Crypto, Bitcoin And Blockchain Scene In Krakow
Article written by Ola Haukland, CEO of BitSpace Poland
While the bear market brutally weeds out speculators and bad actors from the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry, the surviving, healthy crypto companies are preparing for a sunny day. Thousands of companies around the world are currently working on the improving the ecosystem – doing the “crypto plumbing” – which will enable larger flows of capital to enter the cryptocurrency space for the next hype cycle – a cycle most people in the crypto sphere are confident will come. Sooner or later.
In the city of Kraków, Poland, the crypto and blockchain events are definitely not as crowded as they used to be one year ago, but the community is far from dead. There are multiple companies, events and initiatives educating and promoting the technology and the philosophy behind it.
Here is an overview of some of the things going on in the Kraków cryptosphere at the moment.
Events
There are multiple recurring crypto events in Kraków, most notably Crypto@Cracow, which is the the biggest blockchain meetup community in the city, organizing events since March 2017. Doing about every second meetup in Polish and English, Crypto@Cracow gives talks providing insight into various topics ranging from DLTs such as Hyperledger and the architecture of smart contracts, to cryptocurrency investments and in-depth analyses of specific cryptocurrencies.
There is also a recurring meetup for those who are mostly or solely interested in Bitcoin. The Kraków Bitcoin Meetup is organized by BitSpace in companion with Forklog, Blockchain Fiesta and The Reserve. It has been an active group for almost one year, gathering about once a month. Having hosted well-known crypto personalities such as Ivan Liljeqvist, Giacomo Zucco and Jeffrey Tucker in 2018, the Bitcoin meetups usually feature a speaker but are sometimes also just an informal get-together for bitcoiners to hang out and chat over a beer.
Blockchain Fiesta is another brand most Kraków entrepreneurs probably noticed in 2018. Hosting their conference in November this year, the organizers Justyna Pindel and Paul Klipp saw a major turnout of local IT professionals for their first annual event, aiming at showcasing the blockchain opportunities offered to the IT industry. Both national and international speakers were present at the event.
Companies
There are several crypto companies in Kraków. Pragmatic Coders is a team of local developers who offer blockchain solutions as well as already developed products such as white-label crypto currency exchange and an ERC20 wallet solution.
The organizers of Crypto@Cracow, P2P Systems, similarly deliver tailored-made blockchain solutions, such as trainings, software development, project reviews, consulting, software/business/legal advisory, technical writing, and knowledge sharing videos.
Rumble Fish is a Blockchain Development House with surefire expertise in building next generation blockchain applications. As quick adopters of latest technologies, Rumble Fish aims to deliver cutting-edge functional, accessible and fast blockchain solutions.
Akena is a software company working with blockchain, cryptography, high-frequency trading, payments and electronic trading systems. Akena is staying away from fancy marketing buzzwords and business slogans, and focuses on being a hardcore development team that delivers.
2018 saw Norway’s leading blockchain company BitSpace begin its international expansion, placing its Polish headquarters in Kraków. A blockchain consultancy firm, incubator and event organizer, BitSpace is currently launching its flagship project BitGate, a custodial service for digital assets positioned to become a major leader on the European market for wallets.
In Zyblikiewicza street near Poczta Glowna, the Forklog coworking space is located, the first crypto coworking space in Poland. With frequent events and plenty of industry people you can meet on a daily basis, Forklog is definitely the place to be to create serious synergies for crypto-minded individuals. Join the Blockchain Startups and Developers meetup group to stay updated on their wide variety of events related to blockchain.
Coinscious Inc. builds artificial intelligence and data-driven insights for the cryptocurrency market, and runs parts of its operations in Kraków. Delivering compelling, informative analytics to the cryptocurrency community and uncovering hidden insights and patterns from the data behind the scenes, Coinscious is focused on helping the cryptocurrency community make informed judgements through its services.
j-labs as a software company has it’s own DLT Centre of Excellence, specializing in software development support in areas of DLT and Blockchain based systems as well as technology and architecture consulting.
Lastly, Arteïa, although not primarily a blockchain company, has become noticed for its plans to integrate blockchain technology to their service, which helps arts collectors catalog and manage the value of their collections.
Online groups
There are essentially two main, active crypto discussion groups for Kraków locals: Kraków Bitcoin Forum and Crypto@Cracow.
Did we forget something or someone? Let us know, and we will make an update.
Article written by Ola Haukland, CEO of BitSpace Poland
Become a professional Bitcoiner!
Want to work as a developer in the crypto ecosystem? Want the opportunity to become an influential member of a major Scandinavian blockchain company? Want to join building Europe’s leading wallet for digital assets?
At BitSpace, we are constantly looking for competent and enthusiastic members to join our team.
We offer flexibility in projects, work hours and locations, as well as regular trips to our headquarters in Oslo and opportunities for relocation to our upcoming countries of expansion. You also get to negotiate your preferable deals for bonuses and options.
