London Blockchain Event Series Successfully Hosts the Second Government Event on Blockchain's role in Public Sector Reform

LONDON, March 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The London Blockchain Conference (LBC) successfully hosted its second government event at the House of Lords on Tuesday 4^th March.

This exclusive, invite-only gathering brought together leading policymakers, innovators and public sector leaders to discuss the transformative potential of blockchain and emerging technologies in public service reform.

The highlight of the event was the roundtable discussion: Unlocking Innovation for a Smarter Public Sector, which featured a diverse panel of experts and was hosted by Alun Cairns, Business Consultant and Former Member of Parliament & Secretary of State of Wales

• Marcus Foster, Head of Policy Campaigns at Startup Coalition
• Rory Daniels, Senior Programme Manager, Tech UK
• Claire Cummings, Founder and CEO, The Centre for Digital Assets and Democracy Limited
• RT. Hon. Lord Carwyn Jones of Penybont, Former First Minister of Wales
• Owen Vaughan, Independent Blockchain Specialist

The discussions delved into the role of blockchain in streamlining public services, improving transparency and driving efficiency across government departments. The panellists explored how blockchain can enhance data security, improve procurement process and support better decision making through immutable and transparent records.

Rt. Hon. Lord Jones of Penybont, Former Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour, contributed to the discussion by sharing insights on the role of digital innovation in shaping the future of governance and public administration.

A key takeaway from the event was the pressing need for collaboration between government and industry to accelerate the adoption of blockchain technology. The panellists emphasised the importance of education, strategic investment and regulatory clarity to unlock blockchain's full potential in transforming public services.

The London Blockchain Conference continues to play a pivotal role in fostering dialogue between government and technology leaders ensuring that innovation remains at the forefront of public sector reform.

About the London Blockchain Conference

UNITING ENTERPRISE, AI & WEB3 

At the London Blockchain Conference, we show how Blockchain will change the world and help people see another way to manage data, build scalable on-chain solutions and achieve great things. We do this by creating valuable, insightful, and engaging events that educate and inform, allowing you to connect and network to build strong business relationships. Our conference is the best avenue to see blockchain innovations, big ecosystem announcements, new product launches, technology updates, keynote speeches, panels, and fireside chats from blockchain leaders. Join us and experience it for yourself. 

Notes to Editors:

Alun Cairns, Business Consultant and Former Member of Parliament and Secretary of State

Alun is a former UK Cabinet member and Member of Parliament, in his 14-year career he served three Prime Ministers as Secretary of State for Wales, government whip, and minister. He was also a member of the UK Board of Trade. As a backbencher, Alun held leadership roles in several All-Party Parliamentary Groups, including Blockchain, Energy Security, Crypto and Digital Assets, and Qatar. Currently Alun is working as a business consultant, advising a range of international companies.

The Rt Hon Lord Jones of Penybont

A former First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour for nearly a decade, Carwyn spent eighteen years in Government. Throughout his political career, Carwyn held various ministerial and Cabinet positions, including Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development, Minister for Education, Culture and Sport, Leader of the House and Counsel General for Wales. Carwyn was elected as the representative of Welsh Labour on the Labour Party's National Executive Committee (NEC). In this capacity, he contributed to the strategic direction and governance of the Labour Party at a national level. He serves as a Trustee of Labour's Climate and Environment Forum. A graduate of Aberystwyth University, he was a barrister for ten years, specialising mainly in criminal law.

Rory Daniels. Senior Programme Manager, Tech UK

Rory joined techUK in June 2023 after three years in the Civil Service on its Fast Stream leadership development programme. During this time, Rory worked on the Government's response to Covid-19 (NHS Test & Trace), school funding strategy (Department for Education) and international climate and nature policy (Cabinet Office). He also tackled the social care crisis whilst on secondment to techUK's Health and Social Care programme in 2022. Today, Rory leads techUK's emerging technologies activity across everything from immersive, web3, AI and robotics to space, gaming & metaverse. This involves co-running techUK's flagship Innovation campaign, managing four series (including the 'Meet the Innovators' interview series), and launching 4-6-month 'sprint campaigns' on transformative technologies and sectors.

Owen Vaughan, Independent Blockchain Specialist

Dr. Owen Vaughan is a blockchain and Web3 expert with a passion for privacy-preserving techniques that give control back to data owners. He is interested in addressing major policy challenges through emerging technologies, including CBDCs, Digital ID, and energy security. He earned a master's degree from the University of York, a PhD from the University of Liverpool, and has over 20 publications in mathematics and cryptography. With seven years of experience as Chief Science Officer at nChain, a London-based Web3 company, Dr. Vaughan now operates as an independent specialist.

Marcus Foster

Marcus is the Head of Policy Campaigns for Startup Coalition, an independent advocacy group that serves as the policy voice for Britain's technology-led startups and scale-ups. Startup Coalition has over 4000 startups, scale-ups and investors in its network, and policy successes include the establishment of the Future Fund and the creation of the Scaleup visa. Marcus is responsible for a number of policy areas for the organisation including Crypto and Web3 and also manages Platform Economy UK, the trade association for firms in the Gig and Sharing Economy. Prior to joining Startup Coalition Marcus worked in planning and development communications, was an advisor to a former cabinet minister, and managed a wide variety of election campaigns.

Claire Cummings

Claire Cummings is the founder and CEO of The Centre for Digital Assets and Democracy (www.cfdaad.co.uk) a London-based think tank. CDAD works with Parliamentarians, industry players and other think tanks to promote the use of digital assets to give individuals control of their own earnings and financial data and reduce the financial burden placed on businesses.