2025-07-09
29 minutes

Ep 52: Rethinking Cities with Blockchain ft. Former Lord Mayor of London Michael Mainelli

Regulation
Use Cases
Security

About this episode

Michael Mainelli, former Lord Mayor of London, joins Owl Explains to unpack how blockchain can help cities govern smarter: from planning records to transit data. From congestion charges to building permits, Mainelli explains why cities need better memory systems and not just better apps. It’s local meets ledger, and a reminder that blockchain’s real power might lie in fixing what cities forget to track.

🎧 Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Guests

Michael Mainelli

Michael Mainelli

Economist and former Lord Mayor of the City of London

Sylvia Sanchez

Sylvia Sanchez

Project Manager at Ava Labs • Owl Explains Host

Hootenannies

Hootenannies are informal gatherings where folk musicians would jam in front of a crowd. In the same spirit, we like to bring together blockchain innovators, lawyers, technologists and policymakers for laid-back conversations on the regulatory landscape of Web3.