Computershare continues to engage with industry players around the world to explore the opportunities and impacts of blockchain technology for the securities industry. It has potential impacts for issuers, investors and capital markets in general.
In the U.S., we are seeing increasing interest especially in relation to private companies and issuers. Private firms typically have smaller pools of investors and are not as well served by the existing infrastructure that supports the public markets.
We recently participated in a blockchain panel discussion at June's FinTech Forum on crowdfunding and data standards, hosted in New York by XBRL US, Baruch College's Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity and the CFA Institute. The discussion covered the ways in which blockchain technologies may reduce costs and provide enhanced access to debt and equity for crowdfunding. Paul Conn, president of our Global Capital Markets group, joined Jeff Billingham of Markit, David Montes of KPMG and John Turner of XBRL US on the panel.
We are also keeping a close watch on potential developments in the state of Delaware. In May, Governor Jack Markell announced the Delaware Blockchain Initiative, a program to provide an enabling regulatory and legal environment for the development of blockchain technology. The Delaware State Bar association is taking the lead on regulatory development, and we will continue to monitor their progress.
Computershare clients who were not able to attend our May webinar providing an introduction to blockchain and its potential impacts on the securities industry can access a recording and a copy of the slide deck in the Knowledge Bank on Issuer Online, under Client Communications.