A decade and three bitcoin halvings later, industry association Blockchain Australia has rebranded to the Digital Economy Council of Australia (DECA).
The change comes amid a restructure of DECA, with CEO Simon Callaghan departing and former chief operating officer Amy-Rose Goodey taking the lead as managing director.
Speaking at the annual Blockchain Week gathering in Sydney, Goodey said the organisation needed to extend its remit to be more inclusive in response to the rapidly evolving needs of the digital economy.
“The term ‘blockchain’, while central to our inception and growth, now represents only a segment of the vast digital ecosystem in which we operate. Our repositioning to the Digital Economy Council of Australia marks an important re-alignment for our organisation, to one that encompasses all verticals of the digital economy,” she said.
”This transition marks an exciting new chapter for our organisation. DECA is uniquely positioned to lead the charge of enhancing Australia’s position in the global digital economy, serving as a catalyst for innovation and collaboration.”
Goodey said they expect the digital activity share of the Australian economy to increase from 6.1%, worth $118bn in FY21, to around 10% by 2030.
“Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies enhance Australia’s position in the global digital economy by enabling innovation in sectors including government, telecommunications, infrastructure, real estate, financial services, e-commerce and education,” she said.
“As we stand on the cusp of a new era of digital transformation, such technologies will become ubiquitous to many aspects of our lives.
“It is evident that blockchain and DLT are moving from a phase of high novelty and exploration to one of practical application and utility. Their role in solving real-world problems and driving businesses and people forward is becoming even more mainstream,” she added.
DECA chair Michael Bacina said the changes are part of a broader focus for the association.
“On the tenth year of the organisation’s founding, the rebranding to DECA and recognition that blockchain and distributed ledger technology will underpin so much of the digital economy in future positions DECA to keep serving our members and advocating for Australia to play a strong role in our digital future,” he sais
“Amy-Rose drives the core of our mission, and has done so for many years, I’m confident her elevation will well position DECA with strong female leadership for the years to come,” he added.
DECA will also broaden its membership categories across eight areas:
- Digital Assets & Web3
- Tokenisation and Digitisation
- Finance, Payments and Banking
- Technology and Infrastructure
- Data, Identity, Security & Intelligence
- Community, Education & Engagement
- Professional Services
- Government, Charities & Industry Bodies.
Next year Blockchain Week will also evolve into The Digital Economy Conference, exploring the pivotal role of DLT, blockchain, and digital assets in Australia’s digital transformation. It will be 16-18 June, 2025 on the Gold Coast.
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