As economies digitalise, over-centralised platforms create systemic cyber, operational, and climate risks - while many blockchain experiments remain speculative and poorly governed. This session brings together global research and regional industry perspectives to examine how blockchain can overcome these challenges and serve as the best foundation for organising decentralised mainstream societies.
In the first part, Bill Roscoe, Director of the University College Oxford Blockchain Research Centre, draws on his new book Understanding Decentralised Systems and the work of his Digital Civilisation project. He addresses the inefficiencies and governance challenges that have kept blockchain from mainstream adoption, and makes the case that the very qualities which make it ideal for cryptocurrency also make it the best way to organise decentralised mainstream societies.
The second part, presented by members of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) Blockchain Committee, offers a timely snapshot of where blockchain stands today in Australia. The panel explores adoption across finance, supply chains, digital identity, and the creative economy, alongside regulatory developments, ecosystem challenges, and opportunities for innovation and growth.
Together, both parts provide attendees with a practical and forward-looking view of what is needed to strengthen capability, collaboration, and global competitiveness in this rapidly evolving technology sector.