Henri Arslanian Provides a Vision for our Crypto Future at EPIC Hack Night
Yerevan, Armenia – On October 20, the Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) at the American University of Armenia (AUA) hosted the global crypto leader Henri Arslanian. Addressing the overflow auditorium, Henri shared his vision for the prospects of 21st century financial services and banking by providing deep insight into the impact of fintech and the latest crypto trends.
Henri Arslanian is the PwC Crypto Leader and Partner, the former Chairman of the FinTech Association of Hong Kong and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Hong Kong where he teaches the first FinTech university course globally.
With over 500,000 LinkedIn followers and 40,000 newsletter subscribers, Henri is a TEDx and global keynote speaker, a best-selling published author and is regularly featured in global media including Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and the Financial Times.
In his talk to AUA students and faculty, EPIC entrepreneurs, and community attendees, Henri Arslanian focused on the future directions of global finance and its impact on our everyday lives and careers. Arslanian stressed that currently, we all live in the most exciting time in the history of money. The speaker emphasized the essential role of cryptocurrencies in overcoming the challenges of the traditional financial system by using blockchain to eliminate intermediaries. He stated that cryptocurrencies are the newest fintech innovation, a revolutionary technology that challenges society’s political and social underpinnings. Arslanian also mentioned the active cryptocurrency ecosystem in Armenia, praising the many young people active in the crypto and blockchain realm.
Initially providing a foundation for his talk, Henri briefly introduced the audience to the history of money. He informed the attendees about the six latest global crypto trends, highlighting that Bitcoin just hit an all-time high price as he’s giving his talk. As crypto keeps developing towards worldwide acceptance, more and more countries are addressing its economic, political, and social impact, including Armenia’s Central Bank.
As Professor Michael Kouchakdjian, Director of EPIC, stated in his introduction, “We are very fortunate to have a world-renowned leader of the fast-emerging global Fintech industry visiting EPIC and AUA. We always strive to expose our students to world leaders in their fields, keeping them apprised of the latest technology trends, and to inspire all of us to participate in the innovations and opportunities of the future.”
Henri Arslanian encouraged universities around the world to offer courses on fintech, cryptocurrencies, blockchain – admitting that he looks forward to teaching a course in Fintech next year at AUA. He praised Armenia’s young generation for its interest and activity in Fintech – including many graduates from AUA that now work in the industry in Armenia.
Henri’s latest book “The Future of Finance: The Impact of FinTech, AI and Crypto on Financial Services” published by Palgrave Macmillan, was ranked as one of Amazon’s global top 10 best-sellers in financial services and was recognized as one of the “Best FinTech Books of All Time” by Bookauthority. The public talk was concluded by him giving copies to the EPIC entrepreneurship and the AUA Papazian libraries. .
The Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) is a platform of the American University of Armenia (AUA) for promoting entrepreneurial education, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and startup venture incubation. EPIC provides an ecosystem for emerging entrepreneurs consisting of first-class facilities and collaborative workspace, programs and events, and a network of mentors, advisors, and investors. EPIC fosters the understanding and application of entrepreneurship in students and faculty at AUA to craft high-impact multidisciplinary ventures.