Gabriel Abed

Gabriel Abed is widely recognised as a leading authority on digital currencies, math-based protocols and blockchain technology global- ly, and is the first entrepreneur to establish a blockchain company in the Caribbean. The Barbados-based entrepreneur is international- ly-acknowledged as a pioneer in the digital currency evolution, having initiated the first global movement to encourage the use of Central Bank digital currencies. Abed has led presentations and engaged in discussions with the Caribbean Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the United Nations, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and at various fora organised by Central Banks globally.

In 2010, Abed began studying blockchain technology at the University of Ontario where he graduated with honours in Information Network Systems. Several months later, he established the Caribbean’s first blockchain company, BitEdge. In 2011, he set-up and ran the largest cryptocurrency mining operation in the Caribbean. In 2014, he co-founded Bitt Inc. in Barbados, whose current clients include the Central Banks of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. During his tenure as CEO, Bitt raised $16M USD in 2016 from interna- tional investors. Currently, Bitt is known for its application of mMoney, which is championed by Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and has seen widespread adoption across services in Barba- dos including large merchants such as The Sol group, ICBL (Insurance Corporation of Barbados Limited) and other 500+ merchants which comprises of local restaurants and other business entities.

In April 2018, Abed was appointed as the Special Technology Advisor to the Honourable David Burt, Premier of Bermuda and has been advising the Premier and his government on establishing their policies and best practices related to blockchain and cryptocurren- cies, as well as creating a vision for the nation to create a new industry for its future growth and economic prosperity. In January 2018, Abed coined the term “government as a service” (GAAS), referring to a project undertaken with Bermuda to create the world’s first block- chain-based government framework for export globally. In February 2019, Abed’s vision for GAAS was referenced by the CEO of Overstock, a large US public company, in an article.

In addition to his many business ventures, Abed also believes in creat- ing an environmentally sustainable Caribbean, and has launched several initiatives including the Sargassum Seaweed Clean up Project and the Fruit Tree Project, a pilot that involves planting fruit trees across Barbados for the purpose of distribution in public schools and hospitals, the first trees of which were planted in October 2018.