Hello Hackernoon community!
I'm Daria Strategy, sharing my firsthand experience at EthCC [7], Europe’s largest Ethereum-focused event. With 350+ speakers and 400+ side events, this year’s conference in Brussels (relocated from Paris due to the Olympics) was a hub for blockchain innovation.
Key Attendees and Themes
Sponsors and speakers included industry leaders like Circle, Chainlink, ZKsync, Arbitrum, Optimism, Aave, Lens Protocol, Celestia, and more. Discussions spanned:
Top Trends at EthCC 2024
Web3 UX Challenges & Solutions
- Poor user experience remains a barrier to mass adoption.
- Account Abstraction (AA) emerged as a solution to simplify onboarding.
- High gas fees, slow transactions, and complex interfaces were critiqued.
Infrastructure Wars
- Competition among L2s (e.g., ZKsync, Arbitrum) for dominance.
- Overinvestment in infrastructure vs. consumer-facing dApps.
Zero-Knowledge (ZK) Proofs
- ZKsync’s "Eli5 Book" made ZK concepts accessible with playful analogies.
- ZK tech is pivotal for scalability and security.
Marketing in Web3
- AI and blockchain tools are transforming engagement.
- Demand for integrated analytics (Google + on-chain data).
- Apple Vision Pro poised to revolutionize AR/VR marketing.
Safety in Brussels
- Attendees advised caution due to isolated thefts.
Highlights Beyond the Main Stage
Side Events
- Crypto Girls Club’s Builders' Brunch: Focused on DeFi UX.
- Cartesi’s Modular Security Debate: Featured Bankless’ David Hoffman.
- Aave’s Open Finance Day: Collaborations with Chainlink, Uniswap, Aptos.
Women in Blockchain
- SheFi Summit: Empowered female leaders in web3.
- Growing representation in marketing, DevRel, and engineering roles.
Networking & Parties
- ZK Sante (ZKsync community): Laid-back networking.
- Avara’s Rose-Themed Rave: Fashionable fun with industry peers.
Conclusion
Missed EthCC? Watch all talks here. The event reinforced the importance of open collaboration in Ethereum’s growth.
👉 Explore more blockchain insights
FAQs
Q: What was the most talked-about tech at EthCC?
A: Zero-knowledge proofs, especially ZKsync’s approach to scalability.
Q: How can Web3 improve UX?
A: Via account abstraction, lower fees, and intuitive design.
Q: What’s next for EthCC?
A: 2025’s edition heads to Cannes!
Announcement
Join me at ETHWarsaw (Sept 5–8, 2024) for workshops and hacking!
👉 Discover upcoming blockchain events
Follow me on LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.
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- EthCC 2024
- Blockchain conference
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