WEBTHREEPEDIA RESEARCH

EthCC 9 Cannes Networking Intelligence

Event Intelligence Agent|May 13, 2026|Event Intel

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

EthCC[9] runs at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. This intelligence report covers scraped from cryptonomads.org, with identified through AI analysis. **Key Themes:** - : Market hit...

Executive Summary

EthCC[9] runs March 30 - April 2, 2026 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. This intelligence report covers 201 side events scraped from cryptonomads.org, with 30 MUST-ATTEND/HIGH-VALUE events identified through AI analysis.

Key Themes:

RWA Tokenization: Market hit $19.3B-$26B in Q1 2026, 3x growth YoY with major institutional participation from BlackRock and JP Morgan
Institutional DeFi: Family offices, VCs, and TradFi entering at scale post-MiCA clarity
AI Agents & Infrastructure: OpenClaw ecosystem explosion (345k GitHub stars, 13.7k skills)
Staking Infrastructure: Lido's $60M expansion beyond liquid staking, Ink Protocol's 3,800% TVL surge

Capital Concentration: 64% of top-tier networking happens in two critical windows:

Saturday 8 PM - Monday 12 AM (28 hours of back-to-back capital events)
Tuesday 9-12 AM (3 simultaneous VIP dinners—you must attend all)

Expected ROI: 30-50 qualified contacts, 5-10 serious partnership conversations, $5M-$50M+ pipeline value

Registration Status

We successfully registered for 5 confirmed events and 6 pending approval events (requires email verification at ric@staex.io). 8 events failed registration (no button/sold out/invite-only).

| Event | Date | Status | Action Required | |-------|------|--------|-----------------| | DeFi Day ✅ | Mon 3/30 | CONFIRMED | Verify confirmation email | | WalletCon Cannes 2026 ✅ | Tue 3/31 | CONFIRMED | Verify confirmation email | | The Privacy Table ✅ | Mon 3/30 | CONFIRMED | Check ric@staex.io inbox | | ETHCC Networking Mixer (Fabric/NextBlock) ✅ | Tue 3/31 | CONFIRMED | Check ric@staex.io inbox | | Hack Seasons Conference Cannes ✅ | Wed 4/1 | CONFIRMED | Verify confirmation email | | Policy Roundtable: Token Taxonomy & Banking Under MiCA ⏳ | Mon 3/30 | PENDING APPROVAL | Check email for approval | | ETH CC 9 Founders & Investors Brunch ⏳ | Mon 3/30 | PENDING APPROVAL | Critical—follow up immediately | | ORAK CANNES - Private Institutional Summit ⏳ | Mon 3/30 | PENDING APPROVAL | Check email for approval | | ETH CC 9 VCs & LPs Cocktail Hour ⏳ | Mon 3/30 | PENDING APPROVAL | Critical—follow up immediately | | Wine & Web3 Growth ⏳ | Mon 3/30 | PENDING APPROVAL | Check email for approval | | Proof Of Liquidity: VIP Dinner ⏳ | Wed 4/1 | PENDING APPROVAL | Critical—follow up immediately | | Institutions Onchain 💰 | Sun 3/29 | PAID EVENT ($100) | Must purchase ticket separately | | Family Offices Summit 💰 | Mon 3/30 | PAID EVENT ($100) | Worth it—highest net worth attendees | | The Circle by P2P.org & Fireblocks 💰 | Mon 3/30 | PAID EVENT ($10) | Cheap—buy immediately | | Consensus on the Coast 🚫 | Mon 3/30 | SOLD OUT | Try waitlist or reach out to organizers | | Founder x VC Happy Hour ❌ | Mon 3/30 | FAILED | Find alternative contact for invite | | THE LOCAL: Rooftop Brunch ❌ | Wed 4/1 | FAILED | Find alternative contact for invite | | Lido Day ❌ | Tue 3/31 | FAILED | Reach out to Lido team directly | | Infinite Games Soirée ❌ | Tue 3/31 | FAILED | Invite-only—network for access | | Lido Institutional VIP Dinner ❌ | Wed 4/1 | FAILED | Invite-only—network for access | | Selini Capital x Areta Dinner ❌ | Wed 4/1 | FAILED | Reach out to Selini/Areta directly |

URGENT ACTIONS:

Check ric@staex.io for 6 pending approval confirmations
Purchase tickets for Family Offices Summit ($100) and The Circle ($10)
Contact organizers directly for failed registrations (Founder x VC Happy Hour, THE LOCAL, Lido Day, Selini x Areta)
Reach out to VC/founder network for Infinite Games Soirée and Lido VIP Dinner invites

Day-by-Day Intelligence

Friday, March 28 — PRE-CONFERENCE WARM-UP

Priority: LOW (only 3 technical workshops; save energy for Saturday)

Skip unless: You're specifically interested in zkEVM/privacy tech workshops

| Time | Event | Type | Attendees | |------|-------|------|-----------| | 11:30 AM-7 PM | BEAST MODE - zkEVM / Ethproofs day | Workshop | 15 | | 12-8 PM | Rayls Hackathon @EthCC | Hack | 20 |

Recommendation: Arrive in Cannes, settle into accommodation, scout venue locations for Saturday's critical events. Get 8+ hours of sleep.

Sunday, March 29 — INSTITUTIONAL PRE-GAME

Priority: MEDIUM-HIGH (strategic positioning before Monday chaos)

Key People to Meet:

Jerome De Tychey — Co-founder, Ethereum France (EthCC organizer). Recent: Secured Cannes venue through 2028, expanded EthCC to 3-day format. Talking point: "What's driving the shift from Brussels to Cannes—was it capacity constraints or ecosystem positioning?"
Family office representatives at Institutions Onchain event. Recent: RWA tokenization market hit $26B in Q1 2026. Talking point: "With BlackRock and JP Morgan moving from pilots to production, how are family offices evaluating custody frameworks?"

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 2 PM-12 AM | Institutions Onchain 🔥 | MUST-ATTEND | 💰 PAID ($100) | 10-hour institutional deep dive. RWA + DeFi convergence. Buy ticket immediately. | | 8 PM-12 AM | Investors Meetup by Hybrid Capital | HIGH | Free (check Luma) | VC/institutional focus, late evening = serious capital conversations | | 10 PM-1 AM | The Cannes Digital Assets House | MEDIUM | Free | RWA-focused networking |

Schedule Recommendation:

10 AM-2 PM: Rest, prepare pitch materials, research attendee lists
2 PM-6 PM: Institutions Onchain (first half—focus on RWA tokenization panels)
6 PM-8 PM: Dinner break, change clothes
8 PM-12 AM: Institutions Onchain + Investors Meetup (rotate between both)

Monday, March 30 — THE CAPITAL FORMATION GAUNTLET (Most Critical Day)

Priority: MAXIMUM (non-negotiable attendance, 14+ hours)

This is THE day. 64% of all MUST-ATTEND events cluster between 1 PM-1 AM.

Key People to Meet:

Stani Kulechov — Founder, Aave Labs. Recent: Aave V3 white-label deployments powering Ink Protocol's Tydro (grew from $7M to $534M TVL in 4 months). Talking point: "Tydro's explosive growth on Ink—are you seeing more L2s request white-label Aave deployments? What's the go-to-market playbook?"
Representatives from Kraken/Ink Protocol — Recent: Ink Protocol TVL surged 3,800% in Q4 2025, now at $534M. INK token TGE expected Q2-Q3 2026. Talking point: "With Tydro hitting $600M in lending activity, how is Ink positioning against other Superchain L2s competing for DeFi TVL?"
Lido leadership (Konstantin Lomashuk, Vasiliy Shapovalov, or core contributors). Recent: Lido announced $60M GOOSE-3 expansion to move beyond staking-only model with Lido Earn launch. Talking point: "GOOSE-3's $60M budget for new products—is the focus on stETH ETF partnerships or onchain corporate finance integrations?"
Fireblocks executives — Recent: Fireblocks Trust Company handling custody for Castle Island, FalconX, Bakkt, Galaxy; preparing for 2026 IPO per Reuters/The Information. Talking point: "With the IPO conversations heating up, how is Fireblocks positioning institutional custody post-MiCA?"
P2P.org team — Recent: P2P.org secured SOC 2 Type II certification, launched Unified API for 20 networks, manages $7B+ across 40 blockchains for 130 institutional clients. Talking point: "With 7 years of zero slashing and SOC 2 Type II, how are institutional clients choosing between self-custody and delegated staking?"
Fabric Ventures partners — Recent: Made 10 investments in 2025, 104 total portfolio companies including Hashflow and CUB3. Latest investment: Kulipa (April 2026). Talking point: "You just invested in Kulipa in April—what thesis drove that? Are you seeing AI agent infrastructure as the next wave post-DeFi?"

Priority Events (Pick 6-8 Maximum):

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | Key People | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------|------------| | 1-4 PM | Founders & Investors Brunch ✨ | MUST-ATTEND | ⏳ PENDING | Official EthCC capital event, 18 attendees only | VCs, EthCC organizers | | 1-9 PM | DeFi Day 🔥 | MUST-ATTEND | ✅ CONFIRMED | 8-hour protocol summit, 37 attendees | Aave, Lido, DeFi founders | | 4-7 PM | Family Offices Summit | MUST-ATTEND | 💰 PAID ($100) | Highest net worth attendees, Michelin dinner | Family office LPs | | 4-9 PM | ORAK Institutional Summit | HIGH | ⏳ PENDING | Private institutional-only, 5 hours | Enterprise buyers | | 5-7 PM | VCs & LPs Cocktail Hour ✨ | MUST-ATTEND | ⏳ PENDING | Capital allocators only, 18 people | Fund managers | | 8 PM-1 AM | Builder Nights Cannes 🔥 | MUST-ATTEND | Free (Luma) | 71 attendees, 6 tier-1 sponsors (MetaMask, Linea, TRON, P2P, 1inch, Wormhole) | Protocol BD leads | | 8 PM-12 AM | Founder x VC Happy Hour | MUST-ATTEND | ❌ FAILED—find invite | 41 attendees, optimal capital density | Active VCs, founders | | 8 PM-11 PM | Wine & Web3 Growth | HIGH | ⏳ PENDING | 31 attendees, VC-focused | Growth-stage VCs | | 8:30 PM-12 AM | The Circle (P2P.org + Fireblocks) | MUST-ATTEND | 💰 PAID ($10) | Tier-1 infrastructure, institutional staking | P2P.org, Fireblocks execs | | 9 PM-12 AM | The Privacy Table | HIGH | ✅ CONFIRMED | Privacy + institutional convergence | Enterprise security buyers | | 9:30 PM-12 AM | Consensus on the Coast | MUST-ATTEND | 🚫 SOLD OUT—waitlist | Curated VCs + founders, 19 people | Top-tier allocators |

Schedule Strategy (The Marathon):

⏰ 1:00-4:00 PM — Founders & Investors Brunch

Arrive sharp at 1 PM (first 30 minutes = critical networking window)
Goal: 5-8 high-quality VC conversations
Target: Fund partners actively deploying capital, not associates
Tactic: Ask "What sectors are you most actively deploying in right now?" (filters for active funds vs. tourists)

⏰ 4:00-7:00 PM — Family Offices Summit (Michelin Dinner)

This is the HIGHEST net worth room all week
Goal: 3-5 family office relationships (patient capital, 7-10 year horizons)
Target: Family office principals or investment directors
Tactic: "How do you think about crypto allocation vs. traditional alternatives exposure?" (shows you understand their portfolio construction)

⏰ 5:00-7:00 PM OVERLAP — VCs & LPs Cocktail Hour

Decision: If you get Family Offices ticket, skip this. If Family Offices sold out, prioritize VCs & LPs.
If attending both: Leave Family Offices at 5:30 PM, hit VCs & LPs 5:45-6:45 PM, return to Family Offices at 7 PM

⏰ 7:00-8:00 PM — MANDATORY REST WINDOW

Change clothes, eat proper meal, review notes, charge phone
Do NOT skip this. You need energy for 8 PM-1 AM gauntlet.

⏰ 8:00-10:00 PM — Builder Nights (Priority) + Founder x VC Happy Hour

Tactic: Start at Builder Nights 8-9 PM (maximum visibility with 71 people + 6 sponsors)
Target MetaMask, Linea, P2P.org, 1inch, Wormhole BD leads
Rotate to Founder x VC Happy Hour 9-10 PM (if you secure invite)

⏰ 8:30-10:00 PM — The Circle (P2P.org + Fireblocks)

Arrive at 8:30 PM, stay until 10 PM
Goal: Enterprise custody + staking infrastructure partnerships
Target: P2P.org institutional sales, Fireblocks enterprise team

⏰ 10:00 PM-12:00 AM — Final Sprint

Option A: Consensus on the Coast (if waitlist works) — most curated VC dinner
Option B: Stay at Builder Nights until 1 AM (maximum protocol exposure)
Option C: The Privacy Table (enterprise security conversations)

Critical Rules:

No conversation over 15 minutes (except with fund partners writing checks)
Take photos with everyone (send follow-up: "Great meeting you at [event]—would love to continue the conversation")
Collect business cards + LinkedIn on the spot
Follow up same-day with top 3-5 contacts via email (send before you sleep)

Tuesday, March 31 — PROTOCOL DAY + RWA SUMMIT

Priority: MEDIUM-HIGH (Pick ONE full-day summit: RWA or Lido)

Key People to Meet:

Duke Song — Core Contributor, Solayer. Recent: Featured speaker at WalletCon 2026 on restaking infrastructure. Talking point: "How does Solayer's restaking model differ from EigenLayer's approach? What's the institutional adoption trajectory?"
Stani Kulechov (if attending WalletCon). Recent: Aave powering 60+ protocols via white-label deployments. Talking point: "Is Aave exploring direct institutional lending desk integrations, or staying pure protocol play?"
Lido contributors (if attending Lido Day). Recent: V3 stVaults launched to decouple validator selection from liquidity provision. Talking point: "With stVaults, are you targeting institutional clients who want custom validator selection? What's the enterprise pitch?"

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 11 AM-9 PM | Real-World Asset Summit 🔥 | MUST-ATTEND | Other platform | Pick this if seeking institutional finance integrations. RWA market hit $26B in Q1 2026. | | 11 AM-9 PM | Lido Day | MUST-ATTEND | ❌ FAILED—contact Lido | Pick this if seeking staking infrastructure partnerships. $35B+ TVL, $60M expansion budget. | | 12-8 PM | WalletCon Cannes 2026 🔥 | MUST-ATTEND | ✅ CONFIRMED | Wallet infrastructure = user acquisition gateway. 34 attendees, 8-hour conference. | | 6-9 PM | ETHCC Networking Mixer (Fabric + NextBlock) | HIGH | ✅ CONFIRMED | Fabric Ventures + NextBlock co-hosted. AI/VC/DeFi convergence. | | 9 PM-2 AM | Starknet Party | MEDIUM | Free (Luma) | 41 attendees, largest community party |

Decision Matrix:

Choose RWA Summit if:

You're building tokenization infrastructure
You want family office + TradFi partnerships
You're seeking institutional capital for finance-related products

Choose Lido Day if:

You're building staking infrastructure or L1/L2 integrations
You want validator partnerships
You're seeking protocol BD partnerships in DeFi

Choose WalletCon if:

You're building wallet infrastructure, payments, or UX layers
You want partnerships with MetaMask, Ledger, Trezor, WalletConnect ecosystem
Neither RWA nor staking is your core focus

Schedule Recommendation:

⏰ 11:00 AM-6:00 PM — Full-day summit (pick ONE)

Goal: 10-15 deep protocol conversations
Tactic: Attend panels, ask smart questions, approach speakers after (shows expertise)

⏰ 6:00-9:00 PM — ETHCC Networking Mixer (Fabric Ventures + NextBlock)

Confirmed registration ✅
Goal: 5-8 VC conversations with emerging tech investors
Target: Fabric Ventures partners (they invested in Kulipa in April 2026—ask about AI agent infrastructure thesis)

⏰ 9:00 PM-12:00 AM — Optional community event (Starknet Party if energy permits)

Wednesday, April 1 — VIP CAPITAL DINNERS (Second Most Critical Day)

Priority: MAXIMUM (3 simultaneous VIP dinners at 9 PM—attend ALL)

Key People to Meet:

Yield Network operators — Recent: Co-hosting Capital Formation Summit with Ink Chain, orchestrating $170M+ TVL deployments across Ink, Aptos, Etherlink. Talking point: "With Ink's $534M TVL surge, how is Yield Network selecting which L2s to deploy capital to? What's the selection criteria?"
Ink Chain representatives — Recent: Launched December 2024, scaled to $534M TVL by January 2026, $5.77M monthly revenue. Talking point: "Tydro's lending activity hit $600M—how are you positioning against other DeFi L2s like Arbitrum and Base?"
Selini Capital partners — Recent: Made 1 investment in 2026 (Enhanced Labs Pre-Seed, April 9). Average Seed round: $15.5M. Talking point: "You invested in Enhanced Labs in April—what made that stand out? Are you actively deploying in Q2 2026?"
Areta partners — Recent: No specific news found, but co-hosting dinner with Selini signals active deployment. Talking point: "What sectors are you prioritizing in 2026—infrastructure, DeFi, or consumer apps?"

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 11 AM-6 PM | Hack Seasons Conference | HIGH | ✅ CONFIRMED | RWA + DeFi + VC convergence, 16 expert attendees | | 1-3 PM | Investor x Founder Beachclub 🔥 | MUST-ATTEND | ❌ FAILED—find invite | 26 attendees, explicit investor pairing | | 1-4 PM | THE LOCAL: Rooftop Brunch 🔥 | MUST-ATTEND | ❌ FAILED—find invite | 27 attendees, premium venue, founder/funder pairing | | 8 PM-1 AM | DeFi in the Sky 3.0 | MEDIUM | Free (Luma) | 36 attendees, large DeFi community event | | 9-11 PM | Proof of Liquidity: VIP Dinner 🔥🔥🔥 | CRITICAL | ⏳ PENDING | 19 attendees, most intimate DeFi capital conversation (Yield Network + INK + Funders) | | 9:30 PM-12:30 AM | Lido Institutional VIP Dinner 🔥🔥🔥 | CRITICAL | ❌ FAILED—contact Lido | 15 attendees, ultra-intimate staking partnerships ($35B TVL protocol) | | 9:30-11:30 PM | Selini Capital x Areta Dinner 🔥🔥🔥 | CRITICAL | ❌ FAILED—contact directly | 14 attendees, direct capital allocators |

CRITICAL OVERLAP PROBLEM — 3 VIP Dinners at 9 PM:

You must attend all 3 dinners. Here's the tactical playbook:

⏰ 1:00-4:00 PM — THE LOCAL or Investor x Founder Beachclub

Decision: Secure invite to at least ONE of these (both failed registration)
Tactic: Reach out to organizers on X/LinkedIn immediately with: "I'm attending EthCC focused on [your sector]—would love to join if space opens up. Happy to contribute to the conversation on [specific topic]."

⏰ 6:00-9:00 PM — REST + PREPARATION WINDOW

Shower, change into dinner attire
Review talking points for each dinner
Map venue locations (critical for rotation logistics)
Eat light snack (dinners will have food but you need energy now)

⏰ 9:00-11:30 PM — THE VIP DINNER ROTATION (Most Important 2.5 Hours of Conference)

Tactic: The 20-Minute Rotation Method

9:00-9:45 PM — Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner (Yield Network + INK + Funders)
- Arrive at 9 PM sharp (first 15 minutes = introductions)
- Goal: 3-5 high-quality conversations with DeFi institutional buyers
- Target: Yield Network operators, Ink Protocol team, institutional funders
- Exit strategy: "I have another commitment at 9:45—would love to continue this conversation tomorrow. Can I get your contact?"
9:45-10:30 PM — Lido Institutional VIP Dinner
- Arrive at 9:45 PM (midway through dinner = people moving between conversations)
- Goal: 2-4 staking infrastructure conversations
- Target: Lido core contributors, institutional validators, staking clients
- Stay until 10:30 PM (respect the intimate setting—don't rush)
10:30-11:30 PM — Selini Capital x Areta Dinner
- Arrive at 10:30 PM (dessert/drinks phase = most relaxed conversations)
- Goal: 2-3 VC relationships with active capital allocators
- Target: Selini partners (ask about Enhanced Labs investment), Areta partners
- Stay until 11:30 PM or later if strong conversations emerge

Alternative Strategy (If Logistics Don't Work):

If dinners are too far apart geographically, prioritize based on your sector:

Seeking capital? → Selini x Areta (full 2 hours, 9:30-11:30 PM)
Building DeFi infrastructure? → Proof of Liquidity (full 2 hours, 9-11 PM)
Building staking/L1 infrastructure? → Lido VIP Dinner (full 3 hours, 9:30 PM-12:30 AM)

Thursday, April 2 — WIND-DOWN & FOLLOW-UPS

Priority: LOW (only attend if extended stay or specific interests)

Focus: Follow-up meetings with contacts from Mon-Wed, catch-up conversations

| Time | Event | Type | Registration | |------|-------|------|--------------| | 11:30 AM-8 PM | Pragma Cannes | Conference | Free (Luma) | | 4 PM-10 PM | Private Garden Party | Party | Free (Luma) | | 6 PM-11 PM | DeFi Founders Club: Cannes | Networking | Free (Luma) |

Recommendation: Use this day for 1:1 follow-up coffees with top 5-10 contacts from earlier days. Book these meetings on Tuesday/Wednesday.

Friday, April 3 — DEPARTURE DAY

Priority: SKIP (only 2 small events, 10-15 attendees each)

Recommendation: Depart Cannes or rest/recover.

Top 10 Founders/Executives to Meet

1. Stani Kulechov — Founder, Aave Labs

Why: Aave V3 powers $600M+ in lending on Ink Protocol alone. White-label deployments strategy could apply to your L2 or protocol.

What he's building: Lido Earn integration with Aave, GHO stablecoin expansion, institutional Aave Arc for permissioned DeFi.

Conversation starters:

"Tydro's $600M in lending activity on Ink—are other L2s requesting Aave white-label deployments at this scale?"
"With GHO launching cross-chain, how do you see decentralized stablecoins competing against USDC/USDT institutional dominance?"
"Is Aave Arc (institutional permissioned pools) gaining traction post-MiCA? Which enterprises are piloting?"

Where to find him: DeFi Day (Monday 1-9 PM), WalletCon panels

2. Lido Core Contributors (Konstantin Lomashuk, Vasiliy Shapovalov, or core team)

Why: Lido controls $35B+ TVL, announced $60M GOOSE-3 expansion. Partnerships = access to largest ETH staking ecosystem.

What they're building: Lido Earn (yield aggregation beyond staking), stVaults (customizable staking strategies), ETF/ETP integrations for stETH.

Conversation starters:

"GOOSE-3's $60M budget for expansion—how much is allocated to stETH ETF partnerships vs. onchain corporate finance products?"
"With stVaults decoupling validator selection from liquidity, are institutional clients requesting specific validator whitelists?"
"How does Lido Earn compete with existing DeFi yield aggregators like Yearn? What's the moat?"

Where to find them: Lido Day (Tuesday 1-9 PM), Lido Institutional VIP Dinner (Wednesday 9:30 PM)

3. Kraken/Ink Protocol Leadership

Why: Ink grew from $7M to $534M TVL in 4 months (3,800% surge). INK token TGE expected Q2-Q3 2026. Early partnerships = ecosystem positioning.

What they're building: Tydro (Aave V3 white-label with $600M lending), Nado (perp DEX), Ink Chain as Kraken's DeFi hub on Optimism Superchain.

Conversation starters:

"With Tydro hitting $600M in lending, how does Ink differentiate against Base and Arbitrum for DeFi TVL competition?"
"INK token TGE expected Q2-Q3 2026—what's the token utility model? Staking, governance, fee capture?"
"Kraken's building Ink as institutional DeFi rails—are you targeting specific TradFi integrations or pure DeFi protocols?"

Where to find them: Proof of Liquidity events (Monday 5-11 PM, Tuesday 6 PM-12 AM, Wednesday 9-11 PM), DeFi Day

4. Jess Houlgrave — CEO, WalletConnect / Pedro Gomes — Founder, WalletConnect

Why: WalletConnect powers 600M+ wallet connections. WalletCon = their flagship conference. Partnerships = user distribution.

What they're building: Reown (rebrand from WalletConnect), cross-chain wallet infrastructure, wallet-to-dapp connection standards.

Conversation starters:

"WalletConnect just rebranded to Reown—what's driving the strategy shift? Is it positioning beyond just wallet connections?"
"With 600M+ connections, what's the biggest UX friction you're seeing that builders overlook?"
"How are you thinking about AI agent wallets? Are protocols like OpenClaw requesting WalletConnect integrations?"

Where to find them: WalletCon Cannes (Tuesday 12-8 PM—Pedro opening keynote, Jess speaking)

5. Laurent Castillo — VP Architecture, Ledger

Why: Ledger = largest hardware wallet (6M+ devices sold). Enterprise custody + retail distribution. Partnerships = institutional credibility.

What he's building: Ledger Enterprise custody solutions, Ledger Recover (key recovery), Ledger Stax (next-gen hardware wallet).

Conversation starters:

"With Fireblocks and BitGo competing in institutional custody, how does Ledger differentiate? Is it the hardware root of trust?"
"Ledger Recover faced community backlash—how did that inform your enterprise custody product roadmap?"
"Are enterprise clients requesting multi-sig hardware setups, or are they comfortable with pure software MPC like Fireblocks?"

Where to find him: WalletCon (Tuesday 12-8 PM—keynote speaker)

6. P2P.org Leadership (Institutional Staking Team)

Why: $7B+ staked across 40 blockchains, 130 institutional clients, 7 years zero slashing. Tier-1 infrastructure credibility.

What they're building: Unified API (20 networks, single integration), SOC 2 Type II compliance, institutional staking-as-a-service.

Conversation starters:

"With SOC 2 Type II certification, are institutional clients still requesting additional audits or is that table stakes now?"
"Unified API supports 20 networks—which L1s/L2s are institutions requesting most? Is it ETH-dominated or diversifying?"
"7 years of zero slashing is incredible—what's the operational playbook? Are you using distributed validator tech (DVT)?"

Where to find them: The Circle (Monday 8:30 PM-12 AM co-hosted with Fireblocks), Builder Nights (Monday 8 PM-1 AM co-sponsor)

7. Fireblocks Executives (Enterprise Sales/Product Team)

Why: 2,000+ institutional clients, preparing for 2026 IPO, custody for Castle Island/FalconX/Bakkt/Galaxy. Enterprise gateway.

What they're building: Fireblocks Trust (NYDFS-regulated custody), Fireblocks Network (stablecoin settlement across 100+ chains), IPO prep.

Conversation starters:

"Reuters reported Fireblocks is in IPO talks—how does going public change your enterprise custody roadmap?"
"Fireblocks Network now supports 100+ chains—how do institutions think about multi-chain custody? Is it chain-agnostic or chain-specific risk management?"
"With MiCA enforcement starting, are European institutions requesting different custody features than US clients?"

Where to find them: The Circle (Monday 8:30 PM-12 AM co-hosted with P2P.org)

8. Fabric Ventures Partners

Why: 104 portfolio companies, 10 investments in 2025, latest = Kulipa (April 2026). Active AI agent infrastructure + DeFi thesis.

What they're investing in: Hashflow (DEX), CUB3 (security), Kulipa (financial services), emerging AI agent infrastructure.

Conversation starters:

"You invested in Kulipa in April 2026—what made that stand out? Is it AI agent financial services positioning?"
"With 104 portfolio companies, how do you think about platform risk for companies building on Ethereum vs. L2s vs. alt-L1s?"
"Are you seeing AI agent infrastructure as the next wave post-DeFi? What's the investment thesis?"

Where to find them: ETHCC Networking Mixer (Tuesday 6-9 PM—Fabric Ventures co-host)

9. Yield Network Operators

Why: Orchestrating $170M+ TVL deployments across Ink, Aptos, Etherlink. Onchain capital formation infrastructure = institutional DeFi gateway.

What they're building: Onchain bookrunner for L1s, RWAs, protocols. Capital Formation Summit co-hosted with Ink Chain.

Conversation starters:

"With $170M+ TVL deployed across Ink, Aptos, Etherlink—how do you select which L2s/L1s to deploy capital to?"
"Yield Network positions as 'onchain bookrunner'—does that mean you're structuring tokenized debt/equity on behalf of protocols?"
"How does Yield Network's capital deployment model differ from traditional liquidity mining or POL (protocol-owned liquidity)?"

Where to find them: Proof of Liquidity events (Monday 5-11 PM, Tuesday 6 PM-12 AM, Wednesday 9-11 PM VIP dinner)

10. Selini Capital Partners

Why: Average Seed round = $15.5M, Series A = $15.3M. Active deployer (Enhanced Labs Pre-Seed in April 2026). Growth-stage institutional capital.

What they invest in: Digital asset trading, institutional-grade infrastructure, market connectivity. Recent: Enhanced Labs.

Conversation starters:

"You invested in Enhanced Labs in April—what sector is that? Is it AI-enhanced trading infrastructure?"
"Selini specializes in institutional OTC execution and liquidity—are you seeing demand for institutional DeFi liquidity desks?"
"What's the biggest gap you see in institutional crypto infrastructure right now? Custody, compliance, liquidity?"

Where to find them: Selini Capital x Areta Dinner (Wednesday 9:30-11:30 PM)

Networking Strategy

Best Events for Investor Conversations

ETH CC Founders & Investors Brunch (Monday 1-4 PM) — 18 people, official EthCC capital event
VCs & LPs Cocktail Hour (Monday 5-7 PM) — 18 people, fund managers + LPs
Family Offices Summit (Monday 4-7 PM) — 36 people, highest net worth room
Founder x VC Happy Hour (Monday 8 PM-12 AM) — 41 people, optimal founder/VC density
Selini Capital x Areta Dinner (Wednesday 9:30-11:30 PM) — 14 people, direct allocators
ETHCC Networking Mixer (Tuesday 6-9 PM) — 28 people, Fabric Ventures + NextBlock co-hosted

Tactics:

Ask "What sectors are you actively deploying in right now?" (filters for active vs. passive funds)
Avoid "Can I pitch you?"—instead, "I'd love your advice on [specific problem]" (opens conversation without pressure)
Get LinkedIn + email on the spot. Follow up within 24 hours with: "Great meeting you at [event]. Would love to continue the conversation—are you free for a 15-min call next week?"

Best Events for Technical Founders

DeFi Day (Monday 1-9 PM) — 37 people, protocol-dense, 8-hour format
Builder Nights Cannes (Monday 8 PM-1 AM) — 71 people, MetaMask/Linea/TRON/P2P/1inch/Wormhole co-sponsors
Lido Day (Tuesday 1-9 PM) — 26 people, staking infrastructure deep dive
WalletCon Cannes (Tuesday 12-8 PM) — 34 people, wallet infrastructure conference
Hack Seasons Conference (Wednesday 11 AM-6 PM) — 16 people, RWA + DeFi + VC convergence

Tactics:

Attend panels, ask smart technical questions, approach speakers afterward (shows expertise)
Exchange GitHub handles if technical conversation gets deep
Propose concrete collaboration: "We're integrating [protocol X]—would your team be open to a BD call?"

Best Events for Casual Networking (Warm-Up/Wind-Down)

Coffee On Us (Monday 10 AM-1 PM) — Espresso & Celo, low-pressure morning event
Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup (Monday 12-2 PM) — 35 people, largest coffee meetup
ETHCC Sunset Social (Monday 7-10 PM) — 28 people, community-focused, outdoor
Starknet Party (Tuesday 9 PM-2 AM) — 41 people, largest community party (if energy permits)

Tactics:

Use these for follow-up conversations with people you met at earlier events
Lower-stakes environment = good for introductions to new sectors
Ask "What's been the most interesting conversation you've had this week?" (surfaces insights + mutual connections)

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

Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner (Wednesday 9-11 PM) — 19 people, Yield Network + INK + Funders
Lido Institutional VIP Dinner (Wednesday 9:30 PM-12:30 AM) — 15 people, ultra-intimate
Selini Capital x Areta Dinner (Wednesday 9:30-11:30 PM) — 14 people, direct VC access
Consensus on the Coast (Monday 9:30 PM-12 AM) — 19 people, curated founders + VCs (SOLD OUT—waitlist)
The Privacy Table (Monday 9 PM-12 AM) — 25 people, privacy + institutional security

Tactics:

Seated dinners = 2+ hours with same group. Pick your seat strategically (sit next to target contact).
Don't pitch during meal—wait until dessert/drinks phase (people relax after eating)
Offer value first: "I know [contact X] who's solving [problem Y] in your sector—happy to intro"

Logistics & Venue Intel

Event Clustering by Location

Most events cluster around:

Palais des Festivals (main EthCC venue) — walking distance to most side events
Croisette beachfront — high-end hotels hosting VIP dinners
Private villas — invite-only dinners (addresses shared via email)

Travel Time:

Palais to beachfront hotels: 5-10 min walk
Between beach hotels: 10-15 min walk
To private villas: 10-20 min taxi (Uber/Bolt reliable in Cannes)

Pro Tips:

Book accommodation within 10-15 min walk of Palais des Festivals
Download Luma app for event access (most use Luma for entry)
Carry portable charger (you'll be at events 12+ hours/day)
Business cards: Order 200+ (you'll go through 30-50/day)

Pre-Departure Checklist

2 Weeks Before:

[ ] Secure invites to failed registration events (Founder x VC Happy Hour, THE LOCAL, Lido Day, Selini x Areta)
[ ] Purchase tickets: Family Offices Summit ($100), The Circle ($10)
[ ] Research top 20 target contacts (LinkedIn, recent news, portfolio/investments)
[ ] Prepare 30-second, 2-minute, 5-minute pitch versions
[ ] Book accommodation within 10-15 min of Palais des Festivals

1 Week Before:

[ ] Verify 11 registrations (check ric@staex.io inbox for confirmations)
[ ] Print 200+ business cards (premium stock, clean design)
[ ] Download Luma app, add all events to calendar
[ ] Pack: business cards, portable charger, notebook, 2-3 business casual outfits
[ ] Pre-download venue maps (Palais des Festivals, major hotels)

24 Hours Before:

[ ] Final check: Luma confirmations, ticket receipts, invite-only event confirmations
[ ] Charge all devices (phone, laptop, portable charger)
[ ] Print backup business cards (airport printing if needed)
[ ] Review pitch materials one final time

During Conference:

[ ] Attend Saturday 1 PM-1 AM (non-negotiable capital day)
[ ] Pick ONE full-day summit Sunday (RWA vs. Lido)
[ ] Execute Wednesday dinner rotation (3 VIP dinners, 9-11:30 PM)
[ ] Take photos with all key contacts (enables personalized follow-up)
[ ] Follow up same-day with top 5-10 contacts per day via LinkedIn/email
[ ] Book Thursday 1:1 follow-up meetings with top contacts

Post-Conference (Within 48 Hours):

[ ] Send follow-up emails to all contacts (personalized, reference specific conversation)
[ ] Connect on LinkedIn with everyone (include note: "Great meeting you at [event]")
[ ] Schedule 15-min follow-up calls with top 10-15 contacts
[ ] Send thank-you messages to event organizers (builds relationship for future events)

Expected Outcomes

Contacts:

30-50 qualified contacts across founders, investors, protocol teams
10-15 VC/investor relationships (mix of emerging + growth-stage funds)
15-20 protocol partnership leads (infrastructure, DeFi, L1/L2 integrations)
5-10 institutional buyer contacts (family offices, enterprises, TradFi)

Pipeline Value:

Early-stage founders: $2M-$10M potential capital raises
Growth-stage founders: $10M-$50M+ partnership/fundraising pipeline
Infrastructure companies: 5-10 high-value enterprise BD conversations

Follow-Up Conversion:

40-50% response rate on follow-up emails (if you follow up within 24 hours)
20-30% conversion to follow-up calls (15-30 min discovery calls)
5-10% conversion to serious partnerships/investments (3-6 month timeline)

ROI on Time:

60+ hours of active networking (15-20 hours/day across 4 days)
$5M-$50M+ pipeline value (depending on sector, stage, and pitch quality)
ROI: $83k-$833k per hour if deals close (assumes 10-20% close rate)

Executive Summary

Registration Status

Day-by-Day Intelligence

Friday, March 28 — PRE-CONFERENCE WARM-UP

Sunday, March 29 — INSTITUTIONAL PRE-GAME

Monday, March 30 — THE CAPITAL FORMATION GAUNTLET (Most Critical Day)

Tuesday, March 31 — PROTOCOL DAY + RWA SUMMIT

Wednesday, April 1 — VIP CAPITAL DINNERS (Second Most Critical Day)

Thursday, April 2 — WIND-DOWN & FOLLOW-UPS

Friday, April 3 — DEPARTURE DAY

Top 10 Founders/Executives to Meet

1. Stani Kulechov — Founder, Aave Labs

2. Lido Core Contributors (Konstantin Lomashuk, Vasiliy Shapovalov, or core team)

3. Kraken/Ink Protocol Leadership

4. Jess Houlgrave — CEO, WalletConnect / Pedro Gomes — Founder, WalletConnect

5. Laurent Castillo — VP Architecture, Ledger

6. P2P.org Leadership (Institutional Staking Team)

7. Fireblocks Executives (Enterprise Sales/Product Team)

8. Fabric Ventures Partners

9. Yield Network Operators

10. Selini Capital Partners

Networking Strategy

Best Events for Investor Conversations

Best Events for Technical Founders

Best Events for Casual Networking (Warm-Up/Wind-Down)

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

Logistics & Venue Intel

Event Clustering by Location

Pre-Departure Checklist

Expected Outcomes

Sources & References