Registration is Now Live for Meridian 2020

September is finally here, and we want to start the new month with exciting news. Registration is now live for Meridian! Head to the Meridian website to register and see the first of our speakers and sessions.

Outdated infrastructure, financial marginalization, inequality and more all on top of a global pandemic – 2020 has proven to be a stark reminder of the challenges people face around the world and a clarion call for action. With Meridian, we bring together leading thinkers and developers from around the world, to show that, while we may each live and experience the world and its challenges differently, our varied perspectives bring the strength to create sustainable solutions.

As registration begins, we’d like to share more about the themes we’ll be exploring at Meridian. Top-of-mind for us is how innovation can drive social and economic change. It can solve important problems, like access to information or the financial system, but it can also present new questions, like how to manage privacy, security, and compliance. We will tackle these questions in sessions like how tech can solve real world challenges, why CBDCs and stablecoins can and will co-exist, and more.

When we consider how innovation impacts society as a whole, how do we ensure progress is inclusive? We’ll examine how inclusion promotes economic development and growth, along with what happens when there are gaps in the system. Joining us for this conversation on inclusion is a very special guest – President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and first elected female head of state in Africa. She is best known for her work to ensure women have full financial and political participation, earning her the Nobel Peace Prize.

Widespread change can often only be implemented at a foundational level, which means special attention must be paid to policy and governance. Meridian will devote time to what is needed in terms of international collaboration and cooperation from governments, central banks, and other institutions to enact solutions. Discussions will explore how one might navigate blockchain’s regulatory future amongst other topics.

Just as the Stellar network started as an idea that grew to be supported by an ecosystem of thousands, our goal for Meridian is to start conversations that will build towards action throughout our global ecosystem. Few individuals are as well-versed to speak on the power of connection as our guest speaker, Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and partner at Greylock Partners. An accomplished entrepreneur, executive, and investor, Hoffman has played an integral role in building many of today’s leading consumer technology businesses. Together, we’ll discuss building economic communities that depend on one another and deliver products and services, like equitable financial services, that empower every day users.

These are only a few of the topics we’ll explore at Meridian. We’re excited to share more information on upcoming sessions and speakers over the next few weeks. Clear your calendars for Nov. 16-20 and be sure to register for Meridian 2020: Global Connections to Solve Real World Challenges.

We hope to see you there.