This decision follows a clear assessment of the past editions and of the broader local and regional ecosystem.

While the event continued to be valuable for networking and crypto awareness, interest declined on both the participant and sponsor sides. At the same time, hackathon participation grew and the quality of ideas improved, but ETH Bucharest did not succeed in consistently helping teams move forward after the hackathon ended.

Romania has strong technical talent. What it lacks is a sufficient number of entrepreneurs willing to turn that talent into sustainable blockchain companies. The gap between builders and builders-with-direction remains real.

There is also a hard truth: many want access, visibility, and opportunity, but far fewer are willing to pay for it. That model does not support long-term value creation.

What happens next

2026 will be a year of transformation.

ETH Bucharest will evolve into a new structure with two clear pillars:

1. Education
   Becoming the go-to place for anyone who wants to seriously explore blockchain beyond hype, beyond surface-level content.

2. Founder Enablement
   Actively supporting teams in moving from testnet to mainnet, with real support, real accountability, and real outcomes.

The focus going forward is simple:
real ROI, real value creation, no fluff.

The ecosystem does not need another conference for the sake of having one. It needs structures that help good ideas survive, scale, and ship.

Updates on the new format and initiatives will be shared throughout 2026.

To follow the transition and upcoming initiatives, subscribe to the official ETH Bucharest Newsletter

LFG 🔥

This decision follows a clear assessment of the past editions and of the broader local and regional ecosystem.

While the event continued to be valuable for networking and crypto awareness, interest declined on both the participant and sponsor sides. At the same time, hackathon participation grew and the quality of ideas improved, but ETH Bucharest did not succeed in consistently helping teams move forward after the hackathon ended.

Romania has strong technical talent. What it lacks is a sufficient number of entrepreneurs willing to turn that talent into sustainable blockchain companies. The gap between builders and builders-with-direction remains real.

There is also a hard truth: many want access, visibility, and opportunity, but far fewer are willing to pay for it. That model does not support long-term value creation.

What happens next

2026 will be a year of transformation.

ETH Bucharest will evolve into a new structure with two clear pillars:

1. Education
   Becoming the go-to place for anyone who wants to seriously explore blockchain beyond hype, beyond surface-level content.

2. Founder Enablement
   Actively supporting teams in moving from testnet to mainnet, with real support, real accountability, and real outcomes.

The focus going forward is simple:
real ROI, real value creation, no fluff.

The ecosystem does not need another conference for the sake of having one. It needs structures that help good ideas survive, scale, and ship.

Updates on the new format and initiatives will be shared throughout 2026.

To follow the transition and upcoming initiatives, subscribe to the official ETH Bucharest Newsletter

LFG 🔥