I spent an awesome week in Paris where the crypto world converged for the next installment of its conference season. This was my first "attendance" at EthCC, albeit without actually setting foot at the main event. As ironic as it may sound, this is also my maiden voyage to a crypto conference with no intention of participating directly. However, the Ethereum Community Conference (EthCC) week unfolded just as I had imagined - an incredible few days of engaging meetings with clients, partners, friends, investors, and other stakeholders from the broader crypto ecosystem.
My main takeaway is that Ethereum continues to expand its reach, with three main prongs of importance almost paralleling the "ETH as a triple-point asset" thesis from early 2021: 1) the Ethereum blockchain itself, 2) Ethereum as the security layer for a wide-array of L2s/scaling solutions, and 3) the EVM as main programming language and inspiration for new L1s.
In my dual role as the Sr. Director of web3 Business Development at Fireblocks and a personal NFT collector/advisor/founder, I'm fortunate to be able to mix business and pleasure at such events. These gatherings not only offer a chance to attend a bunch of social events with my internet friends but also grant me a unique vantage point in the broader crypto ecosystem, given the central role Fireblocks plays. From that, I have a mix of positive takeaways and areas I'd earmark for improvement.
Starting with the bright spots, the Ethereum building community continues to astonish me with its blend of intellect, entrepreneurial spirit, curiosity, technological innovation, and a sprinkle of weirdness that is so uniquely 'crypto'. Ethereum's stronghold is evident in its attracting some of the best builders, investors, artists, and users over the past few years. The sight of Punks, Ethereum-native cryptoart adorning street murals and museum galleries in Paris - the cultural epicenter of the world - was nothing short of spectacular. While I'm a staunch believer in a multi-chain future, it's abundantly clear that Ethereum is the crucible of innovation fostering our blockchain future.
On the flip side, there are areas that could use some help. It's apparent that while the crypto builder community is bursting with talent, there's a shortfall of commercial guidance. Many ongoing projects seem either redundant or not precisely tailored to amplify the appeal of web3/DeFi/crypto for non-natives. In addition, a multitude of projects lack sufficient distribution or an effective strategy for product-market fit testing. One potential solution could involve larger, experienced funds acting as incubators rather than purely investors. However, it's evident that this space needs considerable assistance in this regard. Hayden tweeted something along similar lines this morning:
I want more crypto projects that try to disrupt popular web2 apps using crypto superpowers to discover new use cases rather than building marginal improvements on the few existing use cases (AMMs, lending, etc)
Vampire attack web2, not uniswap for the 5000th time
Vampire attack web2, not uniswap for the 5000th time
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Lastly on the personal side, Paris remains an enchanting city, and this week has only reinforced my love for it. From my first solo trip abroad in 1999 to more recent, deeply personal milestones like getting engaged at the Champ de Mars, Paris holds a special place in my heart. Seeing Paris at the forefront of web3 innovation makes me excited for future visits - excluding next year, of course, when the Olympics will cause EthCC to relocate to Belgium. Au revoir mfers!