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The Scoop

This Thursday I had the pleasure of attending the opening night/ ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Chicago Blockchain Center (CBC). The CBC, in essence, is a collaborative office that is promoting the blockchain via legislation efforts, education, & start-up mentorship. My buddy Sam (guy on the right) really helped spark my interest in crypto & was the one who told me about this event. Here is the EXCITING part: Even with all that has happened in the world of blockchain we are STILL @ ground zero. So many advancements have happened that I think many of us forget how young this technology really is. Even if none of us make a fortune from the adaptation of the blockchain, I feel privileged to know people like Sam & to be part of Steemit & the crypto community as a whole. We are the ones who saw the vast potential of this technology, while others scoffed.

Who I Met

I had the pleasure of meeting a number of interesting figures in the blockchain community, but I really enjoyed the conversation I had with the co-founders of DNotes (DNotes is a newer digital currency that is traded on Poloniex & a handful of other exchanges). What I took away from my conversation with founders Alan Yong & Tim Goggin, is that DNotes is in this fight for the long-run. Similar to Ethereum, DNotes is investing in its platform & currency's ability to be applied to a range of different uses. Here are two really cool features that are unique to DNotes: 1) DNotes is being developed entirely in C# (C-sharp for all of us non-programmers). 2) The currency is backed by actual holdings in it's for profit companies that act as support beams. What this means, to me @ least, is that this particular digital currency could have a vey long & prosperous journey ahead of it.

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Why It's a Big Deal

The opening of the CBC is just one more example of blockchain's acceptance in mainstream society. For example, the creation & opening of the CBC was sponsored by CME Group (Chicago Mercantile Exchange). When heavy-hitters with no previous affiliation start to step in, we know that this thing is picking up some true momentum. The CBC is also making great progress with Illinois lawmakers...with any luck these political advances will continue to advance & spark other legislation campaigns.

To Conclude

I am really lucky to have attended this event, I met some interesting people and witnessed just how much support & enthusiasm is building up behind blockchain tech. The comradery that I enjoyed really acted as a reminder of just how huge this thing is going to be & how fortunate I am to play my small role in it. SHOUTOUT to all my brothers in crypto, you guys rock, keep up the good work.

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