Head of London FinTech Hub Steps Down to Lead Blockchain Lab

The head of Level39, one of Europe's biggest FinTech hubs, is stepping down to lead the development of a blockchain lab.

AccessTimeIconOct 1, 2015 at 12:30 p.m. UTC
Updated Aug 18, 2021 at 4:14 p.m. UTC

Presented By Icon

Election 2024 coverage presented by

Stand with crypto

The head of one of Europe's biggest FinTech hubs is stepping down to lead the development of a blockchain lab.

Eric van der Kleij, who led London-based Level39 for three years, is returning to Entiq, an innovation consultancy he co-founded in 2013, to explore the real-world applications of blockchain technology.

  • Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
    13:18
    Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
  • Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
    05:10
    Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
  • The first video of the year 2024
    04:07
    The first video of the year 2024
  • The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
    40:07
    The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
  • The lab, van der Kleij said, will seek to help organisations gain a better understanding of distributed ledgers, smart contracts and related technologies.

    He told CoinDesk:

    "The Entiq Lab has undertaken testing of fundamental financial services functions such as territoriality, finality, delivery versus payment and is developing proof of concepts. We are exploring the capabilities of distributed ledger technology and have been approached by a number of financial institutions to see if we can help them develop prototypes."
    Eric van der Kleij
    Eric van der Kleij

    Van der Kleij, a serial entrepreneur and former CEO of the UK Government's Tech City Investment Organisation, is credited with playing a pivotal role in helping Level39 become one of the most prominent accelerators in the European FinTech scene.

    The accelerator, located in London's business district, made headlines earlier this year when Swiss investment bank UBS announced the opening of a blockchain research lab to explore the application of distributed ledgers in the wider financial services industry.

    Canary Wharf image via IR Stone / Shutterstock.com

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information have been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of the Bullish group, which owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish group equity-based compensation. Bullish was incubated by technology investor Block.one.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.