Highlights from the ‘Mastercard 255 To The Moon’ conference: Blockchain, NFTs, Web3, and the metaverse

Author: Rok Žontar

The ‘Mastercard 255 To The Moon’ conference, held in Planica, focused on the latest trends in blockchain, NFTs, Web3, and the metaverse. The event brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and tech enthusiasts to discuss these revolutionary technologies. In this article, we will highlight the key takeaways from the conference and explore how these technologies are shaping the future of business and society.

Planica: Blending Sports with Technology

Jožko Križan from the Ski Association of Slovenia (Sloski) kicked off day one by presenting the Planica NFT 2023 project, building on the success of the previous project called ‘Planica NFT Ski Jumpers Collection 2022’.

The Planica Vita NFT Collection 2023 showcases how blockchain technology is entering the world of sports. Vita NFTs comprise a limited collection of 1.000 unique digital tokens. Each token has distinct utilities and benefits for its owner, celebrating the enchanting story of Vita, the extraordinary heron with an affinity for Nordic sports.

The conference proceeded with several panel discussions and keynote addresses, covering a broad range of topics. One of the first panels delved into how governments and countries transition from Web2 to Web3, featuring Nena Dokuzov from the Slovenian Ministry of Economy, Tourism, and Sport, Andreas Hamnes from the Norwegian Business Register Center, and Judit Hidalgo from Andora Business.

The panel, moderated by Tanja Bivic Plankar, president of the Blockchain Alliance Europe (BAE), explored the role of governments in integrating and deploying advanced digital technologies, the implications for the economy and citizens, and the potential use cases for blockchain and Web3 principles.

In addition to major contributions to the wider adoption of these technologies from Norway and Andorra, the panelists also discussed Slovenia’s pioneering role in launching NFTs for the Dubai Expo 2020 and its first-ever Conference of Parties (COP) held in the metaverse.

Mastercard in the Crypto Space

Planica, known as the valley of world championships in ski jumping and cross-country skiing, recently hosted the two-day ‘Mastercard 255 To The Moon’ conference. The event focused on blockchain, NFTs, Web3, and the metaverse. It brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and tech enthusiasts to discuss various aspects of these revolutionary technologies.

As the legendary basketball player Dino Rađa said during the conference, “The world is developing. You have to accept new things.” This article provides an overview of some of the key moments and takeaways from the conference regarding blockchain, NFTs, Web3, and the metaverse.

Mastercard’s Senior VP Fintech and Crypto Enablement Europe, Christian Rau, presented a keynote address discussing the company’s views on cryptocurrency and its engagement in the space. He highlighted Mastercard’s efforts to democratize cryptocurrency transactions worldwide, giving the audience a glimpse into the future of digital payments.

In the digital asset space, Mastercard continues to adhere to the principles that have propelled them to be a leading global player in the digital payments industry. They state that in order for cryptocurrency to go more mainstream, it will have to resemble traditional finance more closely, deliver consumer value, reduce uncertainty, and protect its users.

Several other panels had interesting discussions between cryptocurrency advocates, fintech representatives, and representatives of the traditional banking sector. The participants engaged in thoughtful conversations on the current and potential integration of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology into traditional financial systems.

These discussions provided valuable insights into the potential role of these technologies in shaping the future of payments, as well as the opportunities and challenges in achieving mass adoption of cryptocurrencies.

Investment Opportunities in Web3

A notable highlight of the first day was also a panel on investment opportunities in Web3. The panel featured Jack O’Connor from Algorand Foundation, Vedran Vukman from Revuto, Matjaz Hirsman from Reef.io, and Gregor Novak from SunContract. The panel was moderated by Dr. Jane Thomason from the World Metaverse Council, a respected thought leader in blockchain and web3 and a strong advocate for the empowerment of women in these areas.

The panel highlighted that there are many opportunities in investing in Web3, but also many risks. Therefore, education is key for everyone. For each individual project, it’s important to look at what they offer, whether there is a practical or real benefit to their project, and whether their way of working is sustainable. Find out as much information as possible, including who is on the team and their backgrounds. “And even if everything is and looks ok,” the participants agreed, “some projects go to zero.”

In an insightful discussion, Gregor Novak, CEO and co-founder of Suncontract, provided a sneak peek into the company’s NFTs and NFT Marketplace, which is set to launch in 2023. He stated that “everything can be tokenized in the future,” indicating a significant shift in the way we perceive ownership and value in the digital era.

AI and the Future of the Metaverse

The second day of the ‘Mastercard 255 To The Moon’ conference began with a recap of the first day, followed by a keynote address from Harayuki Seki of The Digital Agency of Japan. He spoke about Japan’s DAO initiatives towards the sound development of Web3.0.

The day continued with a panel discussion on the future of the metaverse. Panelists included Magnus Jones, Nordic Blockchain & Innovation Lead at EY Tax & Law, Dr. Jane Thomason from the World Metaverse Council, and Riccardo Zanini from The Nemesis. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Urška Starc Peceny from Arctur, who presented the Tourism 4.0 ecosystem and some of its projects.

Tourism 4.0 is a global initiative that represents a shift in thinking. It places the local community at the center of the tourism ecosystem, which also includes tourists, tourist service providers, and the government. The initiative aims to unlock the innovation potential of the entire tourism sector, creating enriched tourist experiences through the use of new technologies.

During the panel, there was also a discussion about the benefits of creating digital twins of real cities within the metaverse of MetaWorldX, such as a digital twin of Toronto. Digital twins of cities provide numerous solutions in various industries, such as smart cities, infrastructure, real estate, health, events, and resorts.

By providing real-time data and virtual representations of physical assets, digital twins enable informed decision-making in city planning, performance monitoring for critical infrastructure, and immersive 1:1 scale models for real estate presentations.

Of course, the conference wouldn’t be complete without mentioning recent disruptions and developments in the field of AI. Mitja Jermol from the Department of Artificial Intelligence at the Jozef Stefan Institute delivered fascinating insights on this topic, discussing the status and consequences of recent developments in artificial intelligence.

Conclusion

In summary, the ‘Mastercard 255 to the Moon’ conference offered a comprehensive exploration of blockchain, NFTs, Web3, and the metaverse. The event provided valuable insights and discussions on the role of governments, businesses, and individuals in embracing and shaping the future of these technologies.

Additionally, attendees enjoyed ski flights in Planica, where the current record holder is Ryoyu Kobayashi at a staggering 252 meters. If not sooner, we will definitely see the 255 meters record broken in the metaverse one day.