This is a summary of the op-ed “The Next Big Web3 Trend Wasn’t on Stage at Consensus” by Leah Callon-Butler, published on CoinDesk on June 15, 2024.
Although keynotes by prominent Web3 figures like Yat Siu drew the most attention at Consensus 2023, the next big Web3 trend was often discussed on the sidelines. These big events need to draw a crowd, so more often than not, people without much traction or a substantial following are not prioritized, especially with the risk that they might still be NGMI.
In her op-ed piece “The Next Big Web3 Trend Wasn’t on Stage at Consensus,” Emfarsis Director Leah Callon-Butler noted that the Web3 heavyweights that dominated the spotlight during the week were once considered outsiders, appearing at the fringes of these major events. The conference was a powerful reminder of how far the industry has come, when “not even three years ago, Web3 and NFTs weren’t a thing.”
Although the main stage was jam-packed with industry titans, Leah argues that these panels are inherently “lagging indicators” of the state of the industry. Anything that happens at the conference proper showcases successes that have already come and gone. The true alpha, Leah notes, gets dropped off-stage.
She cites several early believers who were now first-time speakers at Consensus, such as Cloudwhite, the second largest landholder in Axie’s Lunacia, and Anand “Twobadour” Venkateswaran of Metapurse, who bought the Beeple NFT for $69.3 million, as trailblazers who’ve only recently gotten their flowers. Even the industry giants like Yat Siu, Jihoz of Sky Mavis, and Sebastien Borget of The Sandbox began working on their Web3 projects as early as 2018.
Leah ends the article by saying that she hopes readers listen to the speakers who don’t make it on stage. It might be the person pitching during the coffee queue or the degen ranting at the after-party. They could be the next Yat, Cloudwhite, or Twobadour.
“The vuvuzelas honking in the stadium are certainly hard to ignore, but you should also try to listen for the squeaking of mice beneath the grandstand. Because a murmur heard amid the winter could be the next bull run’s roar.”
Read the full article here: “The Next Big Web3 Trend Wasn’t on Stage at Consensus” by Leah Callon-Butler. Published June 15, 2024 on CoinDesk.
Interested in Web3 gaming, crypto, compliance, or evolving technology trends in emerging markets? Follow us on X and LinkedIn, or sign up for our newsletter for regular updates and insights.