in temporary offices in Brickell but will be moving into a new headquarters in Wynwood next year and is aiming to hire 250 more people, said Blockchain.com’s co-founder and CEO Peter Smith, now a Miami resident.

Today, Smith announced Blockchain.com was taking its commitment to Miami to another level, and will be the title sponsor of  eMerge Americas, Miami Tech’s premier conference that is taking place April 18-19 during Miami Tech Week.

“It’s important for us to be partners in the local community and one of the things we really want to support here is the convening of technology in Miami,” Smith said on Wednesday, closing out the two-day La Casa event put on by eMerge Americas, Florida Funders and Carve Communications that celebrated the #MiamiTech community’s beginnings, its momentum of the past year, and what is shaping its future. “We’re excited to back [eMerge Americas] event in April in a huge way. We’re excited to invest in the entire eMerge community, and we’re really excited about the work we are going to do together to make Miami a convening spot around the world for technology companies.”

The sponsorship comes as Miami aims to become a crypto hub, and Blockchain.com strengthens its commitment to Miami and Latin America. Fittingly, the sponsorship support will be delivered in Bitcoin.

Merge Americas, which brought its first annual conference to Miami in 2014, plans to bring together government, higher education, startups, investors and corporations for its 2022 conference at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Smith will give a keynote talk on the event’s main stage. In addition, every registered attendee will receive a crypto bonus in their Blockchain.com Wallet.

 “We have such big ideas and it’s our first-ever title sponsor – it’s a big deal,” said Melissa Medina, President of eMerge Americas, which in 2019 attracted more than 16,000 attendees from 40 countries and over 3,900 participating organizations. “Our mission is to build a thriving tech ecosystem here and I think this sponsorship is going to go a long way. This is all about building a community and building a forward-thinking innovative future for our ecosystem.”

During the Cafecito Talk with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez during eMerge Americas’ La Casa event, Suarez called Smith “a special friend who has really gone all-in on our ecosystem’s belief in our crypto future” and said he can’t wait to cut the ribbon for the new 600-employee headquarters in Wynwood.

Blockchain.com got its start in a small York, England apartment a decade ago and is now $5 billion business. This summer, the company surpassed $1 trillion in transactions on its platform, and Blockchain now serves over 36 million verified users in 200+countries – a 3X increase in the year. Blockchain employs hundreds of people around the world and will do a couple billion in revenue this year, Smith said.

The 32-year-old CEO reflected on his company’s decision to make Miami its US hub, the first of a number of crypto exchanges and funds to announce relocations or expansions to the Magic City. “You can talk about the great weather or the awesome people or the energy of the Miami tech scene, but for us it came down to the simple fact that it is a lot more fun to be a part of a community and building somewhere that shares your vision of what the future looks like,” Smith said. “The passion for cryptocurrency in Miami is unmatched anywhere else in the United States.”

Smith was convinced that Miami was a movement, not a moment, when the world opened up again, everyone stayed. “That means you hit on something really, really special.”

Likening the tech events of this week to SXSW – what many are calling “Tech Basel” – Suarez added, “I now feel that Art Basel has become something even bigger than Art Basel.”

Blockchain’s regional hiring plans include the need for another 250 people in Miami.  “If you want to be one of those 250 people working at Blockchain Miami, you can email me at [email protected], ” he told the audience.

Stay tuned to Refresh for more highlights of La Casa and other Tech Basel events this week. Follow @ndahlberg on Twitter and email her at [email protected]

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Nancy Dahlberg