VC Insights: How to Make a Winning Web3 Startup Pitch

Startup pitching tips from VCs

The European Blockchain Convention is welcoming the Top 50 European early-stage startups to pitch on stage in front of their 5,000 attendees and VC investors. The startup pitch will cover topics from DeFi, crypto, gaming, NFTs, ReFi and sustainability, and blockchain infrastructure to security.

The 50 finalists of the Startup Battle can be found here đź’ˇ

To further assist the 50 finalists in crafting winning pitches and keep growing after the event, the European Blockchain Convention engaged in discussions with two experienced VC experts. These experts have generously shared invaluable insights on how to craft a winning startup pitch and what VCs really want to hear from startup founders!

VC Experts Profile

Jury member: Jeddi Mees

Company: Fabric Ventures

Expertise: Gaming, NFT, DeFi, Blockchain Infrastructure, Metaverse, Identity & KYC Solutions, Wallets & Security

Short bio: Over the past 6 years Jeddi has dedicated himself to his entrepreneurial journey having founded 4 businesses, and launching a sold-out NFT collection. Jeddi has bootstrapped 3 e-commerce projects whilst exiting on 1. He also has years of start-up mentoring experience, where he has mentored over 200 founders. Jeddi has been a Web3 user, investor, and growth advisor since 2019.

Jury member: Mahsa Doorfard

Company: coinIX

Expertise: Blockchain infrastructure and Sustainability

Short bio: Since January 2023, Mahsa has embraced the role of the Sales and Marketing Manager at coinIX; a blockchain investment firm based in Hamburg. She is one of the DLT and ReFi talents of the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and her ambition revolves around fostering greater female representation within the Web3 ecosystem.

What are the key criteria that VCs prioritize when evaluating an early-stage Web3 startup pitch?

Jeddi thinks that the criteria remain the same no matter whether the startup is in Web3 or other industries. He raised three important points for early-stage startup founders to consider when making their pitches:

  • Do the founders have expertise in the domain they want to cover? This expertise allows them to have a unique perspective on a problem, known as founder-market fit.
  • Does the problem they wish to solve cover a sufficiently large and growing market?
  • The ability of the founders to focus on the right metrics and the right problems at each stage of the project’s evolution.

When presenting a pitch, it’s essential to articulate the problem clearly, emphasizing its longstanding nature and the team’s solution. The product section should convey the value proposition, supplemented by a demo and testimonials. The market discussion should be concise, focusing on the real target audience and the startup’s unique positioning.

Moreover, the pitch deck should also outline the business model and emphasize relevant KPIs, avoiding cumulative data. Sharing the company’s journey and the team’s accomplishments adds a human touch. Outlining the roadmap and concluding with a well-structured business or cash plan and a vision statement is also vital, ensuring a comprehensive overview for potential investors.

EBC co-founder Victoria and stage host Joe announced the start of the Startup Pitches at EBC8.

Mahsa proposed some slides for startup founders to include in their pitch decks:

Title slide

It summarizes what you intend to present and it should Include your brand name, logo, company slogan, and email address for investors who want to reach out.

Round Details & the Ask
  • How much have you raised so far? What is the goal? What is your cash burn rate? You can put a range to attract more targets but don’t keep it very wide.
  • Know your CAPEX, OPEX, & working capital.
  • Understand your milestones.
  • Calculate how much cash you need for the first 18-24 months
Value proposition

Problem Addressed & Target Audience
  • What gap in the blockchain industry are you filling?
  • The audience must be able to relate to the problem addressed.
  • Remember that you are solving just one problem. Not more!
Provided Solution
  • Link the problems to your solutions
  • List the already existing solutions and their shortcomings
  • Why are you launching now? Is the timing right? Being too early or too late is not good

Competition & Long-term Market Positioning
  • Your pitch deck should clearly state your methods and strategies for beating the competition. How do you stand out?
  • Use a graph outlining past market growth and potential future growth, so investors can quantify the ROI of their investments
Market Size & Potential

Business & Revenue Model & Tokenomics
  • Create a basic outline of your business model (pricing, who will be paying for the service? Options for cross-selling and upselling)
  • Focus on one or two main revenue streams. Don’t mention a lot. 
  • Show the possibilities for your future revenue, along with your reasoning for them. Try out multiple business models to see what might work best in your case.
Technology
  • Do you really need Blockchain? Why?
  • Which Blockchains are used?
  • Is the platform launched?

Image source: Unsplash.

What are some common mistakes to avoid during the pitch?

Based on her experiences in VC, Mahsa shared several common mistakes that she’s observed over the years.

Lack of catchy opening & coherent narrative

Mahsa recommends using a more attractive business story that can grip investors within the first few seconds.

Information overdose

Don’t dive into irrelevant technicalities and product features

Lack of vision & strategy

You should know where you see yourself in 5 years and summarize it in a sentence. Avoid stating you are the only one doing this or you are the pioneer in the industry.

Not understanding the market & why now

Not understanding the market & why now

Don’t forget to say why you are launching now. Timing is everything!

Bad Business Model

Don’t over-diversify revenue streams

Poor competition slide

Don’t focus on insignificant competitors!

Weak team slide

Just mentioning the name and role is not enough. Say why did you choose them! What makes each team member stand out?

Pitching to the wrong investor

Research the VC firm before applying. Who is the right person to talk to? In which areas do they invest? Does it include your project? Do they have a history of investing in businesses like yours?

The winner of the EBC Award startup pitches in February 2023.

How important is the team’s expertise and experience? What specific attributes do you look for in the team?

Mahsa stated that the team’s experience and reputation are very important. What makes the team unique? She suggested each founder highlight the two or three achievements and roles of every member which is relevant to the project in bullet points.

Jeddi also agreed that the expertise of the team is crucial, and it often comes hand-in-hand with experience. He believed that with both expertise and experience, the startup could spot unique problems and develop innovative solutions that others might not see.

Image source: Unsplash.

Pitching to VCs can be daunting for founders. How can startup presenters effectively convey their vision and value proposition when pitching to VCs?

According to Jeddi, to prepare a good startup pitch, preparation and understanding your audience are a good start. During the pitch, the presenters should demonstrate the product, showcase the team, and clearly share the company vision. Founders can also create a story about why they started the company and why they decided to tackle this specific problem, especially for founders with technical backgrounds.

The main goal of meeting VC investors is to secure a follow-up meeting since it’s rare to close a deal right after the pitch. It’s thus important to focus on potential investors and schedule several meetings. Listen attentively, establish a connection with the audience, and be open to discussions. Last, Jeddi shared that every meeting should conclude with clear next steps to avoid ambiguity.

After preparing the slides, Mahsa shared a few tips for startup founders to reflect on and examine their pitch deck:

  • Does the story make sense?
  • Is my opening gripping enough to make them want to continue reading?
  • Does the narrative have a consistent flow?
  • Is the storyline memorable? Does it elicit emotion?
  • Stick to what investors want to see, not what you want to say. 
  • Keep a minimum of 10 slides and make sure not to have more than 19 slides.
  • Show that you have a vision. You should know where you see yourself in 5 years and should be able to summarize it in a sentence.

Startup founders should also be able to answer these questions:

  • How will your company stand out in the industry?
  • What will your brand be recognized for?
  • What kind of growth will you achieve?
  • Will you become a leader in a niche?
  • What markets will you conquer?
VC experts gave advice to Web3 startups at EBC8.

Given the fast-paced and dynamic nature of the crypto industry, how can early-stage startups stay relevant and adapt to changing market conditions?

For Jeddi, the answer is simple: listen to your users. He thinks that users should always be the founder’s only focus while Mahsa also agrees with the importance of staying in touch with the community and the ecosystem.

Mahsa also thinks that in order for a startup to keep growing, the team has to research regularly and never stop learning. Founders should be willing to invest in the employees’ development.

Furthermore, the ability to pivot is also essential for startups in the Web3 space, and founders should keep their business models flexible to adapt to new technologies when needed.

What specific areas do you think will potentially grow in the crypto space? What areas is your company focusing on investing in?

According to Mahsa, coinIX invests in blockchain infrastructure and is focused on the Ethereum blockchain. Most of the projects that coiniX has invested in are either getting built on top of Ethereum or are offering Ethereum scalability solutions. Tokenization projects and the DePIN sector are interesting for them.

On the other hand, Jeddi from Fabric Ventures thinks open Loyalty and commerce graphs, collectively owned content, open finance, gaming, open payments, open-source/AI, open infrastructure, open work, and contribution economy are some interesting areas for Web3.

VC experts discussed the Web3 investing opportunities in 2023 at EBC8.

Can you share some examples of a successful startup pitch?

Jeddi recommends startup founders take a look at Brian Armstrong’s training for his pitch during the YCombinator demo day in 2012.

Read more about startup pitches, VC insights, and Startup Battle:

The Potential of Stablecoins and the Impact of MiCA Regulation

The Potential of Stablecoins and the Impact of MiCA Regulation

Panelists in this stablecoins discussion include Yves-Michel Leporcher, lecturer at European Tech School, Ewoud Barink, Business Development Director at Worldpay, Avishkar Sharma, Head of Crypto Partnerships at Checkout.com, Teana Baker-Taylor, VP of Policy & Regulatory Strategy at Circle, and Radoslav Albrecht, Founder & CEO of Bitbond.

Stablecoins are one of the intense focus areas in the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) Regulation that just got approved by the European Parliament in April 2023. In spite of the restrictions that MiCA may impose on the issuance of stablecoins, experts at the 8th European Blockchain Convention still support the merits of stablecoins and express optimism about the unlimited financial potential that stablecoins unlock.

Not All Stablecoins Are Created Equal

In the wake of Terra’s collapse in 2022, Teana states that the term “stablecoins” is misleading. She prefers to use different terms to refer to this asset based on its stabilizing mechanisms, such as tokenized cash, e-money tokens, or asset-referenced tokens.

The term stablecoin is terrible. We should stop saying it. It infers that a lot of different types of assets are similar and I think last year has shown us that not all stablecoins are created equal.

Teana Baker-Taylor, VP of Policy & Regulatory Strategy at Circle
Teana from Circle shared her opinion on stabecoins at the 8th EBC.
Teana from Circle shared her opinion on stabecoins at the 8th EBC.

Stablecoins Are Here To Stay 

Stablecoins unlock endless possibilities for the financial world, especially for the unbanked that have long been excluded from the financial systems. Radoslav foresees a future where 40% of the total payments volume is very likely to be transacted in stablecoins. 

They believe that the adoption of stablecoins is not cannibalizing the current financial markets but creating a bigger ecosystem that brings in people that have long been excluded from financial institutions. It unlocks a more inclusive financial world, as Teana states, “This is new economic activities, it’s not replacing or eating anyone’s lunch.”

Due to its open-source characteristics, experts highlight how stablecoins provide access to a new rail that can easily integrate with traditional banking infrastructure while offering constant upgrades.

Yves-Michel, lecturer at the European Tech School, moderated this panel of stablecoins.
Yves-Michel, lecturer at the European Tech School, moderated this panel of stablecoins.

Regulatory Challenges and the Impact of MiCA

During the 8th European Blockchain Convention, the panelists discussed the challenges of regulations in shaping the future of stablecoins. The focus was on MiCA, which has emerged as a prominent regulatory topic. The concerns about the restrictions and market disruptions that MiCA may bring to stablecoins were also discussed in the panel “MiCA and the Challenges of Regulating Crypto.

MiCA aims to bring an end to the unregulated crypto market in Europe. Under MiCA, stablecoins are classified as either e-money tokens or asset-referenced tokens. While stablecoins are not banned, MiCA sets essential rules such as the requirement for private stablecoin issuers to maintain appropriate minimum liquidity as a reserve.

Teana emphasizes the value of establishing standards through MiCA. Sharma shares the aspiration for global consensus among regulators, even though it may seem like an ambitious utopian dream. Regulations provide clarity and comfort for institutions to step into the crypto ecosystem. However, Teana highlights that while MiCA exists as a regulatory framework on paper, its implementation is pending, leaving many aspects yet to be resolved. 

Dive into the TradFi and banks’ viewpoints on MiCA and stablecoins in this article: Decoding Banks and Laws in the Crypto Realm!

EBC panelists discussed MiCA and the future of stablecoins.
EBC panelists discussed MiCA and the future of stablecoins.

The Evolving Landscape of Stablecoins

According to Radoslav, the future holds a lot more use cases for stablecoins. Their usage will extend beyond payments and remittances as institutions will also utilize them to make transactions. Both B2B and B2C sectors are expected to embrace stablecoins in the years to come.

Radoslav also anticipates the increasing emergence of non-fiat-based stablecoins, pegged to a diversified basket of assets. This approach aims to safeguard the purchasing power of the currencies. He emphasizes the need for competition to determine the optimal combination of assets that form the basket.

Teana acknowledges the inherent unpredictability of the market’s future. However, she highlights that the introduction of asset baskets will introduce complexity to stablecoins. Ultimately, the success of stablecoins will come down to their use cases and under what scenario are they designed to be used. 


More EBC insights on the future of tokenization and crypto market marking:


Watch the full discussion to understand the potential of stablecoins!

FTX and Crypto Bubbles: Will Self-Regulation Be the Savior?

FTX and Crypto Bubbles: Will Self-Regulation Be the Savior?

In the aftermath of the FTX crash, the crypto market experienced significant shifts, with developments like the Ripple v.s. SEC lawsuits and BlackRock’s Bitcoin bonds injecting energy and optimism into the community. Despite the distance from that troubling period in 2022, the panel discussion on FTX, regulations, and self-regulation remains insightful.

Led by Sebastian Becciu from Sygnum Bank, the panel includes experts like Robert Le from Pitchbook, Kevin Murcko of Coinmetro, James Ryan from GammaX, and Michael Jackson from Fabric Ventures. As the crypto industry rebuilds trust and aligns with regulations worldwide, it paves the way for institutional players to enter the space.

Could the FTX Collapse Have Been Prevented With More Regulations?

The FTX collapse sparked a debate on the role of regulations in preventing such incidents. Michael attributes the FTX bubble to FOMO and the abundance of free cash during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On the other hand, Robert emphasizes the cyclical nature of financial markets and argues that the lack of regulations allowed FTX’s founder to present the exchange as legitimate while evading legal oversight. 

While Michael and Kevin believe that regulations may have lessened the damage, they acknowledged that bad actors will persist in any industry, making complete prevention challenging. Michael points out that the crash might have been caused more by internal governance and management issues within the company rather than a regulatory failure. He thinks that maybe with proper regulations, the damage of the FTX crash would have been lessened, but it wouldn’t have been stopped.

“Regulations move slower than innovation, everybody knows that saying, right? At the same time, if you’ve ever run a business, you’ll know that criminals outpace whatever you do to stop them. At the end of the day, you can try, you can lessen, but you’re not going to stop it.”
– Kevin Murcko, Founder & CEO of Coinmetro

What Are the Impact of Regulations?

James thinks that it’s inevitable that companies are going off-shore. If customers are demanding less friction, companies will move to countries where they can set up an exchange with less friction, which is basically going off-shore. 

Robert responds to this by saying that in the U.S. a lot of the federal regulators are taking steps to cut off crypto from the banking system, and he believes this is going to push crypto companies off-shore.

Kevin agrees with them, stating that the current cycle of regulation hasn’t worked to prevent fraud and has failed to establish a better ecosystem. Apart from pushing companies off-shore, there might also be potential regulatory risks that come along. He states that regulations often leave the biggest companies in the world to do whatever they want while smaller entities have to follow rules, making them less competitive.

Michael complements this conversation by looking at the finance and VC perspective. He thinks nowadays VCs won’t permit their money to be invested in companies that are in shady jurisdictions, but only in reputable companies that don’t focus merely on arbitrage. He believes that this, rather than regulations, will be what brings companies on-shore.


More EBC insights on crypto regulations:


The conference room is full of the audience listening to the FTX panel at EBC23.

What Are Your Take on Self-regulation?

Robert foresees a combination of regulations and self-regulatory organizations (SROs) in the industry while Michael also thinks that the regulations will be framework regulations. 

On the other hand, Kevin emphasizes the importance of self-regulation. He thinks a self-regulating system is like having a person in your neighborhood that is always complaining about everything, but after the complaint, the annoying things just stop happening, benefiting the whole community. 

Similarly, he points out that it was Twitter that first disclosed the scandal of FTX. Kevin thinks that what differentiates SROs from regulators is that SROs are formed by insiders, which can also be corrupt, for sure, but they can be more powerful as well.

How Do We Get Rid of Bad Actors in the Industry?

Michael states that enforcement needs to be stronger against scammers in crypto, who often hide their identity. Self-sovereign identity systems are being developed to link real-world identities to online activities and prevent scamming by illuminating the shadows. Meanwhile, the development of insurance policies in DeFi may also improve the problem.

Kevin argues that bad actors exist in all industries, there will always be people that outsmart the system, and it’s impossible for us to ever get rid of them. In crypto, scammers exist, but they represent a small percentage of transaction volume. The problem is the media focuses on sensational numbers without comparing them to other industries. The solution is to establish norms and standards as the industry grows. 

Watch the full panel to learn about the expert’s opinions on the FTX crash and self-regulation!

XRP Lawsuit: Key Insights and Future Impacts You Should Know

XRP Lawsuit

Ripple Labs achieved a partial victory in the XRP lawsuit against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Southern District of New York on July 13th. Judge Analisa Torres ruled that XRP is not a security for programmatic sales but is classified as one for institutional investors

As the SEC aimed to impose regulatory measures on several crypto companies, the recent triumph of Ripple and its XRP currency has encouraged investors, and the prices of XRP and other cryptocurrencies catapulted last week following the news. 

However, both Ripple and the SEC could perceive this outcome as a potential victory, as it lends support to their respective arguments in the ongoing security classification debate. Future trials are also anticipated by various industry experts.

Latest Summary Judgment: SEC v.s. Ripple

This XRP lawsuit has been going on since December 2020 as the SEC filed a lawsuit against Ripple, its CEO Brad Garlinghouse, and its co-founder Chris Larsen, accusing the company of offering an unregistered security. The regulator alleged that Ripple had deliberately created an “information vacuum” (p.2) and selectively disclosed only the information it deemed essential.

From the latest summary judgment, the judge decided that XRP is NOT considered a security when Ripple puts XRP on exchanges for trading and when the company pays its employees with XRP. 

However, while Ripple celebrates its partial victory, some ruling favors the SEC. The court upheld the SEC’s position regarding “Ripple’s Institutional Sales of XRP to sophisticated individuals and entities.” The judge ruled that Ripple’s $728.9 million worth of XRP sales to hedge funds and sophisticated buyers WERE unregistered sales of securities.

Bill Hughes, a lawyer from ConsenSys, tweeted the summary of the SEC v.s. Ripple ruling on July 13th. https://twitter.com/BillHughesDC/status/1679525517068759040?s=20.

The SEC imposes stricter regulations compared to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). When a cryptocurrency is considered a security, failure to register the token with the SEC before listing it violates U.S. laws. The SEC has achieved significant wins in civil lawsuits against Block.one and Kik for conducting initial coin offerings (ICOs) to fundraise, resulting in alleged violations of securities laws in 2019 and 2020.

The classification of a financial asset as a security or commodity hinges on the Howey Test, which refers to the U.S. Supreme Court case (SEC v. Howey). The Test determines if a transaction qualifies as an “investment contract” under securities laws. According to the SEC, an “investment contract” exists when “an investment contract exists if there is an “investment of money in a common enterprise with a reasonable expectation of profits to be derived from the efforts of others.”

In the Ripple v.s. SEC case, the judge thinks that the institutional investments in XRP should be considered a security as there is “a reasonable expectation of profits to be derived from the entrepreneurial or managerial efforts of others” (p.18). Ripple and its executives entice investors with the promise of improving the crypto ecosystem, thereby creating anticipation of returns through the purchase of XRP tokens.

Image source: U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York. “SEC vs. Ripple Labs,” p.19.

Why Is the XRP Lawsuit Important for the Crypto Industry?

The case outcome may impact future crypto lawsuits

The outcome of the Ripple v.s. SEC case may set a precedent for similar lawsuits involving other crypto companies and the SEC.  In a recent lawsuit involving Coinbase, the SEC categorized Polygon (MATIC), Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), and Stellar Lumens (XLM) as securities.

The SEC also launched investigations on Binance’s BNB token and the ApeCoin token of Bored Apes Yacht Club. Therefore, the court’s determination on whether XRP tokens are securities and fall under SEC oversight holds significant implications for companies, investors, and the entire industry.

Stellar, for example, provides technology for various prominent crypto entities, including Circle, Coinme, Abra, Anchorage, and Binance. If the SEC triumphs over Ripple in this case, it’s likely that the regulator would file a separate lawsuit against Stellar and its creators, which will have a market-wide impact on the entire crypto market.

Watch the full panel for insights into Stellar and other companies pioneering Web3 infrastructure development!

Ripple is expected to bring TradFi into Web3

The XRP court case has garnered significant attention in crypto communities due to Ripple and XRP’s potential to facilitate the entry of traditional finance (TradFi) players into the crypto space. With a market cap of 33.87 billion euros, Ripple’s XRP is one of the world’s most valuable cryptocurrencies.

The company developed RippleNet, which utilizes blockchain technology to create a global payment network, aiming to provide faster, cheaper, and more efficient cross-border payments. Transactions that would last a few days before can now be settled within seconds. 

With backing from notable entities like SBI Holdings, Banco Santander, and prominent venture capital firms such as Andreessen Horowitz, Ripple has reached a private valuation of $10 billion. The company and its XRP tokens play a vital role in bridging the gap between cryptocurrencies and TradFi.

Antony Welfare, Senior Advisor CBDC and Global Payments at Ripple, shares his viewpoints on CBDCs and how they can improve people’s lives worldwide.

Is It A True Win For Crypto?

The crypto industry is celebrating its victory against the SEC as the prices of various cryptocurrencies surge. Three major US crypto exchanges, Coinbase, Kraken, and Gemini decided to give XRP listing a second chance after the court ruling.

The market displays a bullish sentiment towards the XRP ruling, with industry professionals expressing optimism for the future. The distinction between securities and commodities gains clarity with the decision. Optimists believe that this decision is likely to prompt the SEC to reevaluate its approach in other ongoing cases, potentially categorizing additional tokens as non-securities. According to Bloomberg, many people believe that platforms like Coinbase may now face fewer concerns regarding public purchases.

However, as crypto market investors rejoiced following the ruling, some crypto experts have taken the contrarian stance. Antonio Juliano, the founder of dYdX, tweeted to advise investors to remain cautious of fraudulent “pump and dump” schemes prevalent in the market. 

Christian Schultz, a former official at the SEC division of enforcement, stated that as the institutional sales of XRP were considered investment contracts by the judge, virtually all ICO might be classified as securities in the future. 

What Will Happen Next?

Even though the New York Times states that the ruling of Thursday might complicate SEC’s case with Binance and Coinbase and “provide fodder for the crypto industry to defend itself in court,” the judges of those cases still “have to make separate determinations about whether the sale of those digital assets broke the law.”

Several experts also cautioned that the order on Thursday was just a partial summary judgment from a single district court judge. The conclusions and rationale of this decision are somewhat confined to the particular dispute at hand. It is important to note that judges within the same court, and even federal judges nationwide, disagree with or ignore this decision.

Palley and Preston Byrne, partners at Brown Rudnick, stated that the summary judgment is not the end of this lawsuit. The case can still be appealed or even reversed, and they expected a trial soon. It is thus crucial not to “yolo into anything based on that decision.” ConsenSys lawyer Bill Hughes also expected SEC to appeal immediately. 

Consequently, the outcome of the XRP lawsuit has the potential to impact the regulatory landscape of the entire crypto industry, as an appeal opportunity exists that could lead to a revision of the decision.

EBC Insights on the XRP Lawsuit

It’s important to remember that this Ripple v.s. SEC lawsuit pertains specifically to the US. Regulations in different regions do not follow a global-encompassing, one-size-fits-all approach, as highlighted by Alex Strzesniewski, Founder & CEO of AngelBlock. Understanding compliance nuances is essential

In Europe, the most important regulations are the Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA) and the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). EBC panelists have discussed its impact on the stablecoin industry. The European Union’s approach, as explained by Joachim Schewin from the European Commission, focuses on empowering decentralized initiatives from individuals, reflecting a distinct perspective from the US.

Panelists discussed the impact of crypto regulations at the 8th European Blockchain Convention.

Several speakers at EBC expressed their desire to address the regulatory fragmentation across countries. Ernest Lima from XReg Consulting highlighted that MiCA can serve as a benchmark for other jurisdictions. 

Michael Fasanello, Crypto Compliance Officer at AnChain.AI, stressed the significance of collaborative efforts to educate governments about blockchain technology’s benefits, preventing overreactions and hasty bans. Coty de Monteverde, Blockchain Center of Excellence Director at Banco Santander, also suggested that banks and service providers should collaborate in adapting to forthcoming regulations.


With the crypto space entering a new era of regulations, EBC gathers industry leaders, TradFi experts, and legal professionals to explore the future of crypto. With growing enthusiasm from TradFi and Web3 enthusiasts, the next EBC is a must-attend event for stakeholders, entrepreneurs, and developers alike!

European Blockchain Convention 9 Press Release

European Blockchain Convention 9, set to be Europe’s largest blockchain event in 2H 2023

European Blockchain Convention 9 Press Release

Barcelona, Spain — European Blockchain Convention 9 is set to be Europe’s largest blockchain event in 2H 2023, surpassing all its previous editions since the event was launched in 2018.

Ready to welcome 5,000 attendees, EBC9 is scheduled for October 24-27, 2023 in the vibrant city of Barcelona, ahead of the highly anticipated El Clasico clash between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid over the weekend.

A roster of 300 founders, CEOs, and industry experts are scheduled to give talks at the event, including:

  • Lars Bakke Krogvig – Co-Founder at Nansen
  • Ambre Soubiran – CEO at Kaiko
  • Manuel Nordeste – VP, Fidelity Digital Assets at Fidelity
  • Alfonso Gomez – CEO at BBVA Switzerland
  • Mounir Benchemled – Founder at ParaSwap
  • John Woods – CTO at Algorand Foundation
  • Coty de Monteverde – Head of Crypto & Blockchain at Banco Santander
  • Richard Muirhead – Founding Partner at Fabric Ventures
  • Tim Grant – Head of EMEA at Galaxy Digital
  • Laurence Arnold – Head of Innovation at AXA Investment Managers
  • Christoph Hock – Managing Director at Union Investment
  • Jon Fink Isaksen – Head of Policy, EMEA at Uniswap Labs
  • Barbara Schlyter – Head of Digital Products at DWS
  • Robby Yung – CEO at Animoca Brands
  • Tim Walther – Manager Metaverse & NFT, Volkswagen
  • Niccolò Bardoscia – Head of Digital Assets at Intesa SanPaolo
  • Adam Gagol – Co-Founder & CTO at Aleph Zero
  • GuĂ©nolĂ© de Cadoudal, Head of Digital Assets at Credit Agricole
  • Nathalie Oestmann – COO at Outlier Ventures
  • Alex Odagiu – Investment Director at Binance Labs

This year’s agenda will cover a wide range of topics, including the regulatory challenges in Europe and globally, the surge in adoption of digital assets, stablecoins, CBDCs, privacy, the institutionalization of crypto, DeFi, sustainability, tokenization, and the ascent of AI.

“We have seen a significant increase in registrations and interest from exhibitors and sponsors alike after the overwhelmingly positive feedback we got from our previous edition. Building on that momentum, we are moving EBC9 to Fira Barcelona Montjuïc, a much larger venue”, shared Victoria Gago, co-founder of the European Blockchain Convention. “Fira Barcelona Montjuïc, being the largest convention centre in Spain, offers ample space for more exhibitors, a greater variety of content, and engaging experiences”.

In addition to panel discussions and workshops hosted across 3 stages, the program includes:

  • 3.000sqm exhibition area for sponsors and exhibitors
  • ask-me-anything sessions with speakers
  • a 1-to-1 meeting area
  • 5 themed networking lounges to help people connect with each other
  • a hackathon
  • a startup competition
  • an investor meetup
  • an art gallery

We are extremely excited to bring together the worlds of TradFi, Digital Assets and Web3“, shared Daniel Salmeron, co-founder of the event. “The participation of so many traditional banks and financial institutions demonstrate their commitment and optimism about the future of crypto and digital assets”.

To learn more about the European Blockchain Convention, including sponsorship, ticketing details, and the full list of speakers, visit the official website at www.eblockchainconvention.com.


About the European Blockchain Convention

Launched in 2018, European Blockchain Convention is the most influential blockchain event in Europe, connecting industry professionals, startups, and technology leaders. The event provides a platform for sharing insights, fostering collaborations, and exploring the vast potential of blockchain, crypto, and digital assets.

9th European Blockchain Convention | Official Trailer