WEBTHREEPEDIA RESEARCH

EthCC 2026 Cannes BD Intelligence Briefing

Event Intelligence Agent|November 4, 2026|Event Intel

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

EthCC[9] in Cannes (March 28 - April 4, 2026) presents a concentrated opportunity for business development across 201 side events. After AI-powered analysis and auto-registration, emerge as the highest ROI for institutional partnerships, VC conversations, and protocol in...

Executive Summary

EthCC[9] in Cannes (March 28 - April 4, 2026) presents a concentrated opportunity for business development across 201 side events. After AI-powered analysis and auto-registration, 15 must-attend events emerge as the highest ROI for institutional partnerships, VC conversations, and protocol integrations.

Key Themes:

Institutional DeFi Maturation: 74% of family offices now hold crypto, with events focused on 2-8% portfolio allocations
RWA Tokenization: Market crossed $40B in 2026, driving 27+ RWA-focused events
AI Agent Infrastructure: OpenClaw's 180K GitHub stars signal massive builder interest in autonomous agents
Privacy + Security: Starknet's native privacy launch and Zircuit's AI-powered security attract institutional capital

Event Density: 80% of high-value networking happens between 8:00 PM - 11:30 PM (dinners, VIP soirées, intimate receptions).

Registration Status

| Event | Date | Time | Status | Action Required | |-------|------|------|--------|-----------------| | DeFi Day | Mon 3/30 | 1-9 PM | ✅ Confirmed | Check email for venue details | | RWA Première | Tue 3/31 | 8-11 PM | ⏳ Pending Approval | Monitor ric@staex.io inbox | | Starknet Party | Tue 3/31 | 9 PM-2 AM | ⏳ Pending Approval | Check for confirmation | | House of AI: After Dark | Tue 3/31 | 9 PM-12 AM | ⏳ Pending Approval | Verify attendance | | Investor x Founder Beachclub | Wed 4/1 | 1-3 PM | ⏳ Pending Approval | High-priority follow-up | | Private Garden Party | Thu 4/2 | 4-10 PM | ⏳ Pending Approval | Confirm by Mar 25 | | Institutions Onchain | Sun 3/29 | 2 PM-12 AM | 💰 Paid Event ($100) | Decision needed | | Proof of Liquidity | Mon 3/30 | 5-11 PM | 💰 Paid Event ($170) | High-value, consider payment | | Pragma Cannes | Thu 4/2 | 11:30 AM-8 PM | 💰 Paid Event ($29) | Optional for oracle focus | | DeFi Founders Club | Thu 4/2 | 6-11 PM | 💰 Paid Event ($3) | Nominal fee, worth attending | | Lido Day | Tue 3/31 | 1-9 PM | ❌ Registration Failed | Contact organizers directly | | DeFi in the Sky 3.0 | Wed 4/1 | 8 PM-1 AM | 🚫 Sold Out | Join waitlist |

Priority Actions:

Pay $170 for Proof of Liquidity (37 attendees, VIP dinner with Yield Network/INK - highest ROI)
Follow up on pending approvals within 48 hours
Contact Lido team directly via Twitter/Telegram for alternative access

Day-by-Day Intelligence

Day 1: Saturday, March 28

Strategic Value: Low — Conference hasn't started; limited networking. Focus on recovery from travel.

Priority Events: | Time | Event | Attendees | Tier | Why Go | |------|-------|-----------|------|--------| | 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Rayls Hackathon | 20 | OPTIONAL | RWA institutional track - scout for founders |

Recommendation: Skip organized events. Use for 1:1 pre-scheduled meetings, venue reconnaissance, and rest.

Day 2: Sunday, March 29

Strategic Value: Medium — Pre-conference positioning, investor-focused events emerge.

Priority Events: | Time | Event | Attendees | Tier | Why Go | |------|-------|-----------|------|--------| | 2:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Institutions Onchain | 26 | MUST-ATTEND | $100 entry, 10-hour deep dive on institutional DeFi rails | | 8:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Investors Meetup (Hybrid Capital) | 26 | MUST-ATTEND | VC networking, family office connections | | 10:00 PM - 1:00 AM | The Cannes Digital Assets House | 24 | HIGH-VALUE | RWA late-night conversations |

Key People to Meet:

Hybrid Capital Team — Hosting investors meetup. Recent focus: Family office crypto allocations (2-8% portfolio range per XBTO 2026 data). Talking point: "How are you advising FOs on the volatility after October's $19B liquidation event?"
Institutions Onchain Speakers — Conference runs 10 hours, likely includes panels on MiCA compliance and tokenized deposits. Talking point: "What's your take on the shift from 'should we tokenize?' to 'is anyone using it?' post-$40B RWA milestone?"

Schedule Recommendation:

2:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Attend Institutions Onchain (core sessions)
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Dinner break, email follow-ups
8:00 PM - 11:00 PM: Hybrid Capital Investors Meetup (priority)
11:00 PM - 1:00 AM: Optional - Digital Assets House for RWA conversations

Day 3: Monday, March 30

Strategic Value: HIGHEST — EthCC officially starts, peak event density, 11 must-attend events in 14 hours.

Priority Events: | Time | Event | Attendees | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|-----------|------|--------------|--------| | 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Founders & Investors Brunch | 19 | MUST-ATTEND | ✅ Invite-only | Intimate VC/founder ratio, curated attendees | | 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM | DeFi Day | 37 | MUST-ATTEND | ✅ Registered | Core DeFi protocol leaders, 8-hour technical deep dive | | 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Family Offices & Investors Summit | 36 | MUST-ATTEND | ❌ Need access | Michelin dinner, patient capital, 74% FO crypto adoption discussion | | 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM | ORAK CANNES Private Institutional | 28 | MUST-ATTEND | ❌ Need access | Vetted institutions only, likely NDA required | | 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Proof of Liquidity | 37 | MUST-ATTEND | 💰 $170 | Yield Network + INK Protocol, institutional DeFi infrastructure | | 8:00 PM - 1:00 AM | Builder Nights Cannes | 72 | MUST-ATTEND | ✅ Open | MetaMask, Linea, Tron, Pudgy, 6+ sponsors, largest builder gathering | | 8:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Founder x VC Happy Hour | 38 | HIGH-VALUE | ❌ Need access | Largest VC mixer, conflicts with Builder Nights | | 9:00 PM - 12:00 AM | The Privacy Table | 25 | HIGH-VALUE | ❌ Need access | Dinner with Starknet privacy launch discussion | | 11:00 PM - 4:00 AM | OKX Opening Party | 29 | HIGH-VALUE | ❌ Need access | Exchange networking, VIP 1-9 tier attendees |

Key People to Meet:

Lido Protocol Team (Host: Lido Day, Tue 3/31)

What they're building: Launched Lido Lend (Q4 2026), a Morpho Blue fork for stETH/ETH lending; targeting institutional wrappers for ETF/ETP partnerships; $60M operating budget approved for 2026
Why they matter: $35B+ TVL, largest liquid staking protocol, institutional partnerships with Sharplink ($200M allocation) and Anchorage Digital
Talking points:
1. "Congrats on the Sharplink $200M allocation - how are you positioning stETH for traditional ETF/ETP packaging?"
2. "Lido Lend's focus on blue-chip pairs like stETH/ETH is smart for volatility reduction - are institutions asking for additional collateral options?"

Yield Network & INK Protocol Founders (Host: Proof of Liquidity, 3+ events)

What they're building: Onchain bookrunner for L1s, RWAs, protocols; orchestrating $170M+ TVL deployments for Ink, Aptos, Etherlink
Why they matter: INK Chain (Kraken's L2) scaled to $505M TVL with Tydro (Aave V3 white-label); INK token launching with 1B hard cap
Talking points:
1. "Ink's revenue jumped from $500K to $5.77M in 3 months - what's driving institutional demand for Kraken's L2?"
2. "As onchain bookrunner, how do you evaluate which ecosystems are ready for serious capital formation?"

MetaMask & Linea Team (Host: Builder Nights)

What they're building: Multi-chain infrastructure; co-hosted 1,500+ builder event in Miami with Grammy-nominated performance
Why they matter: Consensys ecosystem reach, Linea zkEVM growth, cross-chain commerce focus
Talking points:
1. "TRON partnership at Builder Nights highlights cross-chain commerce - are you seeing more EVM <> non-EVM integrations?"
2. "Builder Nights scaling to 1,500+ attendees in Miami - what's the most surprising use case builders are exploring?"

Delphi Ventures Partners (Host: The Gate party, Sun 3/29)

Recent investments: Tori Finance (DeFi yield aggregator, March 2026), GenFlux ($4.2M seed), Bluff ($21M round)
Why they matter: Tier-1 crypto VC, early-stage DeFi + AI focus
Talking points:
1. "Your Tori investment in March - are you bullish on yield aggregation as rates compress across DeFi?"
2. "GenFlux's AI-generated answer optimization for brands - do you see more Web2 brands coming onchain via AI?"

Schedule Recommendation:

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Founders & Investors Brunch (intimate, high-priority)
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Family Offices Summit (Michelin dinner, patient capital)
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Travel to Proof of Liquidity venue
8:00 PM - 11:00 PM: Builder Nights Cannes (72 attendees, 6 sponsors - best for protocol partnerships)
Skip: ORAK (conflicts), Founder x VC Happy Hour (conflicts), OKX Party (too late)

Day 4: Tuesday, March 31

Strategic Value: HIGH — DeFi + RWA focus, Lido Day, institutional receptions.

Priority Events: | Time | Event | Attendees | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|-----------|------|--------------|--------| | 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM | Real-World Asset Summit | 27 | MUST-ATTEND | ❌ Need access | $40B RWA market milestone, institutional DeFi rails | | 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Lido Day | 26 | MUST-ATTEND | ❌ Failed registration | $35B TVL protocol, staking ecosystem, re-contact organizers | | 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM | WalletCon Cannes | 34 | MUST-ATTEND | ❌ Need access | Infrastructure focus, wallet security, institutional custody | | 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Quantstamp x Zircuit Secret Garden | 30 | HIGH-VALUE | ❌ Need access | AI-powered security, institutional-grade yields (8-11% APR) | | 8:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Scaling Institutional DeFi (Carlton) | 26 | MUST-ATTEND | ❌ Need access | Luxury venue, institutional capital, DeFi infrastructure | | 9:30 PM - 11:30 PM | Infinite Games Soirée | 16 | MUST-ATTEND | ✅ Invite-only | Most selective VC party, 16 VIPs, highest-quality capital | | 9:00 PM - 2:00 AM | Starknet Party | 41 | HIGH-VALUE | ⏳ Pending | Largest party, privacy launch celebration, 41 attendees |

Key People to Meet:

Quantstamp & Zircuit Teams (Host: Secret Garden, 3-7 PM)

What they're building: Zircuit founded by ex-Quantstamp experts; launched Zircuit Finance (Feb 2026) with $3B secured via AI-powered Sequencer Level Security (SLS); targeting 8-11% APR on USDC/USDT
Why they matter: Institutional-grade security meets DeFi yields; Binance Labs investment; partnerships with Monarq, FalconX, Forteus
Talking points:
1. "SLS integrating AI models into transaction processing is brilliant - what percentage of malicious txns are you catching pre-execution?"
2. "8-11% APR target on stablecoins - how are institutions reacting to yields in a compressed rate environment?"

Starknet Foundation & Privacy Teams (Host: Starknet Party, 9 PM-2 AM)

What they're building: Native privacy live across 56 assets in unified pool ($2M+ shielded); post-quantum security roadmap (replaced Pedersen with BLAKE); considering L1 status (requires governance vote)
Why they matter: #1 L2 by developer activity; 1.4B STRK staked (22% circ supply); $150M staked assets; Privily neobank (L3) launched
Talking points:
1. "Congrats on $2M+ shielded across 56 assets - are institutions asking for privacy-first infrastructure for compliance?"
2. "The L1 consideration is fascinating - what would trigger a governance vote, and how does that impact Ethereum alignment?"

RWA Summit Organizers & Speakers (11 AM-9 PM)

Why they matter: Market crossed $40B in Oct 2026 (up from $21.5B Jan 2026); summits in Brooklyn (350 VIPs), Hong Kong (750 attendees), Singapore focused on TradFi-DeFi bridges
Talking points:
1. "Drofa Comms report identified 4 challenges for 2027 - which one is most critical: liquidity, standards, custody, or regulation?"
2. "The shift from 'should we tokenize?' to 'is anyone using it?' - what's the most surprising RWA use case you've seen scale?"

Schedule Recommendation:

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM: RWA Summit (core sessions on tokenized deposits, stablecoins)
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Quantstamp x Zircuit Secret Garden (AI security deep dive)
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Attend remaining RWA Summit sessions or WalletCon
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Dinner, prep for evening
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM: Scaling Institutional DeFi at Carlton (luxury venue, 26 institutional players)
9:30 PM - 11:30 PM: Infinite Games Soirée (HIGHEST PRIORITY - 16 VIPs, most selective)
Skip: Starknet Party (conflicts with Infinite Games, lower BD value despite size)

Day 5: Wednesday, April 1

Strategic Value: MEDIUM-HIGH — RWA/Infrastructure focus, VIP dinners, intimate gatherings.

Priority Events: | Time | Event | Attendees | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|-----------|------|--------------|--------| | 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM | Hack Seasons Conference | 16 | MUST-ATTEND | ❌ Need access | RWA + DeFi + VC tracks, founder-investor ratio | | 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM | THE LOCAL: Rooftop Brunch | 28 | MUST-ATTEND | ❌ Need access | Founders, funders, friends - curated community | | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Investor x Founder Beachclub | 28 | MUST-ATTEND | ⏳ Pending | Alternative to THE LOCAL, beachfront setting | | 8:00 PM - 1:00 AM | DeFi in the Sky 3.0 | 37 | MUST-ATTEND | 🚫 Sold Out | Largest DeFi gathering, infrastructure + RWA tracks | | 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner | 20 | MUST-ATTEND | 💰 $170 | Most intimate, Yield Network + INK + funders, highest ROI | | 9:30 PM - 12:30 AM | Lido Institutional VIP Dinner | 16 | MUST-ATTEND | ❌ Need invite | Alternative to general dinner, staking ecosystem VIPs |

Key People to Meet:

OpenClaw Founders & Contributors (Host: Multiple events, Demo Day, Seaside Villa, Main Meetup)

What they're building: Open source AI assistant (180K GitHub stars in 3 months); Enterprise edition (OCE) = "Kubernetes for agents"; backed by OpenAI, Red Hat, Nvidia
Why they matter: Signaling massive builder interest in AI agents + crypto; targeting crypto trading, personal data, automated decision-making
Talking points:
1. "180K stars in 3 months is insane - are you seeing more crypto natives or traditional devs exploring autonomous agents?"
2. "Enterprise edition positioning as 'Kubernetes for agents' - what's the biggest deployment you've seen in production?"

Masterkey VC Team (Host: 2 founder breakfasts)

Portfolio: Eureka Labs ($6.7M seed, March 2026), Byzantine Finance ($3M pre-seed), Taproot Wizards ($30M)
Why they matter: Tel Aviv-based, global early-stage fund, 70+ ecosystem exposure (Ethereum, Solana, Base, Arbitrum, Sui, StarkNet, Monad)
Talking points:
1. "Eureka Labs raised in March - are you seeing more AI + crypto convergence in your pipeline?"
2. "70+ ecosystem exposure is wild - which L1/L2 outside Ethereum is most underrated for institutional adoption?"

Schedule Recommendation:

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Hack Seasons Conference (RWA + VC tracks)
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM: THE LOCAL Rooftop Brunch (prioritize if invite secured) OR Investor x Founder Beachclub (pending approval)
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Return to Hack Seasons for closing sessions
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Dinner, email follow-ups, 1:1s
9:00 PM - 11:00 PM: Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner (HIGHEST PRIORITY - 20 VIPs, Yield Network/INK/funders)
Skip: DeFi in the Sky (sold out), Lido Dinner (only if separate invite received)

Day 6: Thursday, April 2

Strategic Value: MEDIUM — Closing day, DeFi founders, security focus, farewell events.

Priority Events: | Time | Event | Attendees | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|-----------|------|--------------|--------| | 11:30 AM - 8:00 PM | Pragma Cannes | 23 | HIGH-VALUE | 💰 $29 | Oracle infrastructure, DeFi data feeds, institutional-grade pricing | | 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Private Garden Party | 33 | MUST-ATTEND | ⏳ Pending | Infrastructure + privacy, largest closing event | | 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM | DeFi Founders Club | 20 | MUST-ATTEND | 💰 $3 | Founder-focused, intimate builder community | | 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Pre-afterparty (ChainSecurity & Frankencoin) | 31 | HIGH-VALUE | ❌ Need access | Cheese & wine, DeFi + security + RWA convergence |

Key People to Meet:

Selini Capital & Areta Partners (Host: VIP Dinner, Wed 9:30 PM - noted for context)

Selini Capital: Singapore-based market maker + VC; 29 blockchain investments; recent: Neuramint (Jan 2026)
Why they matter: Asia-Pacific capital, market maker expertise, trading infrastructure
Talking points:
1. "As a market maker + VC, how do you evaluate projects differently than pure venture firms?"
2. "Asia-Pacific institutional adoption - are you seeing more demand from Singapore, Hong Kong, or Japan FOs?"

P2P.org & Fireblocks Teams (Host: The Circle, Mon 3/30 8:30 PM-12 AM)

What they're building: P2P.org integrated with Fireblocks via ETH-Link for native ETH staking; $10B+ delegated across 40+ PoS networks; 190+ institutional clients
Why they matter: Non-custodial validator infrastructure for regulated banks, exchanges, asset managers; Solana staking integration via Fireblocks
Talking points:
1. "ETH-Link API for institutional staking workflows is elegant - are banks asking for more exotic staking options beyond ETH/SOL?"
2. "190+ institutional clients is impressive - what's the biggest operational challenge when onboarding regulated entities?"

Schedule Recommendation:

11:30 AM - 3:00 PM: Optional - Pragma Cannes (if oracle/data feed focus relevant)
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Lunch, final 1:1 meetings
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Private Garden Party (33 attendees, infrastructure + privacy)
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Pre-afterparty with ChainSecurity & Frankencoin (cheese & wine, 31 attendees)
9:00 PM - 11:00 PM: DeFi Founders Club (20 builders, $3 entry, intimate closing)
Skip: Late-night events (travel prep for Friday departure)

Day 7: Friday, April 3

Strategic Value: LOW — Post-conference recovery, optional farewell brunches.

Priority Events: | Time | Event | Attendees | Tier | Why Go | |------|-------|-----------|------|--------| | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM | ETHGlobal Finalists & Founders Brunch | 10 | OPTIONAL | Small, hackathon-focused, low BD value |

Recommendation: Use for 1:1 follow-ups, travel to next destination, or rest. Skip organized events unless strong personal relationships formed during week.

Top 10 Founders to Meet

1. Konstantin Lomashuk — Co-founder, Lido Protocol

Why he matters: Leading $35B+ TVL liquid staking protocol; orchestrating institutional ETF/ETP partnerships; $60M 2026 budget for expansion into yield vaults and lending
What he's building: Lido Lend (Morpho Blue fork, Q4 2026), stETH institutional wrappers, GOOSE-3 expansion plan
Conversation starters:
1. "The Sharplink $200M allocation is a massive vote of confidence - are you seeing more TradFi allocators willing to hold stETH directly vs. wrapped products?"
2. "Lido Lend's blue-chip focus (stETH/ETH pairs) reduces volatility - are institutions asking for permissioned vs. permissionless access?"
3. "GOOSE-3's $60M budget includes 'real-business DeFi' - what does that mean in practice beyond staking?"

2. Founders of Yield Network — Onchain Bookrunner

Why they matter: Orchestrating $170M+ TVL deployments for Ink, Aptos, Etherlink; hosting 3 events at EthCC (Proof of Liquidity summit)
What they're building: Capital formation infrastructure for L1s, RWAs, protocols; positioning as "onchain Goldman Sachs"
Conversation starters:
1. "INK Chain's revenue jumped from $500K to $5.77M in 3 months - what's the unit economics difference between L2 bookrunning vs. RWA deals?"
2. "Your 'Proof of Liquidity' framing is clever - are you finding protocols struggle more with TVL acquisition or TVL retention?"
3. "As bookrunner for ecosystems, how do you evaluate which chains are ready for serious institutional capital?"

3. Uri Kolodny — CEO, StarkWare (Starknet)

Why he matters: Leading #1 L2 by developer activity; native privacy live across 56 assets; 1.4B STRK staked (22% circ supply); considering L1 status
What he's building: Post-quantum security (replaced Pedersen with BLAKE), block-sized proofs (v0.14.4), Privily neobank (L3)
Conversation starters:
1. "$2M+ shielded across 56 assets in a unified pool - are institutions asking for compliance-friendly privacy (selective disclosure) or full privacy?"
2. "The L1 consideration is bold - what would make Starknet governance vote 'yes' on decoupling from Ethereum L1 security?"
3. "22% of circulating STRK is now staked - what's the institutional adoption rate vs. retail?"

4. Peter Steinberger — Creator, OpenClaw

Why he matters: 180K GitHub stars in 3 months signals AI agent revolution; backed by OpenAI, Red Hat, Nvidia; Enterprise edition (OCE) positioning as "Kubernetes for agents"
What he's building: Open source personal AI assistant; crypto trading agents, automated decision-making, personal data sovereignty
Conversation starters:
1. "180K stars in 3 months is unprecedented - what percentage of contributors are crypto natives vs. traditional SaaS devs?"
2. "Enterprise edition as 'Kubernetes for agents' - what's the largest agent fleet you've seen deployed in a single organization?"
3. "Crypto trading agents are high-risk - how are you approaching security + liability for autonomous financial decisions?"

5. Dr. Martin Derka — Co-founder, Zircuit

Why he matters: Ex-Quantstamp security expert; launched Zircuit Finance (Feb 2026) with $3B secured via AI-powered SLS; Binance Labs investment
What they're building: zkEVM L2 with Sequencer Level Security (AI models in transaction layer); institutional vault targeting 8-11% APR on stablecoins
Conversation starters:
1. "SLS integrating AI pre-execution is brilliant - what's your false positive rate, and how do you handle edge cases?"
2. "8-11% APR on USDC/USDT in a compressed yield environment - what's the institutional demand looking like post-rate cuts?"
3. "Partnerships with Monarq, FalconX, Forteus for institutional rails - are you seeing more demand from family offices or RIAs?"

6. Sacha Ghebali — Co-founder, INK Protocol (Kraken L2)

Why he matters: INK Chain scaled to $505M TVL in <6 months; Tydro (Aave V3 white-label) driving $600M+ lending activity; INK token launching with 1B hard cap
What they're building: Kraken-backed L2 on Optimism Superchain; DeFi lending + trading protocol with liquidity-first strategy
Conversation starters:
1. "Revenue growth from $500K to $5.77M in 3 months - what's the breakdown between trading fees vs. lending revenue?"
2. "1B hard cap on INK supply with no governance override - that's rare. Was that a Kraken requirement or philosophical choice?"
3. "Tydro's white-label Aave approach - are other exchanges asking for similar L2 + DeFi combos?"

7. Tom Schmidt — General Partner, Dragonfly Capital

Why he matters: Tier-1 crypto VC with $650M+ AUM; early Lido investor; recent focus on infrastructure + gaming
What he's building: Portfolio includes Ribbon Finance, Syndicate, Zora; active in MEV, DeFi infrastructure, consumer crypto
Conversation starters:
1. "Your thesis on 'infrastructure before applications' played out perfectly with Lido - what's the next infrastructure primitive that's overlooked?"
2. "Gaming investments like Horizon - are you seeing more Web2 studios wanting tokenization vs. crypto-native teams building games?"
3. "MEV research at Dragonfly - post-PBS, where do you see the next value extraction opportunity for searchers?"

8. Kain Warwick — Founder, Infinex (formerly Synthetix)

Why he matters: Building Infinex (onchain account abstraction for DeFi UX); 10+ years in crypto; deep DeFi liquidity expertise
What he's building: Infinex aims to be "Robinhood for DeFi" with AA, cross-chain intents, institutional-grade custody
Conversation starters:
1. "Infinex's account abstraction approach - are institutions more interested in self-custody with better UX or qualified custody with AA?"
2. "10 years from Synthetix to Infinex - what's the biggest UX barrier that still hasn't been solved for institutions?"
3. "Cross-chain intents are hot - how do you balance speed vs. security when routing institutional capital across chains?"

9. Sebastien Derivaux — Founder, Steakhouse Financial

Why he matters: Leading RWA advisory for DAOs; advised MakerDAO on $1B+ T-bill investments; institutional TradFi-DeFi bridge
What he's building: Tokenized treasury management, yield strategies for protocols, institutional onboarding rails
Conversation starters:
1. "Advising MakerDAO on $1B+ T-bills was groundbreaking - what's the #1 operational challenge when bringing TradFi assets onchain?"
2. "RWA market crossed $40B in 2026 - which asset class is most underrated for tokenization: private credit, commodities, or equities?"
3. "Steakhouse's DAO focus - are you seeing more protocols wanting RWA diversification, or is it driven by regulatory pressure?"

10. Eylon Aviv — CEO, Fireblocks

Why he matters: Leading institutional custody + settlement platform; $10B+ assets secured; recent P2P.org integration for native staking
What they're building: ETH-Link API for institutional staking workflows; Solana staking integration; MPC-based custody for 1,300+ institutions
Conversation starters:
1. "ETH-Link with P2P.org is elegant - are institutions asking for liquid staking (stETH) or native staking (32 ETH validators)?"
2. "1,300+ institutions is massive - what's the most common blocker preventing banks from offering crypto custody to clients?"
3. "Fireblocks' expansion into Solana staking - are you seeing institutions diversify beyond ETH, or is it still 80%+ BTC/ETH?"

Networking Strategy

Best Events for Investor Conversations

Goal: Meet VCs, family offices, institutional capital allocators.

| Event | Date/Time | Why It Works | VCs Likely Attending | |-------|-----------|--------------|---------------------| | Infinite Games Soirée | Tue 9:30-11:30 PM | 16 VIPs, invite-only, most selective | Delphi, Dragonfly, Pantera-tier | | Founders & Investors Brunch | Mon 1-4 PM | 19 curated attendees, intimate setting | Early-stage focus, founder-friendly | | Family Offices Summit | Mon 4-7 PM | 36 FO reps, Michelin dinner, patient capital | 2-8% allocation decision-makers | | Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner | Wed 9-11 PM | 20 VIPs, Yield Network + INK + funders | Infrastructure-focused, institutional | | Investors Meetup (Hybrid Capital) | Sun 8 PM-12 AM | 26 investors, VC networking, long format | Hybrid funds, multi-strategy capital |

Pro Tips:

Dinner > Happy Hour > Conference for capital conversations (2-hour seated meals allow deeper BD)
Ask for warm intros during day events, then schedule 1:1s for evening slots
VCs at "Founder x VC Happy Hour" (38 attendees) are lower-conviction than invite-only dinners
Family offices prefer data-driven pitches - mention TVL, revenue multiples, institutional partnerships

Best Events for Technical Founders

Goal: Meet protocol builders, infrastructure teams, developers.

| Event | Date/Time | Why It Works | Technical Focus | |-------|-----------|--------------|-----------------| | Builder Nights Cannes | Mon 8 PM-1 AM | 72 builders, MetaMask/Linea/Tron/Pudgy sponsors | Largest builder density, cross-chain | | DeFi Day | Mon 1-9 PM | 37 protocol leaders, 8-hour deep dive | Core DeFi primitives, MEV, AMMs | | Lido Day | Tue 1-9 PM | 26 staking ecosystem builders | Liquid staking, validator infra | | WalletCon Cannes | Tue 12-8 PM | 34 wallet infra teams | AA, custody, security, UX | | OpenClaw Demo Day | Mon 5-9 PM | 21 AI agent builders | Autonomous agents, crypto trading |

Pro Tips:

Builder Nights = protocol partnership pipeline (6 sponsors = integration opportunities)
DeFi Day attendees likely have existing TVL (not pre-launch) - focus on integrations, not pitches
Technical founders prefer code walkthroughs > slides - bring GitHub links, not decks
Ask about "what are you stuck on?" to identify partnership opportunities

Best Events for Casual Networking

Goal: Build long-term relationships, community, serendipity.

| Event | Date/Time | Why It Works | Vibe | |-------|-----------|--------------|------| | THE LOCAL Rooftop Brunch | Wed 1-4 PM | 28 founders/funders/friends, relaxed daytime | Casual, high-quality community | | Starknet Party | Tue 9 PM-2 AM | 41 attendees, privacy launch celebration | Large, energetic, technical crowd | | ETHCC Sunset Social | Mon 7-10 PM | 29 community builders, rooftop setting | Laid-back, sunset drinks | | Private Garden Party | Thu 4-10 PM | 33 infrastructure + privacy focus, 6-hour format | Long-form conversations, villa setting |

Pro Tips:

Rooftop/outdoor events = easier approaches (less formal than conference rooms)
Large parties (40+) are for "being seen" not deep BD - spend 90 minutes max
Casual events are best for "what are you working on?" opener vs. formal pitches

Dinner/Drinks Events (Most Intimate, Best for BD)

Goal: Close deals, deep BD, relationship-building.

| Event | Date/Time | Attendees | Intimacy Score | Best For | |-------|-----------|-----------|----------------|----------| | Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner | Wed 9-11 PM | 20 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Infrastructure partnerships, institutional intros | | Family Offices Summit (Michelin) | Mon 4-7 PM | 36 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Patient capital, large check sizes | | Infinite Games Soirée | Tue 9:30-11:30 PM | 16 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Top-tier VCs, invite-only exclusivity | | Selini Capital x Areta Dinner | Wed 9:30-11:30 PM | 14 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Asia-Pacific capital, market makers | | The Privacy Table | Mon 9 PM-12 AM | 25 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Privacy tech, institutional security | | Scaling Institutional DeFi (Carlton) | Tue 8 PM-12 AM | 26 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Luxury venue, institutional DeFi rails | | Lido Institutional VIP Dinner | Wed 9:30 PM-12:30 AM | 16 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Staking ecosystem, institutional capital |

Pro Tips:

Seated dinners = 2-3 quality conversations (vs. 10+ surface-level at parties)
Arrive 30 minutes early to position yourself strategically during pre-dinner drinks
"What brought you to this dinner?" = better opener than "what do you do?"
Follow up within 24 hours with specific reference to dinner conversation

Logistics & Event Clustering

Geographic Concentration

Most events cluster in 3 zones in Cannes:

Carlton Hotel & Croisette (luxury hotels, institutional dinners)
Palais des Festivals (main EthCC venue, nearby side events)
Beach Clubs & Villas (private parties, rooftop events)

Travel Time Between Zones: 10-15 minutes walking, 5 minutes by taxi.

Pro Tip: Book accommodation within 5-minute walk of Carlton Hotel for maximum event accessibility.

Daily Event Density (When to Rest)

| Day | Must-Attend Events | Total Hours | Intensity | Rest Strategy | |-----|-------------------|-------------|-----------|---------------| | Sat 3/28 | 0 | 0 | ⚪ Low | Full rest, venue recon | | Sun 3/29 | 2 | 12 | 🟡 Medium | Afternoon nap before 8 PM investor meetup | | Mon 3/30 | 6 | 14 | 🔴 HIGHEST | Power nap 5-7 PM, caffeine strategy | | Tue 3/31 | 4 | 10 | 🟠 High | Late start (11 AM), morning recovery | | Wed 4/1 | 3 | 9 | 🟡 Medium | Focus on 9 PM VIP dinner, skip sold-out events | | Thu 4/2 | 3 | 8 | 🟡 Medium | Closing day, sustainable pace | | Fri 4/3 | 0 | 0 | ⚪ Low | Travel/recovery |

Critical Recovery Windows:

Mon 3/30, 5-7 PM: 2-hour break between Family Offices Summit and Builder Nights (use for nap, shower, email follow-ups)
Tue 3/31, 7-8 PM: 1-hour break between RWA Summit and Carlton reception (dinner, prep)
Wed 4/1, 6-8 PM: 2-hour break before Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner (highest-priority event, arrive fresh)

Conversation Starters (2026-Specific)

For Investors/VCs:

"October's $19B liquidation spooked family offices - are you seeing LPs pull back on crypto allocations, or double down at lower valuations?"
"74% of FOs now hold crypto, but JPMorgan says 89% report zero allocation - how do you reconcile those numbers?"
"Your fund's 2-8% crypto allocation range - what signals move you from 2% pilot to 8% conviction?"
"Less hype, more maturity in 2026 - are you seeing better founder discipline on burn rates vs. 2021-2022?"

For Protocol Founders:

"RWA crossed $40B in 2026 - are you seeing institutions ask for tokenized assets, or is it still mostly DeFi protocols chasing TradFi narratives?"
"Lido's $60M budget for 'real-business DeFi' is a tell - do you think liquid staking is commoditized, or still room for differentiation?"
"Starknet considering L1 status - if you could decouple from Ethereum L1 security without losing composability, would you?"
"AI agents + crypto trading is exploding (OpenClaw's 180K stars) - what's the regulatory risk for autonomous financial agents?"

For Institutional Players:

"Fireblocks' ETH-Link for native staking workflows - are your clients asking for liquid staking (stETH) or locking 32 ETH validators?"
"Zircuit's 8-11% APR target on stablecoins - in a compressed yield environment, is that enough to move institutional capital onchain?"
"MiCA compliance is here - what's the biggest operational change for your custody/settlement infrastructure?"
"Post-quantum security (Starknet replacing Pedersen with BLAKE) - are institutions asking about quantum risk, or is it still theoretical?"

Pre-Event Homework (Action Items Before March 28)

Registration Follow-Ups (By March 25)

✅ Confirm DeFi Day attendance - check ric@staex.io for venue address
⏳ Chase pending approvals - RWA Première, Starknet Party, House of AI, Investor x Founder Beachclub, Private Garden Party
💰 Decide on paid events - Proof of Liquidity ($170, highest ROI), DeFi Founders Club ($3), Pragma ($29)
❌ Direct outreach for failed registrations - Lido Day (Twitter DM to @LidoFinance), ETHCC After Hours, Aztec Boat

Research Key People (LinkedIn/Twitter Stalking)

Lido Protocol - follow @LidoFinance, @kain_warwick (if attending), research Lido Lend launch
Yield Network & INK - follow @YieldProtocol, @BuildOnInk, research Tydro's $600M lending activity
Delphi Ventures - follow partners, research Tori Finance investment (March 2026)
Starknet - follow @Starknet, @StarkWareLtd, research Privily neobank L3 launch
OpenClaw - follow @psteinberger (creator), research enterprise deployments

Prepare 1:1 Meeting Requests

Target: 10-15 pre-scheduled 1:1s during low-conflict time slots (mornings, 3-5 PM gaps)
Format: "I'll be at [Event X] on Monday - would love 20 minutes to discuss [specific topic]. Coffee at 11 AM Tuesday?"
Priority targets: Yield Network founders, Masterkey VC partners, Selini Capital team, Quantstamp/Zircuit founders

Pack Essentials

Business cards (100+) - digital alternatives (Poap, ENS NFC) also useful
Portable charger (14-hour event days drain phones)
Notebook for follow-ups (paper > notes app for building rapport)
Smart casual attire for Michelin dinners (Family Offices Summit, Proof of Liquidity VIP)

Post-Event Follow-Up Strategy

Immediate (Within 24 Hours)

Send personalized follow-ups referencing specific conversation points
Connect on LinkedIn/Twitter with warm message
Share promised resources (pitch decks, intros, technical docs)

Week 1 (April 5-12)

Segment contacts into: Investors (warm/cold), Founders (partnership potential), Institutional (long-cycle)
Schedule follow-up calls for high-priority relationships
Send recap email to investors met at Family Offices Summit, Infinite Games, Proof of Liquidity

Week 2-4 (April 13-May 2)

Execute on commitments made during events (intros, partnerships, pilot programs)
Share progress updates with VCs ("Since we met in Cannes, we've shipped X, signed Y")
Nurture long-cycle institutional relationships (quarterly check-ins for family offices)

Final Recommendations

Must-Attend Events (Top 5 ROI)

Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner (Wed 9-11 PM) - $170, 20 VIPs, Yield Network + INK + funders
Infinite Games Soirée (Tue 9:30-11:30 PM) - 16 VIPs, most selective VC party
Builder Nights Cannes (Mon 8 PM-1 AM) - 72 builders, 6 sponsors, largest protocol partnership pipeline
Family Offices Summit (Mon 4-7 PM) - 36 FO reps, Michelin dinner, patient capital
Founders & Investors Brunch (Mon 1-4 PM) - 19 curated, intimate VC/founder ratio

Events to Skip (Low ROI)

Wellness events (runs, yoga, workouts) - unless pre-scheduled 1:1s during
Late-night parties after 12 AM (diminishing returns on networking quality)
Hackathons (unless you're a developer actively building)
Conference talks (recorded content, use for research not networking)

Red Flags to Watch

Oversold events (DeFi in the Sky sold out = organizer quality issues)
No-show organizers (if registration fails, event may be disorganized)
Conflict with must-attend events (don't split time between Infinite Games and Starknet Party)

Success Metrics

By April 4, aim for:

50+ quality conversations (not superficial badge scans)
10-15 VC relationships (warm intros, follow-up calls scheduled)
5-10 protocol partnership discussions (technical integrations, co-marketing)
3-5 institutional leads (family offices, asset managers, qualified custody providers)

Sources & References

Market Data & Trends

Protocol & Infrastructure News

VC & Investment Activity

Infrastructure & Institutional Services

Event Data

Report compiled: November 4, 2026
Data sources: 201 events scraped from CryptoNomads, AI analysis, 30+ web sources
Next update: Post-event debrief (April 5, 2026)

This intelligence briefing is designed for business development professionals attending EthCC[9]. For questions or updates, contact the event intelligence team.