Another blockchain conference heads to Hong Kong amid city’s concerted push for crypto hub status

Chainlink will host its annual SmartCon in Hong Kong this October, an announcement that comes after CoinDesk said it is bringing Consensus to the city next year

InvestHK and the Hong Kong Tourism Board courted both companies as the city aims to become a major destination for the crypto industry and revive tourism

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Visitors attending the Web3Hub and Blockchain Labs during the Hong Kong Web3 Festival in Wan Chai on April 14, 2023. Photo: SCMP / Yik Yeung-man

Published: 7:00am, 15 Mar 2024

US blockchain firm Chainlink is bringing its annual conference to Hong Kong this year at the invitation of the local government, the second major Web3 event to recently announce such a move amid the major financial market’s effort to become a cryptocurrency hub.

Chainlink’s SmartCon, held last year in Barcelona, Spain, will take place in Hong Kong on October 30 and 31, the blockchain infrastructure company announced on Friday.

San Francisco-based Chainlink, founded in 2014, is one of the world’s biggest operators of blockchain oracles, which is software that helps firms develop applications on distributed ledgers to connect smart contracts to data from external systems.

“Our commitment to establishing Hong Kong as Asia’s premier Web3 hub was very well-received by the participants [of last year’s SmartCon] with overwhelming response,” said Undersecretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Joseph Chan Ho-lim. “We are thrilled that Chainlink recognises this potential and has chosen to bring SmartCon 2024 to our vibrant city.”

InvestHK, a government agency responsible for attracting foreign direct investment, and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), were both involved in bringing SmartCon to the city. It comes after the organisations successfully courted CoinDesk to bring over its Consensus conference.

Consensus is one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency-themed conferences. The organiser, US crypto media outlet CoinDesk, announced last week that next year’s conference would be held in Hong Kong.