SBC Summit brings Web3 Academy, blockchain track to Lisbon

It’s been a pleasure to witness the iGaming industry’s evolution from its niche beginnings to a wild-west explosion of growth, culminating in the mature, regulated space we have today. Much to my nostalgic delight, the blockchain space feels like it’s on the same trajectory. 

• Lisbon prepares for SBC Summit 2026
• Blockchain without the jargon
• Web3’s untapped iGaming potential

Focusing on the intersection of blockchain and iGaming for CoinGeek takes me back 20 years… we are in the early stages, with blockchain tech on the verge of an imminent explosion. It’s so exciting. It makes me feel young again!

Fortunately, the iGaming industry has event organizers like SBC who are on top of the latest tech and provide opportunities for professionals to gather and learn. Later this month at SBC Summit 2026, the iGaming industry will have an incredible opportunity to explore blockchain, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it. 

The SBC Summit is SBC’s global flagship event, bringing together over 40,000 iGaming professionals in Lisbon from September 29 to October 1. The details are eye-watering, with a packed three-day conference agenda, workshops, tech academies, a huge list of networking events, show-floor delights, and over 800 exhibitors and sponsors to explore. 

While there is so much happening at the Summit, including elite speakers such as basketball star Michael Jordan, DraftKings CEO, and Sportradar CEO & Founder Carsten Koerl, I’d like to bring your attention to the Web3 Academy on September 30 and the Payment Expert Summit Crypto and Blockchain track on October 1.

We at CoinGeek have been talking about blockchain and iGaming for over five years, but we were ahead of the times. I’m finally starting to see other news outlets, such as iGaming Expert (part of the SBC family), feature articles that emphasize blockchain’s powers for iGaming that go far beyond payments, a sign that the iGaming industry is catching up. This is the time to get educated on what’s possible with blockchain, and SBC agrees.

“Crypto and blockchain have become too significant to treat as a side conversation within payments,” shared Jacob Booth, Conference Producer at SBC. 

“For operators, the discussion has moved beyond whether crypto is simply an alternative way for players to deposit. We’re now looking at stablecoins, cross-border payments, settlement, transaction speed, transparency, AML (anti-money laundering), regulation, and how these technologies can fit into the wider payments infrastructure,” he said.

When asked who will benefit from attending the crypto and blockchain track, Booth emphasized that the content will apply to the broader SBC audience.

“In terms of technical depth, it will be accessible but substantive. You don’t need to be a blockchain developer to get value from it. We’ll explain the technology where necessary, but the focus is on the business implications: how crypto payments work in practice, how operators can manage AML and regulatory requirements, how blockchain can improve transparency, and where these technologies can genuinely improve the player or operational experience,” he said.

“For people who do have a deeper technical understanding, there will also be opportunities to get into the infrastructure and implementation side,” Booth added.

He also emphasized the track won’t have a “crypto is the future” theme; rather, it will be designed to address where the technology works today, where it creates an advantage, what the barriers to adoption are, and what the industry needs to do to make it work in regulated markets.

“The industry has moved on from the initial Web3 hype, and we’re now at a point where operators and payment companies need to distinguish between technology that sounds exciting and technology that can actually solve a business problem,” he said.

Within this track, I will be moderating several panels and look forward to shaping the discussion. I will also be chairing the Web3 Academy, a more practical, hands-on experience for professionals who are curious about blockchain and where it creates genuine value within the iGaming industry.

“We want attendees to leave with a much clearer understanding of what is commercially crypto payments, stablecoins, blockchain transparency, and digital assets can actually be applied within a business,” Booth revealed

“It’s deliberately practical, and there are lessons to be learned from sessions. Attendees will hear from people working with these technologies, explore real-world use cases, see blockchain transparency demonstrated in practice, and look at how Web3 can be integrated into existing products and platforms without compromising compliance, player protection, or user experience,” he said.

Simit Naik of Teranode Group will open the Academy with a 30-minute presentation, a professional who has been working in the iGaming and blockchain space for nearly 10 years.

“I will be exploring Web3 and what it really means, and how we move away from this as a generic term and dive deeper into how some of the concepts start to deliver value for iGaming operators, brands, affiliates, and end users,” he shared.

“Aside from digital payments, blockchain, and AI, there are significant value drivers we can look at, and this session will explore these and what they enable,” Naik added.

Brett Calapp, CEO and Co-Founder of Turnt Gaming and Wandando, brings several decades of experience to the table and will be speaking at the Academy and on the crypto and blockchain track. 

“Most people in gaming view crypto as payment rails and provable fairness. Fine, but they only matter to people already on chain, and most of the world isn’t,” he pointed out.

“The opportunity today is what the technology lets you build that you couldn’t before. New and faster game types, digital assets tied to real-world assets, formats that bring in new audiences. We are still very early, which for someone like me is extremely exciting,” he added.

Source: coingeek.com