Dec 3–4, 2026 Alcobaça, Portugal

BLOCKCHAIN
CONFLUENCE

Where academia, industry and capital converge to shape the future of Blockchain technology.

Co-located with

Oeste CIM Nova Blockchain Lab Nova SBE DOT Knowledge Center IEEE Portugal BLOCKCHAIN.PT / PRR

About

Academia meets Industry.
Projects match Capital.

Blockchain Confluence is the meeting point between blockchain research, real-world adoption, and Venture capital. Running alongside the 2nd IEEE International Conference on Distributed Ledger Technologies (ICDLT 2026), the Confluence opens the conversation beyond the academic track, bringing researchers, practitioners, investors and public institutions into the same room.

Blockchain Confluence 2025

Panel discussion on stage at Blockchain Confluence 2025

Project stands at the Blockchain Confluence 2025 showcase

Academic Presentations

The IEEE International Conference on Distributed Ledger Technology runs in parallel at the same venue, with selected papers presented for a broader audience. Blockchain science, made accessible to everyone.

Industry Panels

Business leaders, policymakers and practitioners lead keynotes and debates. BLOCKCHAIN.PT projects present live demos and participate in a pitch competition, positioning Portugal as a European blockchain hub.

Investor Sessions

Venture capital investors join the keynotes and debates, then meet projects face to face, closing the loop from research to prototype to investment and giving founders direct feedback on what investors look for.

Program

Two days,
December 3–4, 2026.

The Confluence program runs in parallel with IEEE ICDLT 2026. Sessions listed below are open to all Confluence attendees; the full academic program is available at ieeeicdlt.org.

Day 1 Thursday, Dec 3 Where Academia Meets Industry

9:00–10:00Welcome coffee & registration
10:00–10:15Opening remarks
10:15–11:30Keynote: Diogo Mónica
11:30–13:00IEEE ICDLT paper presentations in parallel with Pitch competition
13:00–14:00Lunch break / networking
14:00–15:00Debate 1: Stablecoins and RWA: blockchain’s technological triumph, or the death of its values?
15:00–15:30Coffee break (Átrio)
15:30–17:00IEEE ICDLT paper presentations in parallel with Debate 2: Blockchain for Good: does sustainability need blockchain?
17:00–18:00Moon Talks: At the crossroads of blockchain, AI and quantum computing in parallel with Open meeting: Portuguese Blockchain and DLT Standardization Committee
18:00–18:30Intel Keynote
18:30–19:30Networking cocktail
20:00Gala dinner

Day 2 Friday, Dec 4 Where Projects Match Capital

9:00–10:00Morning coffee
10:00–10:15Opening remarks
10:15–11:30Keynotes
11:30–13:00Debate 3: Standards and regulations: is there a sweet spot? in parallel with Workshop: Inforlandia
13:00–14:00Lunch break / networking
14:00–15:00Debate 4: Public and private funds: distinct goals, different speeds?
15:00–15:30Coffee break (Átrio)
15:30–17:00IEEE ICDLT paper presentations in parallel with Pitch competition
17:00–18:00Moon Talks: Why are you still here?
18:00–18:30Closing remarks
18:30–19:30Closing event (TBC)

Subject to change.

Speakers

Voices shaping
the ledger.

Our speakers are here. This edition brings together leaders from global finance, the Ethereum and Ripple ecosystems, top venture funds, and Portugal’s government and universities. Expect frank conversations on digital assets, regulation and the future of decentralized technology. Meet the full line-up below, with more names announced soon.

2026 speakers

Patrícia Santos

Token Trust

Pedro Dominguinhos

President · CNA-PRR

Nuno Cortesão

Zharta

Nuno Lima Luz

Prof. Miguel Pupo Correia

Instituto Superior Técnico

Mário Alves

Taikai

Miguel de Castro Neto

Dean · NOVA IMS

Pedro Roseiro

Executive Board Member · TICE.PT

Leid Zejnilovic

Associate Dean for AI and Digital Transformation · Nova SBE

Location

Alcobaça.

A place where currents join: water, strength, knowledge, faith, love…

Blockchain Confluence 2026 takes place in Alcobaça.

Alcobaça owes its very name to a confluence: the city rises where the rivers Alcôa and Baça meet and become one. Its monastery, founded by Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henriques, to seal the birth and strength of the nation, grew into one of medieval Europe’s great abbeys, a source of faith and knowledge that endures to this day. Lastly, within the monastery walls rest Pedro and Inês, a king and a lady-in-waiting, protagonists of the country’s greatest and most touching love story, who lie in Alcobaça together for eternity.

In December 2026, three new currents will converge in this mythical city: academia, industry and capital.

Registration

Join the
confluence.

Registration grants access to all Confluence sessions: industry panels, the Blockchain.PT Showcase, Academic Presentations and networking events.

Partners & Sponsors

Blockchain Confluence 2026 is organized by OESTE CIM, the Nova Blockchain Lab (NOVA IMS), the Nova SBE Data, Operations & Technology Knowledge Center and the IEEE Portugal Section, and is part of the BLOCKCHAIN.PT agenda, co-funded by the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan and the European Union (NextGenerationEU).

BLOCKCHAIN
CONFLUENCE