Introduction
We were honored to be in attendance at the Paris Blockchain Week held between the 20th to 24th of March, 2023. It was held in the iconic Carrousel du Louvre. This four-day summit saw leaders and game-changers come together for a successful event. This summit had become a global meeting place for dedicated professionals, crypto enthusiasts, investors, and entrepreneurs.
The Paris Blockchain Week Summit promises to be an exciting and engaging event that will inspire and inform attendees from all around the world. Whether you're a seasoned blockchain expert or just starting out in the industry, there's something for everyone at this year's summit.
— Paris Blockchain Week (@ParisBlockWeek) March 23, 2023The Paris Blockchain Week was divided into three parts. The first day focused on investors, the second day was about web3xp, and the rest of the week was dedicated to the blockchain summit. During the week, essential issues and challenges were addressed to understand better blockchain technology and its role in the future for the attendees.
Agenda and discussion topics of the investor event
The first day of the summit was significant for investors. This specially curated day was to educate investors wishing to invest in blockchain, NFTs, and web3. This event started many discussions surrounding blockchain and its various technologies. There were 100+ screened start-up decks, and we also had an opportunity to attend ten start-up finalists’ pitches.
The topics on the agenda were investing in the future of the web, the token vs. equity dilemma in the web3 investment, and how to pitch web3 to your corporations. The last part of the day was saved for a networking cocktail where investors got direct access to founders and could connect with other investors. The day ended in high spirits, and we could sense a welcoming approach regarding the future of blockchain among the investors.
Some of the notable speakers at this event were Tim Draper, Founder and Managing Partner of Draper Associates, DFJ, and the Draper Venture Network; Igneus Terrenus, BitDAO; Gabin Guélou S.A.M, Blackpool; Dominic Briggs, Blockwall; Gregory Lim, The Block; Michael Amar, V3ntures; Adam Chour, Bpifrance; and Woonsunk Lee, Lead, Global IR Team of Cocone Corp.
It was a very educational first day, and we couldn’t wait to see what the other days held.
The theme of the Web3 event
The web3 event was held on the 21st of March and was the second day of Blockchain Week. Prominent players from major web3 projects were in attendance. This event was termed the blueprint for exploring and planning web3 success. There were more than 160 speakers who did a fantastic job articulating the future and concerns of web3.
Some of the notable speakers Eric Hazan, McKinsey & Company; Michael Amar, Paris Blockchain Week & v3ntures; Jean-Noël Barrot, French Government; Micael Barilaro, Gucci; Othman Chiheb, Microsoft France; Abdel Boazzati, The Coca-Cola Company; Sébastien Borget, The Sandbox; Clément Foucher, METAV.RS; Suk-Jae Chang, Cocone; Aude Smiejan, Web3Advisors; Nicolas Julia, Sorare; Alexis Ohanian, Seven Seven Six; Salah Zalatimo, Voice; Sebastien Devaud (Agoria); Elio Yahchouchi, Givenchy; Amine Boubrik, Gokaden; Anthony Debrant, Sneakmart; Benjamin Eymere , L’Officiel; Jacques-André Fines-Schlumberger, Blockchain for Good; and Alice Liu, CoinMarketCap.
The themes of the event were:
- Keynotes: Value creation in the metaverse; France as the central European hub for web3; how yuga labs plan to usher in a new era of web3; how 16 billion pieces of avatar fashion items have been sold to date; 3 things to prepare before a bull run; frontier of the crypto market by coinmarketcap insight; how web3 can disrupt education; the era of open stories; NFT markets and their place in the future; and art in web3 & creators economy.
- Future with web3: What are the building blocks for real-world tokenization to take off; shaping the future of hospitality in web3; how web3 will transform the business worldwide; fiat metaverse; and investing in the future of web3.
- Brands and web3 economy: Why does your brand need the metaverse; opportunities and game-changers in web3; web3 and brands success stories; connecting phygital in web3; how is web3 changing the face of the sport and luxury brands; and how to onboard a new generation.
- Marketing in web3: Steps to position your web2 brand to web3; web3 ethics challenges; web3 marketing opportunities; and more security for mass adoption.
- Investing in web3 culture and entertainment: what’s needed to restart NFTs; exploring the hottest investment opportunities in web3; web3 & entertainment industry; and how web3 is transforming the gaming industry.
The event successfully brought up the attendees’ spirits after the tough year everyone faced with blockchain technology. Many of the discussion topics were a need of the hour as they addressed the collective concerns of the participants of the web3 economy.
Paris Blockchain Summit
This two-day summit held on the 22nd and 23rd of March ushered in a plethora of agendas. This summit explored the latest developments in blockchain technology. This was the main highlight of blockchain week and had the highest number of speakers and attendees. More than 270 speakers and over 6000 people attended this two-day event. This shows how people are slowly accepting the future of the internet.
The two-day event covered a wide range of topics. Also, it introduced new viewpoints on the crypto and blockchain industry. The entire event was divided into five themes, each addressing its concerns and developments, keeping in mind the current bear state of the market. The biggest problem for crypto investment is security and public policy. Both were aptly addressed, and we could sense growing confidence amongst the attendees.
Main content themes
- Keynotes: Crypto trends; blockchain’s real-world impact; the decentralization of everything; the vision of web3; transition to blockchain; 2023 crypto theses; the blockchain for good, Ukraine & UN high commission for refugees use case; empowering the future of crypto; and the future of wallet security.
- Tech builders: Metaverse and AI and web2/ web3: do we have to choose?
- Public policy: MiCA: how is the EU regulating crypto; the KYC challenge; are CBDCS the future; the ethics of web3; and metaverse regulation: do’s and don’ts.
- Enterprise blockchain: Getting the best of a web3 conference; refining the future of climate finance on chain; how can your business leverage digital assets; NFT gaming & metaverse; and user experience: the key to mass adoption.
- Open finance: The best tools for your digital finance strategy; FTX, luna, celsius, the tokenization of financial assets; protect yourself from scams: DYOR; and how to navigate DeFi.
Some notable speakers:
- Joseph Lubin, Ethereum / ConsenSys
- Zahreddine Touag, Woorton
- Henri Arslanian, Nine Blocks Capital Management
- Gundars Ostrovskis, EU Commission
- Janet Ho, Chainalysis
- Emily E Coleman, Messari
- David Bickford, CoinDesk
- Sunita Khatri, Future Blockchain Summit, Dubai World Trade Centre
- Patrick McGregor, Coinbase
- Matthew Savarese, Nasdaq Digital Assets
- Morgan McKenney, Provenance Blockchain Foundation
- Arun Maharajan, UNICEF
- Sanna Bedi, UNICEF Ventures Fund
- Richard Widmann, Google
- Alla Zhedik, TEMPO France
- Katharine Wooller, Coincover
- Andrei Kazantsev, Goldman Sachs
- Richard Teng, Binance
- Austin Federa, Solana Foundation
- Brian Felsen, Massa Labs
- Ryan Selkis, Messari
- Arnaud Pelletier, IBM Consulting France
- Mark Heynen, Stellar Development Foundation
- Carmen Hett, UNHCR
Conclusion
The Paris Blockchain Week was a great success. Apart from the standard panel and presentation sessions, this summit also gave every person present ample time to connect and socialize with other web3 enthusiasts, key players, and leaders in the field of blockchain. The line-up of speakers was impressive, and despite a bear market, the enthusiasm amongst the crowd was fantastic.
