I feel happy. One month ago, I couldn't have imagined how incredible Devcon SEA would be. It took me several days in Bangkok to realize that this year’s vibes would be very different from Bogotá. From the culture to the conversations, the language to the architecture, and from my “old web2 life” to the new people I connected with, everything was transformative. Here are my five key takeaways from Devcon SEA.
Ethereum Diversity
Devcon is no longer just a "DEVeloper CONference." One of its greatest achievements, in my opinion, was the inclusion of 14 community hubs. These hubs brought together people from diverse backgrounds to collaborate and make these spaces some of the most incredible places to connect with others. I spent much of my time in the Node Operator Hub, talking with people securing Ethereum across the globe and learning about the variety of solutions individuals could use to participate in the consensus layer. ![[IMG_2835.jpeg]] The diversity of this year’s schedule was evident simply by glancing at the tracks. Topics like Coordination, Usability, and Real-World Ethereum were geared toward the non-technical contributors who are nurturing the Infinite Garden.
I also attended several workshops, and my favorite was “Enter the War Room: A Black Swan Simulation.” I played the role of a content creator who shorted a governance token during a bug exploit and then defended the “code is law” thesis, voting against proposals to roll back the chain or mint tokens to bail out holders. It made me question whether, in a real situation, I would act the same way. While the exercise was hypothetical, it reaffirmed my belief that beneath any L1 consensus and immutable code lies a social layer far stronger than anything else. I now have a list of talks I missed that I couldn't attend.
The Roadmap
Watching Vitalik explain Ethereum in 30 minutes is always a delightful. Of course the founder of Ethereum has a unparalleled ability to break down why Ethereum matters and where it is heading. I think the best way to enjoy (and understand) their talks is to read their entries in his blog in the first week are released. His recent series on “Possible Futures for Ethereum” provided great context for what could be the week’s most controversial talk.
Justin Drake's session, Keynote: [title redacted], was overcrowded. He introduced his vision of Ethereum evolving into what he calls the “Beam chain,” a zk-proof version of the current Beacon chain that will scale Ethereum using SNARKs. While zkEVMs was on my radar for the execution layer (see The Surge), Include this into consensus wasn't in my bingo card and honestly I was waiting for December when Vitalik release their annual update of the roadmap.
Crypto has already solved payments, several products have found PMF (Stablecoins, DeFi) and new ones are in the verge of do it (L2s blobs/block space, Predictions Markets, RWA). With that in mind, is highly probably that we'll see more solutions for different problems in the next couple of years like Identity solutions with privacy features, Point of Sales for non-Web3 users and more. I'm excited to be part of this group of individual that want to create a better world.
Hundred of side events, mostly noise
I saw a spreadsheet with over 850 side events from November 7th to 19th. Seriously, why? I did my best trying to attend the less possible. I think projects should focus more on hosting hacker houses or scholarship programs rather than overwhelming attendees with endless side events. Maybe I'm biased but I think it would generate more impact and brand awareness (see Starknet / Sozu Hacker House activities) to bring serious builders with founders and devs could connect and build cool ideas during the week.
I attended eight side events before and six during Devcon. My favorite ones were fitness-themed, such as the Dappnode Running Club and Starkfit Run & Ice Bath sessions. The ice bath was revitalizing and gave me the energy I needed for the ETHGlobal Hackathon. Also, I'm proud that this was my first web3 week that I accomplished over 90% of my training sessions, going for 5k runs every other day, lifting weights, and even doing a yoga session near Lumphini Park. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to experience a traditional Thai massage, but I hope to remedy that during my visit to Phuket.
I haven't heard any remarkable comment about specific side events. People say rAave was not bad despite it was almost 25km from Queen Sirikit (why?). Bankless Day seems to stand out as the best side event, bringing together some of the brightest minds and keep everyone in silence, learning instead of doing Networking. Eclipse Day also received praise, with many attendees highlighting how the SVM on Ethereum could drive massive adoption by enabling consumer products while being secured (partially) in Ethereum. I was invited by the PBS Foundation for a café meetup, where Ben gifted each grantee a small game called Klotski. The game symbolizes wisdom, patience, and the art of finding harmony amidst chaos. Honestly, it was the best swag of the event.
Devcon is different
Devcon holds a special place in my heart. It was the reason that I decided to quit my job back in 2022 and take my first flight ever to travel to Bogotá. Two years later, I found myself on a flight to Phuket after an incredible week of learning and sharing with some of the brightest minds in the world.
The Opening Ceremony was inspiring, especially Josh Stark's talk about Ethereum’s global impact was a confirmation that we (at least I) are building in the right place. Learn from Aya Miyagucci the philosophy behind the Infinite Garden and how it's a ecosystem that helps to grow other ecosystems instead of absorbing them is inspiring.
ETHGlobal’s decision to host their hackathon after Devcon, rather than before, was brilliant. The 48-hour event showcased creative solutions built using concepts and tools shared during Devcon (special shoutout to Firefly and Omi) has been the best way to confirm that the sharing knowledge strategy is the way to go for the biggest crypto conference in the world. My team won the Best LayerZero Read award, we built a module for smart wallets to allow cross-chain transactions per default. Kudos to 0xAnotherdev, Juminstock and holaNFT which were part of the same team.
Probably my least favorite thing was the venue. Compared to the Agora from the last edition, the second floor felt a bit confusing at times. A connection alley between Main Stage and Stage 1 could have resolved this issue. Additionally, I often found myself running out of battery, and it was very difficult to find AC outlets in the workshop rooms.
New friends
Meeting so many people in just seven days can be overwhelming. Instead of randomly networking, I focused on improve existing relationships. Meet the amazing people behind the PFPs and if I got lucky, have the pleasure to talk with people about anything except crypto. I decided to write on my badge different interests each day (chess, conspiracies, mountains, running, "you"). As you can imagine, I had deep conversations during the whole week. It was a great experiment. I want to talk briefly about 3 (maybe 4) of those connections.
In the Dappnode Running Club session not only did Lansky teach us about Bangkok and its history but I could share veggie restaurants recommendations with Gonzalo from the Gnosis team and we talked about how we became vegetarians/vegans, which turned out to be very helpful because later, I met Richa from the ETHGlobal team at V Street and saved her from eating grilled pork instead of grilled tofu. Richa and I discussed our beliefs (for example, I’m not spiritual but practice meditation and deep breathing exercises), her journey to joining the ETHGlobal team after ETHWaterloo (where she was a finalist!), and why I should visit India in the future.
On another day, I met Bono at the Node Operator Hub. He approached me and said "hi," then started talking about himself after reading my badge ("you"). We explained the origins of our names (tl;dr: his parents love Bono from U2, and my dad wanted to honor his brother). It was a 30-40 minute conversation about a variety of topics—food, parties, and beers. He’s building SafeStakeDVT and wants to add more operators to their barracks. If you’re considering securing Ethereum, you should reach out to him.
Last but not least, I want to talk about the most meaningful connection I made. I met Lina at an after-party at Sozu House. She is one of the most lovely people I’ve ever met. We connected instantly and started talking about my experiment with the badges. In less than five minutes, we were sharing stories and exchanging tips and tricks for giving workshops. On my last day in Bangkok, I invited her for breakfast, and she recommended one of the most beautiful places I visited, Yellow Lane. It’s one of Bangkok’s hidden gems, offering tasty vegetarian options and ice baths in the back. We spent half the day sharing breakfast, coworking, and talking about our backgrounds. When I left, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was leaving something special behind.
Now, I'm on a plane, writing my thoughts. Feeling happy, nostalgic and empower. I think that's the Devcon effect. Resuming (so badly) the Nader's post: You leave the comfort of your home, travel to a new country to learn about a new culture, and immerse yourself in conversations you would never have had back home. Now I have two year to materialize the learnings and perspectives in my town. To share it with the people around me. To see these new friends again (hopefully will be sooner than later) and to transform myself into something more... infinite.