We headed back to New York less than a month removed from FinTech week, to once again attend an Empire Startups event. The focus of this meetup was Blockchain — and anyone who’s been in the FinTech orbit over the last couple of years knows how hot that is.

The four person panel couldn’t have represented a more insightful collection of the bleeding-edge personalities in blockchain. They included Charles Moore, President of Global Debt Registry, Hanna Zubco, Co-Founder & CEO of IntellectEU, Ian Ferreira, Founder of Liquid Mortgage, and Matthew Trudeau, President of Tradewind Markets.

The discussion (moderated by BBC contributor Diane Brady) covered everything from the digitization of precious metal value to mortgages and credit delivered through the blockchain. The discussion was lively, and the audience was engaged with what the panelists had to say.

I found that one of the more interesting topics dealt with the visibility of blockchain technology. Should the public know they’re interacting with the blockchain or should it run silently in the background? While the moderator played the role of devil’s advocate, the consensus of the panel was firm — blockchain should run invisibly.

Like plumbing, the panelists believed there was no practical reason for people to know what was going on behind the scenes. It only served to distort the practicality of the new technology. On the other hand, when it came to investors all panelists agreed employing the word “blockchain” in the current market was a great way to raise some funding from hyped-up investors.

This Empire Startups meetup was a great opportunity to take a peek behind the curtains of some of FinTech’s most exciting technology. The next meetup is in San Francisco on May 9th  and will focus on RegTech and the future of compliance and innovation. We’re excited to both sponsor and attend this meetup — see you there!

About Zafin

Zafin (@zafin) is a leading financial technology provider that enables banks to form richer, more personalized client relationships. Built from the ground up for financial services, its platform empowers banks to enhance revenue and operational efficiency. Founded in 2002, Zafin sits among North America’s top FinTech companies, and is trusted by retail and corporate units at some of the largest banks worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto with global offices, Zafin has a proven track record with a 100 percent client retention rate as validation.

Cam Smith

Cam is the Digital Communications and Marketing Coordinator at Zafin. With a background in journalism and a passion for blogging, Cam strives to tell compelling digital stories. At Zafin he will share the latest trends and news in the FinTech world, and share Zafin’s role as leader in the industry. Follow him on Twitter @CamSmoth