2019, I'm on the scene | Blockchain memories in five cities: history and future

"City is the container of culture. The environment of the city can promote the continuous enrichment of human civilization, and promote the continuous development of human society's symbolic symbols, behavior patterns and rules and regulations."

–Lewis Mumford, American Social Philosopher

In 2019, due to the convenience of work, I walked through Nanjing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Sanya, Shenzhen and other cities, and personally attended the scene at some moments to witness and report on major events in the blockchain industry.

In my opinion, the memory of a city's blockchain is often engraved by a certain meeting, some companies, or a group of people. It is written in the rivers illuminated by light, in the dim and gentle moonlight, in the gentle breeze, and spreads wildly between history and the future.

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This year-end summary will lead everyone to recall the blockchain experience I have seen in five cities in the past year. The city is like a sponge, absorbing the tide of continuous memory and desire, and it swells with it. Because most of these cities are "one-sided", in the face of limited facts, it is inevitable that there will be biases.

Nanjing

On the evening of May 31, 2019, the day before the official opening of the "2019 China Blockchain Technology and Application Summit Forum", my colleague Xiangyu and I wandered around the Qinhuai River in Nanjing. The evening Qinhuai River is quiet and poetic. The old man with a waist radio is jogging along the river. The young man sitting on the stone pier is casually holding a fishing rod. More than a thousand years ago, the Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu left an eternal famous sentence here: "Yanlong cold water moon cage yarn, night park Qinhuai near the restaurant. Business women do not know the hatred of the country, but sing in the backyard flowers across the river."

"In Nanjing, are there any well-known blockchain companies?" Xiangyu's sudden question made me a little surprised. I realized that although I have been engaged in media work for more than a year, I seem to have a sense of strangeness to the Nanjing blockchain.

In fact, compared with cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou, the Nanjing blockchain industry is characterized by "late start, but with strong development potential and momentum." Nanjing proposed the first blockchain-related policy in February 2017, and the first electronic certificate sharing platform based on blockchain technology was in May 2017. The first blockchain-related investment The fund is in July 2019. Before June 2018, the number of Nanjing blockchain companies was 46, and by July 2019, this number had reached 205.

My understanding of the Nanjing blockchain industry started with an interview with Wu Xiao, CEO of Pure White Matrix last year. On June 18, 2019, the news that Facebook released the white paper of the Libra project caused a global sensation. Within a week, Pure White Matrix announced the world's first integrated development environment (IDE) tool for the Libra Move language. At that time, the news was swept through my circle of friends.

Wu Xiao is a native of Nanjing and has a master's degree in Canada. He returned to Nanjing in 2018 to create a pure white matrix. In that interview, I felt that Wu Xiao had the freedom and joy of Nanjing people, and his enthusiasm for game design and blockchain programming beyond ordinary people. He represented a new force in the Nanjing blockchain industry.

Here, there are excellent blockchains such as Blockchain popular media "Vernacular Blockchain", the open source blockchain engine FIBOS, Suning Financial Blockchain, Jiangsu Rongze Information, Yifan Digital Technology, Nanjing Runchen Technology, etc. Company or project.

Just in January 2020, Nanjing issued the No. 1 Document of the Municipal Committee of 2020, encouraging the application of blockchain in the industry, and supporting leading enterprises to build alliance chains. Nanjing is such a city. It has a quaint sense of history, it is nostalgic, and it is surging forward in the tide of the new era.

Shanghai

On the evening of September 18, 2019, walking on Changzhi Road on the Bund, on the left is the neon shining Oriental Pearl Tower and its surrounding modern buildings, and on the right is the narrow river and low and neat rivers that will merge into the Huangpu River. Alley House.

Behind me at W Hotel Shanghai on the Bund, the speech of Xiaofeng, Chairman of Wanxiang Blockchain, announced the official closing of the Fifth Blockchain Global Summit. In the field of blockchain, Xiao Feng is known as a "godfather" character. Each of his public speeches or speeches will attract attention, and he is highly charismatic and will attract a group of industry elites to gather around him.

Shanghai is the city where I have traveled the most times in the past year. Despite frequent exchanges, Shanghai has not left me any special emotions. Maybe it is because the pace of work is too fast; maybe it is because the sense of purpose is too strong in reality. Sometimes even love is the same. However, I don't intend to tell my tornado-like love experience here.

Historically, Shanghai has failed to seize the opportunities of the Internet and the Internet of Things. The reason is that some people think that Shanghai lacks an atmosphere of innovation and entrepreneurship, lacks a sense of risk, and the government is too strong. Therefore, for new things that cannot be seen clearly, there are often solidified habits, self-imposed limits, and bound hands.

The other side of the coin is that Shanghai has extremely rich data, a solid technical application foundation, strong R & D strength, and strong government organization. As long as one thing is identified, you will find a way to achieve results.

I once wrote in the article " Observation | Blockchain Era, Can Shanghai Create" BAT "? An example is given in the article. The founder and CEO of Zhongxiangbit is a native of Shanghai, but his entrepreneurship started in Beijing. According to his words, "Shanghai has a bad entrepreneurial atmosphere and is afraid to come."

On July 19, 2019, Zhongxiangbit established a branch in Shanghai, on the one hand because of the investment of the Shanghai Navy Civilian Integrative Industry Investment Fund, on the other hand, he believes that "blockchain technology is very important to enter the industry. It is necessary to have a really large organization to cooperate. Shanghai's IT and Internet industries are places where “application is king”, which is related to the character of the city. Many good technologies are only obtained on a large scale in Shanghai or Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. application."

Strict observations are accurate. Shanghai has a good foundation for the blockchain industry. Under the guidance and support of the government, it has formed covering theoretical and technological research, blockchain underlying infrastructure, technical services, blockchain applications and industries. Good industrial ecology around. In the process of building the "five centers" of international economy, finance, trade, shipping, and technological innovation in Shanghai, the extremely rich application scenarios provide a good foundation for the rapid landing of the blockchain.

Times are changing, so are cities. The arrival of the blockchain has given entrepreneurs in Shanghai more creative energy.

Here, there are Wu Peng (original blockchain CEO) who is committed to applying blockchain technology to copyright protection, Sun Lilin (founder of PlatON), who is committed to using the blockchain to protect data privacy, and business districts, which are dedicated to providing Blockchain infrastructure Zuo Peng (Jinqiu Technology CEO) … Entrepreneurship is difficult, but I can see from them the entrepreneurial spirit of Shanghai's new generation of entrepreneurs.

As Qin Shuo, the founder of the Commercial Civilization Alliance and the promoter of Qin Shuo's circle of friends, said in the article "2019:" Shanghai can not rest without BAT ", you can rest." Spiritual soil, this situation will definitely change, but it is only a few years earlier.

Chengdu

Before I came to Chengdu, my impression of Chengdu stayed in the romance of Zhao Lei's "Chengdu", "Walk with me on the streets of Chengdu until all the lights are off and you will not stay. You will carry my clothes Sleeve, I will put my hand in my pants pocket. Go to the end of Yulin Road and sit (walking) at the door of the tavern. "

Until October 12, 2019, the editor and I came to Chengdu to attend the "2019 CCF Blockchain Technology Conference", and we had different feelings and understanding of Chengdu. That night, we strolled around Chunxi Road and admired this most prosperous part of Chengdu.

A statue of a giant panda named "I am here" is hanging on the wall of the IFS (International Finance Center) building with its butt facing the pedestrian. I heard that many foreign tourists have crossed mountains and rivers to leave only one Group photo. In Taikoo Li (one of Chengdu's fashion landmarks), the music fountain at the entrance square of DIOR, young couples take photos and video around it. The water column under the neon iridescent color brightens the night of Chengdu, which is so psychedelic and tempting. people. Looking up, I stumbled across a dark moon in the dark night sky, like a layer of tulle wrapping the moon.

Chengdu is such a city, its pace is not as fast as Shanghai, and it is not so impulsive. Chengdu's cultural heritage, tolerance and openness make many young people not only have a leisurely life, but also have many opportunities for career development. Here, you can spend three years trying a career, even selling coffee.

Chengdu's blockchain entrepreneurial activity ranks first in western cities and sixth in the country. As early as 2017, MEMSIC, together with the Cyberspace Security Research Center of the Electronic Science and Technology University of China, and Xunying Chengdu Technology Co., Ltd. jointly established the first blockchain research institute in the southwest. Chengdu also owns blockchain-related companies such as Sichuan Shangtong Industry, China Net Security, Xunying Chengdu Technology, Jiu Kuan Technology, and Chengdu Chain Security.

The "Chengdu Blockchain Development Strategic Plan" states that by 2020, Chengdu will be built into a domestic first-class and western-leading blockchain industry highland and provide industrial support for the construction of "China's Blockchain Innovation Capital."

During the strategic opportunity period of "world to east, China to west", the new first-tier cities represented by Chengdu are showing vigorous economic vitality and have great potential in the development of blockchain. As Zhang Xiaosong, a Yangtze River scholar and dean of the Cyber ​​Security Institute of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, said,

Chengdu is an important hub for China's import and export trade. International commerce and logistics, supply chain management, and supply chain finance have huge application requirements for blockchain;

Chengdu has the foundation of the information technology, software, and Internet industries. The development of related industries has laid a solid foundation for the development of the blockchain industry. A large number of related companies can transform or cut into the blockchain industry;

Various industrial clusters and technological innovation highlands represented by the Chengdu High-tech Zone have brought together a large number of domestic high-level technology companies and a large number of high-level technical talents, which can quickly create a group of blockchain professionals;

Chengdu has universities such as the University of Electronic Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Southwest Jiaotong University, and Southwest University of Finance and Economics. It has a leading position in the fields of computer, cyberspace security, management engineering, economics, finance, and sociology that are closely related to the blockchain.

Sanya

Everyone wants to come to Sanya in winter, feel the sunshine and publicity here, touch the sea breeze temperature with their hands, and listen to the sound of waves beating against the beach. Whether it's sunshine, coconut wind, sea rhyme, and shade, Sanya will let you experience a different style.

On December 1, 2019, I reported on the "Hainan International Offshore Innovation and Entrepreneurship Demonstration Zone Construction and Blockchain · Digital Asset Trading Technology Innovation High-end Forum" in Sanya.

The unveiling ceremony of Hainan International Offshore Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Sanya) Pilot Zone was held at the meeting. The first batch of companies that entered the pilot zone and other companies in the pilot zone signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Sanya City. Onshore digital asset trading laboratory, supporting the establishment of Blockchain Big Data Research Institute, Blockchain Innovation Application R & D Center and other sections, and the establishment of the Asia-Pacific headquarters.

This is one of the biggest actions Sanya has made in the blockchain in recent years.

As for the blockchain, Sanya looks like a blank piece of paper and wants to draw a beautiful blueprint. To be honest, I am not optimistic about the development of the Sanya blockchain. Finance writer Wu Xiaobo said, "If a city has a future, it depends on four things-first, there are not many young people, then young money, young industries, and whether there is a young (mentality) government .These four 'youngness' determine the goodness of a city. "

As a city with tourism as the leading industry, the development of tourism in Sanya has led to the development of a series of related industries such as hotel catering, wholesale and retail, and transportation. These labor-intensive industries create a large number of employment opportunities for locals and outsiders. Although Sanya has a good blockchain policy that can attract good companies, it does not necessarily bring good talents and good industries. On the one hand, the weak industrial foundation and scientific research investment are bound to be a difficult road; on the other hand, prices High, low wages and a lazy life are not conducive to the development of young people in Sanya.

Shenzhen

On the evening of December 7, 2019, after covering the first day of the "Blockchain Technology and Application" Science and Technology Frontier Forum, my colleague Changmin and I took a walk in Shenzhen University City. There are few pedestrians in Nuo Da's campus. The sound of friction in the soles and the sound of basketball hitting the ground comes from the ears. The library is quiet and warm. Not far from the teaching building is the luminous characters "Tsinghua" and "Harbin Institute of Technology", and the other side of the newly-built site is "Beijing University". Shenzhen Graduate School of Tsinghua University, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen Center for National Supercomputing gathered here.

This forum is the only blockchain conference in China where five academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are present at the same time. At the forum, Wang Lixin, deputy mayor of Shenzhen, said that Shenzhen summarized "four 90%" of technological innovation in the past 40 years: 90% of R & D personnel in enterprises, 90% of R & D investment originated from enterprises, and 90% of scientific and technological achievements For enterprises, 90% of R & D machines are built in enterprises. At the same time, in order to make up for the shortage of scientific research institutions and high-end talents, Shenzhen has increased investment in basic research in recent years and set up basic research institutions such as universities and laboratories.

What excites me most in this forum, in addition to listening to the cryptographer Wang Xiaoyun's speech at the scene, is to find and sign a photo with General Manager Yao Qian of CSI. Yao Qian is one of the intellectuals I admire most in the blockchain industry. He has conducted in-depth research on digital currency for many years. His writings are rich, his writing is elegant, and his style is quite Wei-Jin style. His books such as "Introduction to Digital Currency", "The Frontiers of Digital Currency Research", and "Analysis of Digital Currency Economics" are some of the most comprehensive and in-depth studies of digital currencies I have seen so far. What puzzles me is that these books The popularity of the book is not high.

From the special economic zones, to the "core engine" of the Greater Bay Area, and now to the leading demonstration zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Shenzhen's urban status has continuously changed.

Shenzhen was one of the earliest places to establish a digital currency research institute. As early as June 2018, the Digital Currency Research Institute of the People's Bank of China has established Shenzhen Financial Technology Co., Ltd. in Shenzhen. Stride.

Shenzhen's number of blockchain patents ranks second in the country. Zhongan, Weizhong Bank and Shenzhen Yuanzheng Technology and other three companies disclosed about 70% of the total patents in 2018.

Although Shenzhen lags behind Hangzhou and Guangzhou in policy formulation, on September 25, 2017, Shenzhen set up a special financial technology (FINTECH) award with an award limit of less than 6 million yuan. Excellent projects in financial big data and other fields.

On April 22, 2018, Shenzhen established the second domestic government-led blockchain fund with an initial fund size of 500 million yuan. In the Shenzhen Municipal Development and Reform Commission ’s latest release of the “Second Batch of Supporting Plans for Strategic Emerging Industry Development Special Funds for the Development of the National Development and Reform Commission in 2018, the second batch of support plans to be publicly funded”, the projects of Shenzhen Tencent Computer System Co., Ltd. and Kingdee Software Co. Received 5 million yuan in funding.

Shenzhen is such a city. It has a strong curiosity about new things. Its mindset is open enough. It is used for exploration and innovation. I like this sentence: If Beijing is the world and Shanghai is the world, then Shenzhen is the future. In Shenzhen, no one misses history because they are making history.

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