We are adding an additional date for UXNight: The Blockchain and will announce the lineup very soon. Day 2 will be on January 18th at Cloudflare. Stay tuned for details!
-------
Cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies are drastically transforming our economy and making it easier to anonymize purchases and improve the security of technology.
For this UXNight, we'll teach you all about the different types of Blockchain technologies, cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, ICOs, and more. We'll also talk about tokens, security laws, utility vs. security, raising money, and examine the value of data.
More content to be added! Stay tuned!
Day 1:
January 17, 2018
Venue TBA
"How Blockchain Works"
with Sloane Brakeville, Founder of FR8 and Formerly Blockchain Specialist at IBM
PRESENTATION WITH SLIDES
Before diving into blockchain systems design, it's important to have a grasp of how money and contracts work, historically speaking. In this presentation, Sloane Brakeville will teach you how currency is established, how money works, basic terminology relating to the blockchain, about contracts, securities, and then we'll hand the mic over to Nisa to teach everyone about Ethereum.
"Designing Decentralized Applications"
with Nisa Andrews, Product Designer at Uber
& Independent Decentralized Apps Designer
PRESENTATION WITH SLIDES + CASE STUDIES
For this UXNight, designer Nisa Andrews will teach us about Ethereum, how blockchain works, and she'll show us the difference in systems architecture when designing for a blockchain app. Nisa will also showcase case studies of Decentralized Apps she's worked on including WeTrust and PayEthForward.
You'll learn about terms like distributed ledgers, initial coin offerings, how companies are raising millions of dollars in seconds, and the token system. You'll also learn how this new system design works in the favor of individuals instead of corporations.
"Branding a Cryptocurrency Company"
with Hana Kelley, Visual Designer at Ripple
FIRESIDE CHAT WITH SLIDES + EXAMPLES
Hana Kelley is a Visual Designer at Ripple, a frictionless way to send money globally using the power of blockchain. Banks and payment providers are utilizing Ripple's digital asset, XRP, to further reduce their costs and access new markets.
Since joining in February 2015, Hana designed Ripple's branding from the ground up. She defined the visual style library, user interfaces, icons, branding for events, marketing collateral, and even environmental graphics.
In this talk, Hana will show us examples of her work, how she designed the logo and brand for Ripple's suite of products including Swell, xCurrent, xRapid, xVia, and RippleNet.
"The Blockchain: Skepticism, Fraud and ICOs."
with John Adams, Security Engineer + Hacktivist
and Michael Zargham, PhD, Founder of BlockScience
PANEL DISCUSSION
There's so much skepticism about blockchain, yet why are VC's investing billions into the industry? Is blockchain a conspiracy? Can you make money from nothing? What about hackers? We are here to discuss all of these topics with security expert and hacktivist, John Adams and Michael Zargham, Founder of Blockscience, a technical research and analytics firm for blockchain.
Speaker Bios
Sloane Brakeville, Founder of FR8
Former Blockchain Specialist at IBM
Sloane Brakeville is currently at Fr8, a company building solutions for the freight industry on the blockchain. Previously he was a blockchain specialist at IBM, working with Fortune 500 companies to educate and build on blockchain opportunities in their industries.
Nisa Andrews, Product Designer at Uber and DApps Designer
Bio to be added
Hana Kelley, Visual Designer at Ripple
Hana Kelley is a Visual Designer at Ripple. She is responsible for helping shape the visual identity of the brand. Ripple provides one frictionless experience to send money globally using the power of blockchain. Banks and payment providers can use Ripple's digital asset, XRP, to further reduce their costs and access new markets.
John Adams, Security & Privacy Engineer & Activist
Founding member of Twitter's InfoSec Team
John Adams (@netik) is a security and privacy activist, and an independent consultant. He was the one of the founding members of Twitter’s operations team, and later, a founding member of Twitter’s Information Security team. He is also an independent security consultant and privacy advocate with over 25 years experience in Information Security, having had his start in security with the L0pht in the early 90’s.
In addition to this, he serves as a member of the Open Technology Fund Advisory Council and Rapid Response Team, supporting projects that empower world citizens to have access to modern communication channels that are free of restrictions.
He is a frequent speaker at universities, conferences, and is a contributor to publications on operations (O’Reilly Web Operations, O’Reilly Twitter API) and security (The Intercept, RSA Conference, Usenix LISA, Washington Post, Wired, and more.)
Michael Zargham, PhD, Founder and CEO of BlockScience
Michael Zargham, aka "Zargham", is the Founder and CEO of BlockScience, a research and analytics firm focused on socio-technical networks and economic systems engineering. BlockScience supports projects in domains from Advertising to Education to Supply Chains. His professional experience includes architecting data and decision systems, and data science team building for Cross Media Works; he holds a PhD in systems engineering from the University of Pennsylvania with a focus on decentralized algorithms, coordinated decision making and emergent properties in networks.
FAQs
What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event?
There is street parking and nearby garages available in Downtown San Francisco
Where is this event located?
This event will be at a central San Francisco location that is easy to access. We will select a venue based on the number of attendees who register.
How can I contact the organizer with any questions?
Email Andi Galpern at andi@cascadesf.com
What's the refund policy?
All tickets are final sale, non-refundable and available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
*Prices for tickets are subject to change based on content value and availability.