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Head of London FinTech Hub Steps Down to Lead Blockchain Lab

Head of London FinTech Hub Steps Down to Lead Blockchain Lab

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.

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

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

By Yessi Bello Perez
AccessTimeIconOct 1, 2015, 12:30 PM
Updated Aug 18, 2021, 4:14 PM
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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.

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

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

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