Steve Vallas has been appointed into the role of Chief Executive Officer of Blockchain Australia, effective from 1 July 2020. Vallas replaces Nick Giurietto, who led Blockchain Australia and its predecessor the Australian Digital Currency Association (ADCA) since early 2016.
Vallas joins Blockchain Australia as CEO at a turning point in the Australian, and broader blockchain industry. Following the launch of the Australian National Blockchain Roadmap by the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources in February 2020, Vallas is confident that the future is positive. Commenting on next steps for the Roadmap, Vallas said to Bits of Blocks that:
The future development of the National Blockchain Roadmap will be a consultative process that seeks out and brings together feedback from industry, education and the startup sectors. This is an incredible opportunity for community members and stakeholders to be heard.
Vallas also speaks to the strength and resilience of the Australian blockchain community, and his belief that the sector has the capacity to continue to grow into the future. Speaking on developing this capacity, Vallas identifies developing confidence in the sector as a key priority for Blockchain Australia going forward, saying:
The promise of the Blockchain industry is extraordinarily expansive, but before we build out that capability we require renewed focus on establishing confidence. Confidence in our vision, confidence in the regulatory frameworks that underpin this emergent technology and confidence in the people and organisations that will drive the uptake in this space.
Giurietto leaves behind a legacy of achievements for the Australian blockchain industry from his work with both ADCA and more recently, Blockchain Australia, including:
launching the Australian Digital Currency Industry Code of Conduct;
partnering with Quest Events to make the APAC Blockchain Conference Australia’s premier blockchain event;
forming the Parliamentary Friends of Blockchain and taking advocates for blockchain technology to Parliament House each year to directly demonstrate both the passion and insight of the Australian blockchain community to our political leaders;
working with Austrade to take Australian blockchain delegations to New York, Shanghai, Taipei and Dubai and helping link them in to commercial opportunities in all those places;
driving the merger of ADCA and Blockchain Australia to ensure that the Australian blockchain community speaks with one strong voice;
launching the Australian Blockchain Industry Awards to recognise and celebrate the incredible talents and achievements of Australian blockchain innovators;
working with four successive Ministers for Industry and Innovation to advocate for Australia to develop a national strategy for blockchain adoption – a vision that was ultimately realised with the launch in February of the National Blockchain Roadmap.
Speaking on the future for the industry, Giurietto said:
The next few years will see a building wave of blockchain-based innovation that will transform our society and make us a stronger and fairer place for our citizens in the decades ahead
We congratulate Steve on his well deserved appointment, and look forward to working with him to promote the adoption of Blockchain technology in Australia.