WEF 2022: Blockchain and digitization to take center stage at Davos

The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is scheduled to take place from May 22–26,  marking the first in-person WEF global leadership event since the pandemic began.

The annual meeting was first scheduled for January but was later turned into a virtual event in light of growing COVID-19 infections during the winter.

The Davos Agenda 2022 virtual event, which took place from January 17–21, 2022, saw major world leaders appeal for cooperation in tackling major global socioeconomic issues. Discussions during the virtual event revolved around global economic recovery, climate action, technological innovation and global collaboration.

A total of 300 world leaders are expected to attend the meeting along with hundreds of businesses and policymakers. Among the 300 governmental representatives, more than 50 leaders of state and government are expected to convey their vision for the globe. Over 1,250 private sector leaders, as well as nearly 100 Global Innovators and Technology Pioneers — the world's most promising tech and business start-ups — will be in attendance.

The emphasis is on developing impact tactics, establishing new frontiers, predicting plausible future economic scenarios and delivering ambitious answers to the world's most pressing problems. The World Economic Forum has stepped up its impact activities in the last two years, addressing everything from COVID-19 and climate change to education, technology and energy governance

WEF 2022: A watershed moment in history

The theme of the in-person global summit will be “Working Together, Restoring Trust,” which promises to bring world leaders to a single platform and help them shape partnerships and policies. 

The focus of the meeting is "History at a Crossroads: Government Policies and Business Strategies." It takes place amid the most pivotal geopolitical and geoeconomic crossroads in the last three decades, against the backdrop of a once-in-a-generation pandemic and open war in Eastern Europe. Some of the key items of the agenda include:

Pandemic recoveryTackling climate changeBuilding a better future for workAccelerating stakeholder capitalism

Blockchain and digitization and their subsequent impact on various global sectors will also be featured topics during the annual meeting, with discussions ranging from the emerging role of the decentralized finance market to how blockchain can be applied to eradicating world poverty. The Cointelegraph team will be on the ground to bring the latest updates from Davos.

WEF agenda focuses on the role of nascent tech in a socio-economic environment

The annual event would see Female Quotient launch their headquarters in the Metaverse. The team would also host an in-person Equality Lounge along with a Twin Lounge in Decentraland (MANA) to accommodate live as well as virtual guests.

Crypto industry leaders like Sam Bankman-Fried will present the environmental sustainability goals of Bitcoin to world leaders. The industry leaders will touch upon some of the most controversial and sensitive ESG topics during their discussion. The session is scheduled for Tuesday, May 24 between 5:30 pmand 10:15 pm UTC.

The role of decentralized finance in the future of governance will be another key event to watch out for. The session will see discussions around the need for centralization in the decision-making process and whether DeFi protocols can do without regulation. The topic discussion will be held on Tuesday from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm UTC.

Which technology would be key to the fourth industrial revolution? The Fourth Industrial Evolution Lunch will see experts and thinkers from various fields share long-term perspectives on emerging technologies. The lunch will be hosted between 10:30 am and 12:00 pm UTC on Tuesday.

Davos blockchain

In addition to the WEF, the alpine city of Davos will also host the 5th Annual Blockchain Central Davos sponsored by GBBC, a premier gathering of leaders across blockchain, digital assets, technology and government. The event will bring together some of the key industry leaders and coming-of-age projects and creators to discuss ideas and the future of decentralized tech.

Casper Labs and CV labs will host the Blockchain Hub Davos 2022 between Monday and Wednesday. The event will act as a venue for global stakeholders to convene, examine the impact of blockchain, connect experts and activate change in how the world interacts and transacts.

The RollApp.store will host a nonfungible token (NFT) store between Sunday and Thursday, along with numerous events to raise awareness around physically-backed NFTs. 

At the Davos blockchain event, individuals will be able to gather, learn, discuss and demonstrate how blockchain is a crucial driver of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The program's goal is to provide attendees with a better understanding of what's going on in the blockchain field while also expanding their personal network.

Cointelegraph is one of the key media partners at Davos 2022, providing exclusive coverage as well as moderating several discussions during the event.  Cointelegraph's editor-in-chief Kristina Lucrezia will moderate the GBBC-hosted Blockchain Central while Joe Hall will be one of the key speakers at the RollApp-hosted NFT shop. Stay tuned for our live coverage.