# Reflections on Block15 and the Future of BGIN **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Tags:** block15\ **Created:** [November 1, 2026, 11:24am UTC](https://bgin.discourse.group/t/reflections-on-block15-and-the-future-of-bgin/1089 "2026-11-01T11:24:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JoeyNB\_COS](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/bgin.discourse.group/joeynb_cos/32/69_2.png) [@JoeyNB\_COS](https://bgin.discourse.group/u/JoeyNB_COS)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2026, 11:24am UTC](https://bgin.discourse.group/t/reflections-on-block15-and-the-future-of-bgin/1089/1 "2026-11-01T11:24:56Z")
Hi fellow BGIN’ers, I’ve taken some time to collect my thoughts on Block 15 and my time in DC. First, a sincere thank you to @Mitchell and @shinichiro.matsuo , and to the entire support team who made this Block and the ones before it possible. Block Meetings are not easy to design or run, so thank you a million times over. ## My Time with BGIN I’ve attended six Block Meetings since my first, Block 7 in Vancouver (November 2022), and I’ve been heavily involved throughout, across countless presentations, sessions and workshops. In November 2023, @Mitchell brought BGIN to Sydney for Block 9: a demanding four-day production that brought together representatives from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the USA, Switzerland, France and Canada. ## What We Changed After Block 9 We took significant lessons from Block 9 and, in parallel, redesigned several key elements of BGIN and its Block Meetings. A central goal was to standardize how Block Meetings are run, how they’re structured, and what they’re meant to produce. Our key hypotheses were: - Pair Block Meetings with major local events (DC Fintech Week, Tokyo Fintech Week) - Hold Block Meetings every six months (winter and summer) - Hold Block Meetings only in DC and Tokyo - Rely less on Local Session Chairs - Run 2–3 day intensives with two concurrent 1.5-hour workshops - Limit industry sessions - Focus workshops on BGIN’s own work We expected that pairing with major events, staying in DC and Tokyo, and relying less on Local Chairs would build a consistent cohort of participants, draw in attendees from the host event, and put more control back in BGIN’s hands. ## What Actually Happened These were ambitious changes, and worth trying. But looking back, most of the hypotheses haven’t played out as we expected: - **Intense, but thinly spread.** The two-day format is very demanding, and running concurrent sessions splits an already small group of attendees across two rooms. - **No local community.** We haven’t built a lasting community in DC or Tokyo. Most attendees differ from one meeting to the next, and many are attending for the first time. - **No lift from the host events.** Pairing with major local events hasn’t brought any noticeable increase in attendance. - **Declining industry participation.** Industry involvement has dropped, and so has net sponsorship. - **Heavy reliance on two people.** Without Local Chairs, Block Meetings depend entirely on @Mitchell and @shinichiro.matsuo just to run, let alone succeed. - **Constant effort to fill seats.** We labor over sending invitations every time, and online participation is limited and sparse. - **Too many workshops.** We run more workshops than our participation or output justifies. ## What I Think We Need Now With that in mind, here’s where I believe we should adjust course: 1. **Re-evaluate** how Block Meetings are operated and managed 2. **Reintroduce Local Chairs** and give them real ownership 3. **Add dedicated industry sessions** with a technical focus 4. **Reduce workshops** to two per working group 5. **Hold 20-minute paper/idea showcases** , three per hour 6. **Clearly define** what a Block Meeting is meant to produce 7. **Engage local universities** , aiming for students, faculty and researchers to make up more than 70% of attendees 8. **Remove the attendance paywall** until attendance reaches a new high Put simply, we need new people coming into BGIN, and we need the people who come to stay. ## Defining the Output of Block Meetings This is a critical question, and it goes hand in hand with defining what BGIN itself is. Broadly, we have two models to choose from: - **Academic conference:** more external paper showcases and academic participation; fewer workshops and less industry participation - **Standards conference:** more workshops and industry participation; fewer paper showcases and less academic participation The two overlap, but the experience, the discussions and the output would be quite different. We need to make this decision, and soon. Over a lively dinner with @shinichiro.matsuo and Shai Perednik from Galaxy, we discussed a hybrid direction: - **Block Meetings** run as academic conferences - **Working Group sessions** focus on standards, with industry input ## Further Recommendations I want to be honest: I haven’t been as involved as I could have been in my Working Group, in managing BGIN, or in running Block Meetings. I offer these thoughts with humility toward those who give so much more of their time. Alongside everything above, I’d add: - **Reinvigorate FASE.** We have fewer than a handful of active participants, despite working on several significant topics. - **Focus on producing industry standards** through our new pathway to ISO. - **Engage industry participants** around that ISO focus. - **Hold Steering Committee meetings consistently** , at a fixed time every week. ## Where I Want BGIN to Go BGIN has played a significant role in my life over the past four years. I’ve made countless friends, written on a range of topics and contributed in many ways. I’ll keep doing what I can, primarily through FASE. Ultimately, I want: - BGIN to grow in intellectual capital, influence and output - Our standards to be genuinely adopted across the industry - BGIN to be _the_ standards organization for blockchain - Block Meetings full of contributions, with dozens per session - Students and faculty to make up the majority of Block Meeting participants Thanks for reading. I’d love to hear your thoughts.