The Blockchain Connect Conference which is scheduled to take place in San Francisco on 26th January 2018 will be the first major conference to focus on how the Blockchain markets of the world\'s two largest economies, the U.S. and China, cooperate with each other.

Up until September 2017, when the People\'s Bank of China issued a decree banning Initial Coin Offerings closing all local bitcoin exchanges, the country was host to the world\'s greatest share of trading volume and bitcoin mining power.

The ban caused many traders to flee to Japan, which has developed a regulatory environment which encourages Bitcoin and Blockchain technology. However, China is still a big player, as some Blockchain tech companies and traders have continued to defy the Chinese government. 

The U.S. government is yet to decide how to regulate cryptocurrency technology and the associated trading, but the country remains a fertile ground for companies which specialise in Blockchain technology, which many industry leaders such as BitPay and Coinbase operating from within the country. The recent launch of Bitcoin futures trading on U.S. exchanges has also provided a boost to the sector. 

The Blockchain Connect Conference is hoping that it can help to build bridges between the two markets when industry experts and opinion leaders from both countries meet during the event.