The last year for crypto has been tumultuous, to say the least. Crypto implosions galore, coupled with a bleak macroeconomic outlook, have had a cascading impact on the crypto market. The turn of the year, however, has shown promising signs. The recent spate of banking collapses might have just ignited the rebuilding process for crypto. What we also see in the aftermath of the FTX collapse is an increased emphasis on the need for regulation and policymaking. Though the United States and the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) remain at loggerheads, the European Union has taken a giant leap toward regulatory clarity. Against this backdrop, we were in attendance at Consensus, the world’s leading crypto, and web3 event.
Consensus is a three-day crypto and Web3 conference hosted by CoinDesk and held annually in Austin, Texas. Since its inception in 2015, the event has served as a forum for the most influential figures in the crypto and Web3 community to congregate and collaborate on the future of finance and the digital economy.
Our Experience at Consensus 2023
Given the ambiguous narrative surrounding crypto regulation and the market healing from last year’s events, we were eager to gain insights on the path forward for the industry at Consensus. We arrived at Austin with a sense of buoyancy, not just because the event coincided with a healthy recovery for Bitcoin and the entire market but by the sheer scale and size of the conference.
🌐🤠 @0xDroomDroom at #Consensus2023 in Austin, Texas🌟
Join as we dive into cutting-edge decentralized tech, meet incredible innovators, & witness the future of web3 unfold🔮🚀
Stay tuned for live updates, exclusive interviews & mind-blowing insights!🎥 pic.twitter.com/chwhQzUwqk
— DroomDroom (@0xDroomDroom) April 26, 2023What was more remarkable was the turnout in the midst of a so-called crypto winter. This was certainly a promising juxtaposition showing the degree of confidence in the space and just how far the industry has come.
Across the three-day event, we witnessed the growth and innovation taking place in web3. We interacted with projects covering every corner of crypto, blockchain, the metaverse, web3, and beyond, all with the goal of a more decentralized future. Something that really struck us was that it was clear that these projects were undeterred by the macro fear, uncertainty, and doubt.
Apart from the innovation taking place behind the scenes, we also had the opportunity to listen to and meet some of the most influential visionaries in the space.
🌟Just had the pleasure of meeting the inspiring @sandy_carter, a true trailblazer in the #web3 space!
🚀Her dedication to decentralizing the internet, while still prioritizing family-first values, left me in awe.
🌐So grateful for our human connection & shared passion for… pic.twitter.com/ufYevOpJPM
— DroomDroom (@0xDroomDroom) April 28, 2023Speakers
Spread across 10+ stages, leading figures in the web3 community reflected on the past, showcased innovation, and looked to the future. Across the wide range of topics covered over the three days, we noticed an underlying emphasis on crypto security, regulation, risk management, and the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI). What was encouraging to see was that keynotes on crypto policymaking were held with speakers in the TradFi world and government representatives. Some notable speakers included:
- Jenny Johnson: President and CEO — Franklin Templeton
- Daniel Alegre: CEO — Yuga Labs
- Christy Goldsmith Romero: Commissioner — U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
- Jeremy Allaire: Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO — Circle
- Balaji Srinivasan: Founder — The Network State
- Chelsea Manning: Security Consultant — Nym Technologies
- Rep. Patrick McHenry: Chairman, House Financial Services Committee — US House of Representatives
- Caitlin Long: Founder and CEO — Custodia Bank
- Cynthia Lummins: U.S. Senator, WY — U.S. Senate
- Edward Snowden: President — Freedom of the Press Foundation
- Anthony Scaramucci: Founder, Managing Partner — SkyBridge Capital
The entire list of speakers in attendance at Consensus 2023 can be found here.
Closing Thoughts
Crypto conferences usually leave you with a sense of optimism. Perhaps it’s because you are surrounded by like-minded folk building a future together. While Consensus 2023 certainly had this impact on us, the mixture of speakers from the TradFi world and government representatives joining in on the discussions about the future of crypto gave us a sense of direction for our industry. Moreover, it really came home to us that this sector isn’t going anywhere after interacting with a myriad of projects continuing to build.
With Bitcoin’s halving scheduled to take place a little less than a year from now and the prospect of regulation taking shape, it will be exciting to see where we are when Consensus 2024 comes along.
