Are the Netherlands taking a leadership role in blockchain technology? 'Dutch are about to introduce blockchain applications on the consumermarket'

The regulator for the UK financial market is about to allow some consumer apps that use blockchain in the background. Sentiment surrounding block chain on the Dutch market is also so positive that we could occupy a leading international position (!).

Project Innovate by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is currently looking into a number of applications. They're in the 'preapproval stage'. When they will be allowed exactly to the market, which companies it concerns and whether they eventually may go live, is not yet clear. It is clear that the entire financial market is following the developments with full interest.

FCA's strategy boss Chris Woolard said in an interview with the Financial Times that there are clear areas which will benefit consumers and facilitates the practice of compliance. Here he encourages the use of block chain.

Within Project Innovate there is a so-called 'regulatory sandbox'. Here, companies can test their applications under the watchful eye of the FCA.

Entrepreneur Rutger van Zuidam reserves for some years intensively with the issues surrounding Bitcoin and, thus, block chain. "The conversation between the FinTech startups and De Nederlandsche Bank is in full swing. They want to learn from each other to accelerate developments. Not for nothing Willem Vermeend been appointed as special envoy Fintech. "

"The difference between the British and the Netherlands is that they logically have the captaincy in Fintech. In the Netherlands, however, we have a wonderful community where banks continue to work together. The benefits of block chains are not confined to the financial sector but its multi-sectoral. Also think of markets as Energy, Healthcare and Logistics. That width is what makes it so interesting for the Netherlands. We could take a lead. That awareness and sentiment is starting to emerge. "

In February 2017 found at several locations in the Netherlands, a 54-hour hackathon place that focuses specifically on the development of new block chain applications.