I proudly took on this role as a jury member at Turkey's first-ever blockchain hackathon, Genç Blokzincir, recently held by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye

To be able to participate in such a milestone activity, undertaken at the highest levels of government, was very encouraging. This hackathon demonstrated Turkey's dedication to fostering domestic blockchain talent and projects.

I was particularly impressed by the level of innovation, energy, and enthusiasm exhibited over that intensive weekend by these young entrepreneurial teams. Their originality and resourcefulness in terms of pragmatic applications, from finance to healthcare, filled me with hope for the future.

As a lover of the good that blockchain could do in this world, it was really rewarding to be able to interact closely with the new builders face-to-face and offer them guidance. Those "lightbulb moments" reminded me why I do what it is that I do.

My sincere congratulations to all the winners and invitees who just demonstrated the wealth of genius that we have right here in Turkey. I can't wait to follow your journeys!

These kinds of events are crucial for future ecosystems. Congratulations to the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye for helping support our youth and unlock their abilities with emerging technologies in a new wave of disruption. Exciting days ahead!