Melbourne is one of those cities that went through a gold rush and was able to fully capitalize on its newfound wealth for many decades. Over the last few years, Melbourne has been gradually preparing for what very well could be its second gold rush, but this time it will be centered on digital currencies and blockchain development.

With a diverse population greater than five million in 2021, Melbourne got a head start in terms of crypto interest as early as 2015, when a series of meetings were held on a weekly basis at a permanent facility that eventually became the Blockchain Center. A couple of years prior to these meetings, cryptocurrency entrepreneurs in Melbourne took advantage of their city's business-friendly climate for the purpose of setting up exchanges and online trading platforms.

A lot of digital currency-related projects were started and developed in Melbourne during 2016, and since then it has consistently been developing as a digital currency hub, which also includes being named one of the top blockchain capitals of the world in 2018.

If you're planning on traveling to Melbourne, you will probably be surprised by the city's fast-growing enthusiasm for the financial tech industry. According to researchers who have conducted studies on the digital currency industry in Australia, there are more than 200 exchanges and related projects currently operating in the country. However, the number is expected to grow further, especially considering the large number of crypto-related projects in other cities like Sydney.

One of Melbourne's more active groups for digital currency projects is the Victorian Blockchain Association. Founded in early 2016, the association quickly began to develop and advocate for more awareness about blockchain technology and digital currencies. These initiatives led to the launch of an annual conference, the Victorian Blockchain Conference.

The first edition of the event was held in May 2017. It was an annual event where blockchain leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs from all over the world came together to share knowledge and discuss the state of the art and future trends in the digital currency and blockchain technology markets. All in all, it is safe to say that Melbourne has become the crypto capital of Australia.