5^th annual Fintech and Financing Conference in Toronto addressed challenges and successes of entrepreneurs and innovators transforming the financial industry

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2019 / The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA), the non-profit cross-body organization that promotes and supports fintech and funding throughout Canada, closed its 5^th annual flagship Fintech and Financing Conference - FFCON - which featured numerous fintech market leaders, as well as industry experts, government officials, and prominent tech investors.

'FEARLESS' was the theme for this year's conference, celebrating the boldness and innovative nature of the FinTech industry, where entrepreneurs constantly challenge pre-existing financial systems with innovative new products and services. The conference brought together more than 500 attendees who experienced keynote speeches, immersive learning, workshops, startup pitch presentations and awards, an exhibitor floor, and networking receptions.

Key themes explored at FFCON19: FEARLESS:

1. RISK is a conscious choice and necessary to innovate;
2. Digital trust and security are essential for mass adoption;
3. The digital bank and future of fintech is already here;
4. Collaboration and new social (decentralized) models can revitalize markets controlled by incumbents with too much power and no incentive to change;
5. Private-public market funding trends shifting - seek low-cost liquidity, online funding does work, needs aligned critical mass, can unlock value;
6. Digital asset markets evolving (EIO, STO, stablcoins). Revisit playbooks, diversify, invest/build/prep for growth in securities, currency, record keeping, smart contracts;
7. Canadian fintech lacks a national strategy; regulation is complex, costly and needs to be streamlined and government at all levels are encouraged to collaborate with industry.

Conference Highlights include:

• Over 50+ leading fintech, blockchain, AI and alternative finance experts, 9 pitching finalists and 40+ innovation ecosystem partners gathered to discuss the latest industry developments, trends, insider views and best practices.
• The 2019 FFCON Pitch Competition Winner was Vacation Fund - an employer-matched travel savings program for employees. The winning pitch was by Erica Pearson, co-founder & CEO, who accepted the award on behalf of Vacation Fund from Richard Carlton, CEO of the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE).
• Jon Medved, CEO of OurCrowd, who has raised over $1 billion for their companies gave a special keynote speech on the first day. OurCrowd was recently named the most active investor in Israel by PitchBook, with investments in 170 startups, and 18 funds, along with 29 exits so far.
• FFCON19 FEARLESS was proud to have screened the Toronto premiere of TRUST MACHINE: The Story about Blockchain. The documentary and Q&A with John Lyotier, RightMesh CEO, was well received by the sold-out room at Gowlings and shone a light on the history and advancements of blockchain technology.
• FFCON19 held an extremely popular consultation with The Honorable Bill Walker, Minister of Consumer and Government Services in Ontario, and steward of the province's new data policy.
• NCFA expanded this year's program with the formal launch of its inaugural online Global Fintech Education program for entrepreneurs in conjunction with Next Decentrum Technologies. Attendees had an exclusive first look at the program with VIP attendees having received complimentary enrolment with conference registration. Early access to the program is now open and program directors are encouraging partners and fintech experts globally to connect to explore opportunities here.

Announcementsat FFCON19

NCFA announced a partnership with Export Canada that will provide opportunities for qualifying Canadian fintech ventures to connect with global markets and investors with its first mission to enter Asia in early 2020.

Coinsquare, the Toronto based cryptocurrency exchange, announced the launch of eCAD, the first stablecoin pegged to the Canadian Dollar. eCAD marks the beginning of a new era for cryptocurrency mass adoption as it will create the first transparent, affordable, and secure way of transferring value in Canada and beyond, without the risk of instability of the traditional cryptocurrency market. Coinsquare continues to cement their place as one of Canada's most reliable cryptocurrency exchanges.

3iQ Corp, the investment fund manager with a focus on cryptocurrency holdings, announced that it signed a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire First Block Capital's FBC Bitcoin Trust and Distributed Ledger Technology Adopters ETF.

Watch the FFCON19 highlight video.

Check out the photo album or presentation decks

The organizers offer special thanks to the conference partners, all the speakers, companies, and volunteers that helped make FFCON19 an informative and memorable event.

About the NCFA

The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain and cryptocurrency, Regtech, and Insuretech sectors. To learn more about NCFA visit www.ncfacanada.org.

About FFCON

FFCON (Fintech and Financing Conference) is an annual conference hosted by Canada's National Crowdfunding and Fintech Association (NCFA). Now in its fifth year, FFCON19 brought together professionals and innovators in fintech, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and alternative finance. The theme of FFCON19 was FEARLESSwhich exudes the boldness of the fintech space where small players are challenging orthodoxy, going against convention and transforming the financial industry with innovative models and thinking. Further information about the conference series can be found at www.fintechandfunding.com.

FFCON Contacts

Craig Asano
Founder and CEO, NCFA
casano@ncfacanada.org
(416) 618-0254

Partnership Inquiries

Lauren Linton
Advisor, NCFA
lauren@ncfacanada.org
(416) 569-4349

Media Contact

Michele McDermott-Fox
The Top Floor Public Relations
pr@thetopflooragency.com
(905) 379-1893

SOURCE: National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada