In this special episode recorded live at the Blockchain Ireland Summit 2025, host Sebastian Grube sits down with Dirk Hermans, Innovation and Blockchain Lead at KBC Bank & Insurance, for a warm and insightful chat about where blockchain is heading in the world of traditional finance. With nearly a decade of hands-on experience in blockchain, Dirk brings a thoughtful, no-nonsense perspective on what’s real, what’s hype, and how a major European bank is navigating the shifting tides of digital innovation.
Dirk reflects on his return to the Irish blockchain scene and shares why he sees Ireland as a standout hub for innovation. Spoiler: it’s all about collaboration. From regulators to startups to universities, the Irish ecosystem has something special going on—and Dirk isn’t shy about giving it credit. He also highlights his favourite speaker from the day, Jón Egilsson of Monerium, and discusses how Europe can do more to own its digital future.
The conversation explores how traditional finance and decentralised finance are no longer on opposite sides of the room. According to Dirk, they’re not married yet, but they’re definitely flirting. Topics range from the rise of stablecoins and real-world asset tokenisation to whether banks like KBC should offer their own crypto wallets. It’s not just about innovation for innovation’s sake—it’s about real use cases, regulatory readiness, and customer needs.
Dirk also shares KBC’s blockchain journey so far, including their own private blockchain initiative and the lessons learned along the way (yes, some experiments didn’t go quite as planned, and he’s totally cool talking about that). Looking ahead to the rest of 2025, KBC will be exploring whether it’s time to move from private to public blockchain infrastructure—and what role a trusted bank can play in that transition.
With a mix of humour, honesty, and genuine curiosity, this episode captures a moment of reflection and forward-thinking from one of Europe’s leading financial institutions. Whether you're a blockchain enthusiast or just blockchain-curious, Dirk’s grounded perspective is a breath of fresh air in a space that’s often high on hype and low on clarity.
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Available on the Blockchain Ireland website: https://www.blockchainireland.ie/podcasts/
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Host: Sebastian Grube - Co-Chair of Events and Communication Working Group
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastiangrube/
Name: Dirk Hermans - Blockchain Lead, KBC Bank & Insurance
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkhermans/
https://www.kbc.be/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/kbc-bank-en-verzekering/
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About Blockchain Ireland
Blockchain Ireland is an initiative aimed at promoting and enhancing Ireland's position as a global hub for blockchain technology. It was launched by the Irish Blockchain Expert Group (IBEG), led by IDA Ireland, and includes a collaboration of Irish-based organisations.
The main goals of Blockchain Ireland are to serve as a central source of information on the growing blockchain, crypto and Web3 ecosystem, to support the development of blockchain technology in Ireland, and to create awareness of industry developments both nationally and internationally.
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