Executive Summary
EthCC[9] (March 30-April 2, 2026) in Cannes brings 10,000+ attendees and 400+ speakers to the Palais des Festivals. This week features 201 side events spanning institutional DeFi, AI x Web3, privacy infrastructure, and venture capital networking. Key themes include agentic AI payments (TRON, WalletConnect), institutional DeFi adoption (Aave V4, Kraken's Ink L2), privacy-first infrastructure (Starknet, zkSync), and cross-chain interoperability (Chainlink x SWIFT).
Registration Status Summary: 4 confirmed registrations, 4 pending approval, 3 failed (no register button), 4 paid/full events skipped.
Registration Status
| Event | Status | Details | Action Required |
|-------|--------|---------|-----------------|
| ✅ DeFi Day | Confirmed | Presented by Aave, The Rollup, Bridge, Babylon, Chainlink | Check ric@staex.io for confirmation |
| ✅ Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup | Confirmed | Hosted by Tectonic, Sushi, W3JOE, Hack VC, Halborn | Check ric@staex.io for confirmation |
| ✅ WalletCon Cannes 2026 | Confirmed | 1st conference for wallet ecosystem | Check ric@staex.io for confirmation |
| ✅ 🇫🇷 ETHCC Château Happy Hour 🥂 | Confirmed | Security-focused networking | Successfully registered |
| ⏳ Starknet Party | Pending Approval | Major ecosystem event (41 attendees) | Monitor ric@staex.io inbox |
| ⏳ Trader Summit by Kickoff.fun | Pending Approval | 40 attendees | Monitor ric@staex.io inbox |
| ⏳ Wine & Web3 Growth | Pending Approval | VC + Other (30 attendees) | Monitor ric@staex.io inbox |
| ⏳ Private Garden Party | Pending Approval | Infrastructure + Privacy (33 attendees) | Monitor ric@staex.io inbox |
| ❌ Builder Nights Cannes | Failed | No register button found | Manual registration needed |
| ❌ Founder x VC Happy Hour | Failed | No register button found (40 attendees) | Manual registration needed |
| ❌ Pre-afterparty: Cheese & Wine | Failed | No register button found (31 attendees) | Manual registration needed |
| 💰 Proof of Liquidity | Paid Event | \70 - Yield Network & Ink (37 attendees) | Consider purchasing |
| 💰 Family Offices & Investors Summit | Paid Event | \00 Michelin Dinner (36 attendees) | Consider purchasing |
| 💰 TokenizeThis Cannes 2026 | Paid Event | \9 (30 attendees) | Consider purchasing |
| 🚫 DeFi in the Sky 3.0 | Event Full | Sold out (37 attendees) | Waitlist if available |
Day-by-Day Intelligence
Day 0: Saturday, March 28
Priority Events:
| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go |
|------|-------|------|--------------|--------|
| 11:30 AM - 7:00 PM | BEAST MODE zkEVM / Ethproofs day | Technical | Open | Deep privacy & infrastructure technical sessions (16 attendees) |
| 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Rayls Hackathon | Hack | Open | RWA + Institutional focus with 20 participants |
Key People to Meet:
- Limited major events on Saturday - use for travel/setup
Schedule Recommendation:
Arrival day. Attend BEAST MODE if you're deeply technical on zero-knowledge proofs. Otherwise, rest and prepare for the intense Mon-Wed networking sprint.
Day 1: Sunday, March 29
Priority Events:
| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go |
|------|-------|------|--------------|--------|
| 2:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Institutions Onchain | MUST-ATTEND | Open | Major institutional DeFi event (26 attendees) - DeFi, Institutional focus |
| 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM | The Gate [CANNES] by Tori, Delphi Ventures & RockawayX | High Priority | Open | Top-tier VC event (9 attendees) - intimate access to Delphi Ventures |
| 8:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Investors Meetup by Hybrid Capital | High Priority | Open | VC + Institutional networking (26 attendees) |
| 10:00 PM - 1:00 AM | The Cannes Digital Assets House | Medium Priority | Open | RWA focus (24 attendees) |
Key People to Meet:
- Delphi Ventures team - One of crypto's most active VCs. Recent: Led investments in NFT infrastructure and DeFi protocols. Talking point: Ask about their thesis on the convergence of traditional finance and DeFi given institutional momentum.
- Hybrid Capital partners - Institutional-focused fund. Talking point: Their view on MiCA regulation impact on institutional DeFi adoption.
Schedule Recommendation:
Afternoon: Institutions Onchain (2 PM) → Evening: The Gate with Delphi Ventures (7 PM) → Late: Investors Meetup by Hybrid Capital (8 PM)
Logistics: All events in Cannes area. Allow 15-20 min between venues.
Day 2: Monday, March 30 ⚡ PEAK NETWORKING DAY
Priority Events:
| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go |
|------|-------|------|--------------|--------|
| 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Coffee On Us ☕ Espresso & Celo | Medium | Open | Infrastructure networking, casual breakfast setting (24 attendees) |
| 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM | Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup | ✅ REGISTERED | Confirmed | Hosted by Hack VC, Halborn, Tectonic (35 attendees) - quantum-secure tech |
| 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM | DeFi Day | ✅ REGISTERED | Confirmed | Presented by Aave, Chainlink, Babylon, Maple (37 attendees) - The Rollup live broadcast |
| 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM | ORAK CANNES Private Institutional Summit | High Priority | Open | Institutional focus (28 attendees) |
| 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Proof of Liquidity by Yield Network & Ink | MUST-ATTEND | Paid (\70) | DeFi + Institutional + Infrastructure (37 attendees) - Kraken's Ink L2 showcase |
| 8:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Founder x VC Happy Hour | MUST-ATTEND | Registration Failed | 40 attendees - VC + Institutional - HIGHEST ATTENDANCE |
| 8:00 PM - 1:00 AM | Builder Nights Cannes | MUST-ATTEND | Registration Failed | 71 attendees - MetaMask, Linea, TRON, Pudgy, LiFi (LARGEST EVENT) |
| 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Wine & Web3 Growth | High Priority | ⏳ Pending | VC + Other (30 attendees) |
| 8:30 PM - 12:00 AM | The Circle by P2P.org & Fireblocks | High Priority | Open | DeFi + Institutional (29 attendees) |
| 9:00 PM - 12:00 AM | The Privacy Table | Medium Priority | Open | Privacy + Security + Institutional (25 attendees) |
| 11:00 PM - 3:00 AM | Enflux Private Poker Night | High Priority | Open | Markets + Institutional + VC (22 attendees) - intimate deal flow |
Key People to Meet:
At DeFi Day (ALL DAY):
- Stani Kulechov (CEO, Aave) - Recent: Launched Aavenomics 3.0 automated buyback program (June 2026), denied Kraken 70% discount deal. Talking points: (1) His "abundance assets" vision - \0T solar/robotics on-chain by 2050, (2) Aave V4's Hub-and-Spoke model replacing fragmented liquidity, (3) Aave Horizon crossing \80M with Circle, Ripple, Franklin Templeton partnerships.
- Chainlink institutional BD team - Recent: SWIFT integration enabling 11,500+ banks to transact with tokenized assets (April 2026), SIX Group pushing €2T European equities data on-chain. Talking points: (1) CCIP surpassing \8B Q1 2026 cross-chain volume, (2) Deutsche Börse, FTSE Russell, S&P Global data feeds.
At Builder Nights (EVENING - 71 ATTENDEES):
- MetaMask/Linea team - Talking point: Ask about wallet infrastructure for AI agents following WalletConnect's agentic wallet announcements.
- Justin Sun (TRON Founder) - Recent: Keynoted EthCC main stage "Agentic AI and the Financial Rails of the Future," TRON integrated Hyperlane connecting 150+ blockchains, \6B USDT stablecoin supply. Talking points: (1) TRON's 374M user accounts + 13B transactions positioning for AI payments, (2) His view on high-frequency, low-cost AI agent transactions vs traditional payment rails.
At Founder x VC Happy Hour (40 ATTENDEES - MANUAL REGISTRATION REQUIRED):
- Scan for Hack VC, Fabric Ventures, Masterkey VC partners
- Hack VC - Recent: Invested in Opinion Labs (Feb 2026), backing Nava AI (guardrails for agentic economy), 19 unicorns including Berachain, Jasper AI, Mysten Labs. Talking point: Their Web3 × AI convergence thesis given portfolio companies like Sentient (decentralized AI substrate) and Grass (AI data infrastructure).
Schedule Recommendation:
- Morning: Coffee On Us (10 AM) → Quantum Qafe (12 PM)
- Afternoon: DeFi Day (1-9 PM) - ANCHOR YOUR DAY HERE
- Evening: Quick appearance at Founder x VC Happy Hour (8 PM) OR Wine & Web3 Growth (8 PM)
- Night: Builder Nights (8 PM-1 AM) - prioritize 9-11 PM window for peak attendance
- Late night: Enflux Poker Night (11 PM) if energy permits - intimate VC access
Logistics: DeFi Day is at Palais des Festivals (main venue). Builder Nights likely 15-20 min away. Budget 30 min for venue transitions.
Day 3: Tuesday, March 31
Priority Events:
| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go |
|------|-------|------|--------------|--------|
| 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM | Real-World Asset Summit Cannes 2026 | High Priority | Open | RWA + DeFi + Institutional (27 attendees) |
| 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM | WalletCon Cannes 2026 | ✅ REGISTERED | Confirmed | 34 attendees - wallet infrastructure focus |
| 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Lido Day | High Priority | Open | DeFi focus (26 attendees) - staking infrastructure |
| 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM | ETHCC Networking Mixer by Fabric Ventures & NextBlock | MUST-ATTEND | Open | AI + VC + DeFi (28 attendees) |
| 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Private SunDAO: Investors Speed Dating | High Priority | Open | VC + Institutional (12 attendees) - curated 1:1s |
| 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM | ETH CC VIP Institutional Soirée | High Priority | Open | RWA + Institutional (22 attendees) |
| 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM | RWA Première | High Priority | Open | VC + RWA (16 attendees) |
| 9:00 PM - 2:00 AM | Starknet Party | MUST-ATTEND | ⏳ Pending | 41 attendees - MAJOR ECOSYSTEM EVENT |
| 9:00 PM - 12:00 AM | House of AI: After Dark | High Priority | Open | AI + DeFi + Other (26 attendees) |
| 10:00 PM - 2:00 AM | Palme de DeFi by Octav, DefiLlama, & Trezor | Medium Priority | Open | DeFi + Infrastructure (24 attendees) |
Key People to Meet:
At WalletCon (ALL DAY):
- Jess Houlgrave (CEO, WalletConnect) - Recent: Announced WalletConnect Pay Whitepaper + wallet_pay standard Q1 2026, 119% YoY growth to \00B+ network volume, partnerships with Stripe, Shopify, Coinbase Commerce, Ingenico. Talking points: (1) "In 2026, WalletConnect expands decisively into payments" - ask about POS integration timeline, (2) wallet_pay standard rollout to Certified wallets, (3) How they're competing with traditional payment rails (Visa/Apple Pay feature parity).
- Riaz Bordie (CTO, WalletConnect), Pedro Gomes (Founder), Laurent Castillo (VP Architecture, Ledger) - Technical deep dives on wallet infrastructure.
- Corey Cooper (Developer Relations, Circle) - Talking point: Circle's integration with Aave Horizon and institutional DeFi.
At Fabric Ventures & NextBlock Mixer (EVENING):
- Fabric Ventures partners - Recent: Latest investment in Kulipa (April 2026), backing Web3 since 2012, backed by European Investment Fund. Talking point: European vs US institutional DeFi adoption under MiCA.
At Starknet Party (NIGHT - 41 ATTENDEES):
- Starknet core team - Recent: v0.14.3 mainnet upgrade (June 2026) with dynamic STRK gas fees, 1.1B STRK staked (23% of supply, 11x increase), LayerZero integration, Bitcoin integration via BTCFi Q4 2026. Talking points: (1) Deutsche Bank's DAMA 2 platform (first institutional use case on Starknet), (2) BitGo collaboration on tokenized deposits, (3) Scaling Zcash privacy + Bitcoin programmability roadmap.
Schedule Recommendation:
- All day: WalletCon (12-8 PM) - infrastructure deep dive
- Evening: Fabric Ventures Mixer (6-9 PM) for VC connections
- Night: Starknet Party (9 PM-2 AM) - major ecosystem gathering
Logistics: WalletCon likely at centralized venue. Starknet Party will be the place to be 10 PM-midnight.
Day 4: Wednesday, April 1
Priority Events:
| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go |
|------|-------|------|--------------|--------|
| 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Investor x Founder Beachclub | High Priority | Open | VC focus (28 attendees) - casual beach setting |
| 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM | THE LOCAL: Rooftop Brunch for Founders, Funders & Friends | High Priority | Open | VC + Community (28 attendees) |
| 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Breakfast with friends by Masterkey VC | Medium Priority | Open | VC networking (20 attendees) |
| 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Cannes RealFi Mixer: Where AI Meets RWAs | High Priority | Open | Institutional + AI + Other (21 attendees) |
| 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Private Garden Party | MUST-ATTEND | ⏳ Pending | Infrastructure + Privacy (33 attendees) |
| 7:00 PM - 12:30 AM | [not crypto] Art Night | Medium Priority | Open | DeFi + Infrastructure (29 attendees) - casual networking |
| 8:00 PM - 1:00 AM | DeFi in the Sky 3.0 | MUST-ATTEND | 🚫 SOLD OUT | DeFi + Infrastructure + RWA (37 attendees) |
| 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Trader Summit by Kickoff.fun | High Priority | ⏳ Pending | Markets focus (40 attendees) |
| 8:30 PM - 10:30 PM | Founder X VC Happy Hour | High Priority | Open | VC + Community (20 attendees) |
| 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Proof Of Liquidity: VIP Dinner by Yield Network, INK, Funders | MUST-ATTEND | Open | DeFi + Institutional + VC (20 attendees) |
| 9:30 PM - 11:30 PM | Selini Capital x Areta: EthCC Dinner | High Priority | Open | VC + Institutional (14 attendees) |
Key People to Meet:
At Private Garden Party (AFTERNOON/EVENING - 33 ATTENDEES):
- Privacy-focused builders and institutional players discussing compliance + privacy infrastructure
At Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner (9 PM - CURATED):
- Yield Network team - Co-hosting Capital Formation Summit with Ink Chain, co-hosts include Funders VC, DIA, STS Digital, MEV Capital, K3 Capital, Tenzor Capital.
- Ink/Kraken team - Recent: Ink L2 built on Optimism Superchain, \00M+ TVL, Tydro white-label Aave V3 with \00M+ lending, INK token TGE expected Q2-Q3 2026, app revenue grew from \00K (Oct 2025) to .77M (Jan 2026). Talking points: (1) Strategy to onboard Kraken's 10M users to DeFi, (2) INK token utility design for lending/trading vs speculative use, (3) White-label Aave V3 integration differentiators.
At Trader Summit (8 PM - 40 ATTENDEES):
- Markets-focused founders and traders - good for understanding institutional trading infrastructure needs
Schedule Recommendation:
- Afternoon: Investor x Founder Beachclub (1 PM) OR THE LOCAL Rooftop Brunch (1 PM)
- Late afternoon: Private Garden Party (4-10 PM) - stay for 2-3 hours
- Evening: Trader Summit (8 PM) if pending registration confirms
- Dinner: Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner (9 PM) - PRIORITY, curated group
Logistics: Beach/rooftop events require travel time. Budget 30 min between venues. Private Garden Party and VIP Dinner are top priorities.
Day 5: Thursday, April 2
Priority Events:
| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go |
|------|-------|------|--------------|--------|
| 11:30 AM - 8:00 PM | Pragma Cannes | High Priority | Open | Infrastructure + DeFi + Institutional (23 attendees) |
| 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Private Garden Party | High Priority | ⏳ Pending | Infrastructure + Privacy (33 attendees) - if not attended Wed |
| 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Pre-afterparty: Cheese & Wine w/ ChainSecurity & Frankencoin | High Priority | ❌ Failed | DeFi + Security + RWA (31 attendees) |
| 9:30 PM - 12:30 AM | Private DeFi Soirée | Medium Priority | Open | DeFi focus (24 attendees) |
| 11:00 PM - 5:00 AM | CryptoTrap by Lil Lea | Medium Priority | Open | Media + Community (18 attendees) - wind-down party |
Key People to Meet:
- ChainSecurity team - Security auditing firm, good connections for smart contract security conversations
- Wind-down day - many attendees leaving Thursday evening
Schedule Recommendation:
- Daytime: Pragma Cannes conference (11:30 AM-8 PM) or rest/1:1 meetings
- Evening: Pre-afterparty with ChainSecurity (7 PM) - NEED MANUAL REGISTRATION
- Night: Private DeFi Soirée (9:30 PM) if energy permits
- Depart Friday or attend final events
Day 6: Friday, April 3
Priority Events:
| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go |
|------|-------|------|--------------|--------|
| 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM | ETHGlobal Finalists & Founders Brunch | Medium Priority | Open | Community + VC (10 attendees) |
| 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM | WAIB Summit Monaco Countdown Beach Brunch | Medium Priority | Open | AI + DeFi + Institutional (9 attendees) |
Schedule Recommendation:
Departure day for most attendees. Attend brunch if staying through Friday, otherwise depart Thursday night.
Top 10 Founders/VCs to Meet
1. Stani Kulechov — CEO & Founder, Aave
Why they matter: Leading DeFi protocol, \B+ TVL, launching institutional-grade Aave Horizon platform
Recent work:
- Launched Aavenomics 3.0 automated buyback program (June 2026)
- Aave Horizon crossed \80M with VanEck, Circle, Ripple, Franklin Templeton partnerships
- SEC closed 4-year investigation (Dec 2025), clearing path for institutional ambitions
- Aave V4 launching 2026 with Hub-and-Spoke liquidity model
Conversation starters:
- "I read your February vision on \0T 'abundance assets' moving on-chain by 2050 - what's the timeline for the first major solar/robotics tokenization?"
- "How does Aave V4's Hub-and-Spoke model change institutional capital deployment compared to fragmented multi-chain pools?"
- "With 100% protocol revenue now flowing to DAO treasury post-'Aave Will Win' framework, how does that change your growth strategy?"
Where to find them: DeFi Day (Mon, 1-9 PM)
2. Jess Houlgrave — CEO, WalletConnect
Why they matter: WalletConnect enables \00B+ network volume, expanding into payments infrastructure
Recent work:
- Announced WalletConnect Pay + wallet_pay standard (Q1 2026)
- 119% YoY growth, 55.5M active users
- Partnerships with Stripe, Shopify, Coinbase Commerce, Ingenico (millions of POS terminals)
- Vision: "In 2026, WalletConnect expands decisively into payments"
Conversation starters:
- "How are you thinking about wallet_pay competing with Apple Pay/Visa in terms of consumer UX and merchant adoption?"
- "What's the go-to-market strategy for rolling out wallet_pay to all Certified wallets?"
- "With Ingenico integration, what's the biggest barrier to stablecoin adoption at physical checkout?"
Where to find them: WalletCon (Tue, 12-8 PM)
3. Justin Sun — Founder, TRON
Why they matter: TRON has \6B USDT supply, 374M accounts, positioning as AI payment rail
Recent work:
- Keynoted EthCC main stage: "Agentic AI and the Financial Rails of the Future" (March 30)
- Integrated Hyperlane, connecting TRON to 150+ blockchains
- Positioned TRON as "best solution for agentic AI payment infrastructure"
- 13B+ total transactions, \6B TVL
Conversation starters:
- "How do you see AI agent payment patterns differing from human users - frequency, amounts, use cases?"
- "With \6B USDT on TRON, what's the strategy to capture cross-chain AI payment flows vs other L1s?"
- "What infrastructure gaps still exist for high-frequency AI micropayments?"
Where to find them: Builder Nights Cannes (Mon, 8 PM-1 AM) - co-hosting with MetaMask
4. Ink/Kraken L2 Team — Ink Foundation
Why they matter: Kraken's L2 scaling 10M users to DeFi, \00M+ TVL, INK token TGE Q2-Q3 2026
Recent work:
- App revenue grew \00K (Oct 2025) → .77M (Jan 2026)
- Launched white-label Aave V3 (Tydro) with \00M+ lending activity
- Built on Optimism Superchain, 1-second block times
- INK token designed for liquidity aggregation + DeFi utility (non-governance)
Conversation starters:
- "How are you designing onboarding for Kraken's 10M users who've never used DeFi?"
- "What's the INK token utility roadmap beyond lending/trading - any planned ecosystem incentives?"
- "How does Tydro differentiate from standard Aave V3 deployments?"
Where to find them: Proof of Liquidity events (Mon 5-11 PM, Wed VIP Dinner 9 PM)
5. Starknet Core Team — StarkWare
Why they matter: Leading ZK-rollup, 1.1B STRK staked, institutional traction with Deutsche Bank
Recent work:
- v0.14.3 mainnet upgrade: dynamic STRK gas fees, faster blocks (June 2026)
- Deutsche Bank DAMA 2 platform (first institutional use case)
- BitGo partnership on tokenized deposit infrastructure
- LayerZero integration, Bitcoin integration roadmap (Q4 2026)
- 23% of circulating STRK staked (11x increase year-over-year)
Conversation starters:
- "How did you land Deutsche Bank as the first institutional DAMA 2 platform on Starknet?"
- "What's the technical architecture for Starknet's Bitcoin integration - trust-minimized bridging?"
- "With LayerZero integration, how does liquidity routing work between Starknet and other L2s?"
Where to find them: Starknet Party (Tue, 9 PM-2 AM)
6. Chainlink Institutional BD Team
Why they matter: Oracles securing \00B+ DeFi assets, SWIFT integration enabling 11,500+ banks
Recent work:
- SWIFT integration enabling tokenized asset transactions (April 2026)
- SIX Group pushing €2T European equities data on-chain via Chainlink
- CCIP surpassed \8B Q1 2026 cross-chain volume, connects 70+ blockchains
- Partnerships: UBS, ANZ, Fidelity International, Deutsche Börse, FTSE Russell, S&P Global
Conversation starters:
- "How are traditional banks responding to SWIFT's Chainlink integration - adoption velocity?"
- "What's the roadmap for expanding beyond equities data to other TradFi asset classes?"
- "How does CCIP security model differ for institutional vs DeFi cross-chain transfers?"
Where to find them: DeFi Day (Mon, 1-9 PM)
7. Hack VC Partners
Why they matter: 19 unicorns (Berachain, Jasper AI, Mysten Labs), Web3 × AI convergence focus
Recent work:
- Invested in Opinion Labs (Feb 2026), Nava AI (guardrails for agentic economy)
- Portfolio: Sentient (decentralized AI substrate), Grass (AI data infrastructure)
- 254 portfolio companies, actively deploying in AI × Web3
Conversation starters:
- "What's your investment thesis on the convergence of Web3 and AI infrastructure?"
- "How do you evaluate defensibility for crypto-native AI data infrastructure vs centralized alternatives?"
- "Portfolio spotlight: How is Nava AI approaching guardrails for autonomous agents?"
Where to find them: Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup (Mon, 12-2 PM), Founder x VC Happy Hour (Mon, 8 PM)
8. Fabric Ventures Partners
Why they matter: Backing Web3 since 2012, backed by European Investment Fund, deep DeFi expertise
Recent work:
- Latest investment: Kulipa in Financial Services (April 2026)
- Focus: equity-and-token Open Economy deals
- Experience across cloud, payments, devops, AI
Conversation starters:
- "How is European institutional DeFi adoption trending under MiCA compared to US markets?"
- "What's your investment criteria for DeFi protocols in 2026 vs 2024-2025?"
- "As an EIF-backed fund, how do you balance innovation velocity with regulatory compliance?"
Where to find them: ETHCC Networking Mixer by Fabric Ventures & NextBlock (Tue, 6-9 PM)
9. Masterkey VC Partners
Why they matter: Deep tech crypto fund, cyber/DeFi/DAO expertise, Israeli innovation hub
Recent work:
- Invested in Eureka Labs (Ethereum infrastructure, .7M seed, March 2026)
- Backed Byzantine Finance (DeFi staking), Taproot Wizards (Bitcoin)
- Focus: non-custody solutions, deep cryptography
Conversation starters:
- "What's your thesis on Ethereum infrastructure investments in 2026 given L2 proliferation?"
- "How do you evaluate custody vs non-custody solutions for institutional clients?"
- "Portfolio insight: What differentiates Eureka Labs' approach to Ethereum infrastructure?"
Where to find them: Breakfast with friends by Masterkey VC (Mon 1-3 PM, Wed 1-3 PM)
10. Ledger Enterprise Team — Laurent Castillo (VP Architecture)
Why they matter: Hardware wallet leader expanding into AI agent security, institutional custody
Recent work:
- Launched 2026 AI Security Roadmap: Agent Identity, Policies, Proof of Human
- Partnerships: Tetra Trust (Canada), Legacy Trust (Hong Kong), Crypto.com, Bitstamp
- Opened NYC office for US institutional expansion
- Moonpay built AI agent wallet with Ledger signing
Conversation starters:
- "How does Ledger's AI agent security stack handle autonomous signing vs human oversight?"
- "What's the go-to-market for Ledger Enterprise TRADELINK with OTC brokers?"
- "With AI agent wallets, how do you balance autonomy with security guarantees?"
Where to find them: WalletCon (Tue, 12-8 PM), Ledger-sponsored events
Networking Strategy
Best Events for Investor Conversations
- Founder x VC Happy Hour (Mon, 8 PM) - 40 attendees, highest VC density
- Investors Meetup by Hybrid Capital (Sun, 8 PM) - 26 attendees
- Private SunDAO: Investors Speed Dating (Tue, 6 PM) - curated 1:1s
- Wine & Web3 Growth (Mon, 8 PM) - 30 attendees, VC focus
- Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner (Wed, 9 PM) - 20 attendees, institutional VCs
Best Events for Technical Founders
- Builder Nights Cannes (Mon, 8 PM-1 AM) - 71 attendees, MetaMask/Linea/TRON
- DeFi Day (Mon, 1-9 PM) - 37 attendees, Aave/Chainlink presentations
- WalletCon (Tue, 12-8 PM) - 34 attendees, wallet infrastructure deep dives
- Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup (Mon, 12-2 PM) - quantum-secure tech
- Starknet Party (Tue, 9 PM-2 AM) - 41 attendees, ZK ecosystem
Best Events for Casual Networking
- Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup (Mon, 12-2 PM) - morning coffee, relaxed
- Investor x Founder Beachclub (Wed, 1-3 PM) - beach setting
- THE LOCAL: Rooftop Brunch (Wed, 1-4 PM) - brunch atmosphere
- Coffee On Us ☕ Espresso & Celo (Mon, 10 AM-1 PM) - breakfast casual
- [not crypto] Art Night (Wed, 7 PM-12:30 AM) - creative crowd
Dinner/Drinks Events (Most Intimate, Best for BD)
- Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner (Wed, 9 PM) - 20 attendees, curated
- Selini Capital x Areta Dinner (Wed, 9:30 PM) - 14 attendees, VC-focused
- The Privacy Table (Mon, 9 PM) - 25 attendees, privacy/security/institutional
- Family Offices & Investors Summit Michelin Dinner (Mon, 4-7 PM) - 36 attendees, paid (\00)
- Enflux Private Poker Night (Mon, 11 PM-3 AM) - 22 attendees, intimate deal flow
- Pre-afterparty: Cheese & Wine w/ ChainSecurity (Thu, 7-11 PM) - 31 attendees, security focus
Institutional/Enterprise-Focused Events
- Institutions Onchain (Sun, 2 PM-12 AM) - 26 attendees
- ORAK CANNES Private Institutional Summit (Mon, 4-9 PM) - 28 attendees
- ETH CC VIP Institutional Soirée (Tue, 8-11 PM) - 22 attendees
- Real-World Asset Summit (Tue, 11 AM-9 PM) - 27 attendees
- Cannes RealFi Mixer: Where AI Meets RWAs (Wed, 4-7 PM) - 21 attendees
Critical Action Items
Immediate (Before Event):
- ✅ Monitor ric@staex.io for 4 pending approval confirmations: Starknet Party, Trader Summit, Wine & Web3 Growth, Private Garden Party
- ❌ Manual registration required for 3 failed events:
- Builder Nights Cannes (71 attendees) - HIGHEST PRIORITY
- Founder x VC Happy Hour (40 attendees) - SECOND PRIORITY
- Pre-afterparty: Cheese & Wine (31 attendees)
- 💰 Evaluate paid event ROI:
- Proof of Liquidity (\70) - RECOMMENDED for Ink/Yield Network access
- Family Offices Michelin Dinner (\00) - RECOMMENDED for institutional BD
- TokenizeThis (\9) - OPTIONAL
- 🚫 Join waitlist: DeFi in the Sky 3.0 (sold out, 37 attendees)
During Event:
- Anchor Monday around DeFi Day (1-9 PM) - meet Stani Kulechov, Chainlink team
- Prioritize Builder Nights Monday evening (8 PM-1 AM) - 71 attendees, Justin Sun keynote
- Attend WalletCon Tuesday (12-8 PM) - meet Jess Houlgrave, wallet infrastructure leaders
- Starknet Party Tuesday night (9 PM-2 AM) - 41 attendees, major ecosystem gathering
- Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner Wednesday (9 PM) - curated institutional/VC dinner
Post-Event Follow-Up:
- Connect with all badge scans within 48 hours
- Prioritize follow-ups: VCs from Founder x VC Happy Hour, technical founders from Builder Nights, institutional contacts from VIP dinners
- Share event learnings with team within 1 week
Logistics & Travel Notes
Main Venue: Palais des Festivals et des Congrès (main EthCC conference + DeFi Day)
Event Clustering:
- Most Monday evening events (8-11 PM) are clustered in Cannes downtown area
- Budget 15-20 min between downtown venues, 30 min for outlying villas/beach locations
- Tuesday WalletCon likely at centralized venue
- Wednesday beach events (Investor x Founder Beachclub, THE LOCAL Rooftop) require longer travel
Peak Networking Windows:
- Monday 8-11 PM (Builder Nights, Founder x VC Happy Hour, Wine & Web3)
- Tuesday 6-9 PM (Fabric Ventures Mixer, Private SunDAO Speed Dating)
- Tuesday 9 PM-midnight (Starknet Party peak attendance)
- Wednesday 9-11 PM (VIP dinners)
Recommended Accommodation: Central Cannes location to minimize travel time between events. Many attendees stay near Boulevard de la Croisette.
Sources & References
- Aave 2025 Year in Review
- Aave News: V4 Launch, DAO Governance Crisis & 2026 Roadmap
- Starknet in 2025: ZK Scaling Goes Mainstream
- Starknet 2026 Roadmap Privacy and Bitcoin Staking Go Live
- WalletConnect: Year Ahead 2026
- WalletConnect Unveils Vision for Payments
- Justin Sun Highlights Agentic AI Payments on TRON at EthCC
- Chainlink Now Live on Canton
- Ledger's 2026 AI Security Roadmap
- Kraken Announces Ink L2 Blockchain
- WalletCon Announcing First Conference for Wallet Ecosystem
- EthCC[9] Official Website
- TRON and MetaMask Spotlight Cross-Chain Commerce
- Hack VC Portfolio
- Fabric Ventures Profile
- Masterkey VC Portfolio
- Stani Kulechov 2050 Vision: Abundance Assets
- ZKsync's 2026 Roadmap and Prividium
- Kraken-Incubated L2 INK Expands DeFi Ambitions
- Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup Details