C4 is proud to hosting Blockchain Training Conference 2019 in Denver this August 28-30. BTC is different than your average crypto conference because instead of speakers, we have teachers. This is not a conference where you’ll hear pitches on ICOs from questionable companies. Sponsors don’t get stage time simply because they’re helping pay for the event. Every course session is designed with two or more learning objectives, and every teacher cares that you learn something useful from their session. With almost 16 hours of educational content, it’s like you’re getting an entire college course, condensed into just three days. On top of all of this, you also have the chance to earn your Certified Bitcoin Professional designation onsite or online as part of your ticket purchase to BTC.
We’re excited to spotlight some of our BTC2019 teachers this year, and today, we’d like to introduce you to Rodney MacInnes. Rodney will be teaching “AML & Fraud for Crypto.” Check out our chat with Rodney to learn more:
How did you get involved in your subject area & why are you passionate about teaching it?
In 2008, while working at a large money services business (MSB), I was approached by our General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. He asked how I felt about joining the compliance team. I asked, "Does that get me off the phone doing cold calling?" I quickly developed a passion for compliance and process engineering, and well, the rest is history.
I fell down the Bitcoin rabbit hole in 2013. But after being dragged to dozens of meetups in Toronto, I was lost, confused and frustrated. It was at that point, when complaining to my business partner about not knowing what anyone is ever talking about, that she gave me a simple challenge. Her words were, "So do something about it!" So I started to learn, continued to learn and never looked back. Since then I have been somewhat obsessed with how Bitcoin and other technologies are impacting not only the financial and regulatory landscape, but the world in general. We all have to start somewhere. I am passionate about providing a gateway to those willing to make the effort to learn.
Why do you think certifications and standards are important in the blockchain industry today?
I work in anti-money laundering (AML) day-to-day and in our industry there is one standard for certification. It is the Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, or CAMS, certification. It is a prerequisite for almost any job, regardless of your knowledge, position or experience. It says, this person has spent the time to learn and knows their subject matter. AML, being a fairly new industry (less than 20 years), is similar to the Bitcoin space. Due to the lack of understanding generally, a certification is an easy and reliable way to support your claims of expertise or verify someone else's.
Why have you decided to teach a session at #BTC2019?
One of the core beliefs where I work at Outlier is that information should be free. For a long time, big consulting firms would keep information close to their chest and charge clients for the privilege to get it. We have a funny rule at Outlier. We call it the “Beetlejuice Rule.” If we hear the same question or request 3 times, a blog post appears (Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice... get it?). Information is meant to be free. It benefits anyone who needs it. Being granted the opportunity to share information with a larger crowd of like-minded individuals directly aligns with part of our mission.
We’re looking forward to attending Rodney’s master class at BTC2019! Make sure to join us by getting your tickets here.