What does the future hold? The near future — the distant future?

Some people never cease to ask these questions, and some try to avoid them at all costs. Of course, a person’s attitude towards the future often depends on his or her perspective.

For some, understanding and preparing for the future is the very reason for their existence. Curiosity, amazement and excitement lead them to peer into the future even as they push forward into it.

For others, fear or apprehension of changing the status quo creates a mental (if not physical) block preventing them from even considering what might just be around the corner.

For instance, take banking; whole sectors of this industry are founded on the fact that their position as gatekeepers and controllers of data, services and access to capital remain unchanged. Their existence relies on the fact that the future looks exactly like the present.

A similar premise applies to asset and wealth management. As long as current processes (often lengthy, cumbersome and complicated) remain the same, the top players in the field retain their desired control.

Moreover, then there are lawyers — ah the lawyers…

One could say that their role down through the centuries has also been that of passive interpreter and explainer of current rules and regulations — like oracles of old, providing wisdom and learned advice, without much concern for what tomorrow may bring. After all their goal is not to shape the future, but rather to control the present

Then along comes technology.

Like a turbo booster to the slow-moving train of time, it has brought the distant future into the here and now — BAM! Innovation everywhere and the dreaded word “disruption” on the lips of every future-thinking executive.

Surprisingly enough, this is where lawyers have shined.

One prime example is the world of blockchain and Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). If you travel to Zug, the small city in Switzerland at the heart of the crypto craze, you can visit the very office (and the very room) where Ethereum Wunderkind, Vitalik Buterin and company sat down with lawyers from MME Legal and laid the groundwork for one of the most significant ICOs.

On that day — someone (several someones actually) were looking into the future and looking beyond what they knew to what could be. For once, lawyers helped shape the future, working hand-in-hand with technology.

However, that is already in the past — and we are interested in the future.

On 13 March, The Near Future Summit (held in Zürs, Austria) will offer a small (yet significant) window into what may — or may not — be over the horizon in the world of technology and business.

Zürs am Arlberg

Contract Vault Co-Founder Perica Grasarevic will be there along with David Rowan, UK Editor of WIRED Magazine, Roger Wattenhofer, Professor of the ETH Zurich, Dorothee Ritz from Microsoft Austria and Alexander Windbichler, CEO of Anexia.

We are proud to be influencing the future not just waiting for it to come, but also actually pushing into it, shaping it and hopefully making it better.

How exactly, you may ask?

Stay tuned for our blog series focused on Contract Vault Use Cases!

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