WEBTHREEPEDIA RESEARCH

EthCC[9] Cannes Networking Intelligence Briefing

Event Intelligence Agent|May 6, 2026|Event Intel

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

EthCC[9] takes place March 28 - April 4, 2026 in Cannes, featuring 201 side events spanning networking, conferences, and parties. This briefing analyzes the top networking opportunities for business development professionals, with focus on institutional capital, DeFi protocols, infrastructure pro...

Executive Summary

Key Themes: Institutional DeFi adoption, privacy infrastructure (ZK/FHE), Real-World Assets (RWA), AI×Crypto convergence, and cross-chain liquidity.

Registration Status: 4 confirmed registrations, 4 pending approval, 3 failed attempts, 4 paid/full events skipped.

Registration Status

| Event | Date/Time | Status | Next Steps | |-------|-----------|--------|------------| | DeFi Day | Mon Mar 30, 1pm-9pm | ✅ Confirmed | Check ric@staex.io for confirmation | | Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup @ EthCC | Mon Mar 30, 12pm-2pm | ✅ Confirmed | Check ric@staex.io for confirmation | | WalletCon Cannes 2026 | Tue Mar 31, 12pm-8pm | ✅ Confirmed | Check ric@staex.io for confirmation | | 🇫🇷 ETHCC Château Happy Hour 🥂 | Mon Mar 30, 8pm-11pm | ✅ Confirmed | Successfully registered | | Starknet Party | Tue Mar 31, 9pm-2am | ⏳ Pending | Awaiting approval email | | Trader Summit by Kickoff.fun | Wed Apr 1, 8pm-11pm | ⏳ Pending | Awaiting approval email | | Wine & Web3 Growth | Mon Mar 30, 8pm-11pm | ⏳ Pending | Awaiting approval email | | Private Garden Party | Thu Apr 2, 4pm-10pm | ⏳ Pending | Awaiting approval email | | Builder Nights Cannes 🇫🇷 | Mon Mar 30, 8pm-1am | ❌ Failed | No register button found | | Founder x VC Happy Hour | Mon Mar 30, 8pm-12am | ❌ Failed | No register button found | | Quantstamp x Zircuit Secret Garden | Tue Mar 31, 3pm-7pm | ❌ Failed | No register button found | | Family Offices & Investors Summit | Mon Mar 30, 4pm-7pm | 💰 Paid | $100 ticket | | Proof of Liquidity by Yield Network & Ink | Mon Mar 30, 5pm-11pm | 💰 Paid | $170 ticket | | TokenizeThis Cannes 2026 | Mon Mar 30, 11am-7pm | 💰 Paid | $29 ticket | | DeFi in the Sky 3.0 | Wed Apr 1, 8pm-1am | 🚫 Full | Event sold out |

Day-by-Day Intelligence

Day 1: Saturday, March 28

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 11:30am-7pm | 👹 BEAST MODE - zkEVM/Ethproofs day | Technical | Open | Privacy/ZK tech deep dive; small intimate group (15 attendees) | | 12pm-8pm | Rayls Hackathon | Builder | Open | RWA + institutional focus; hands-on project demos |

Key People to Meet:

Privacy/ZK Engineers — Working on zkEVM implementations. Recent: Zero-knowledge proofs moving mainstream in 2026. Talking point: Ask about trade-offs between different proving systems (SNARKs vs STARKs).

Schedule Recommendation: Morning: Recovery from travel → Afternoon: BEAST MODE workshop (technical depth) → Evening: Light prep for Sunday's heavy networking schedule

Strategic Notes:

Saturday is intentionally light on events (only 3 total)
Use this day to recover from travel and prepare for the intense Mon-Wed networking window
BEAST MODE is valuable if you're technical and want deep privacy infrastructure discussions

Day 2: Sunday, March 29

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 2pm-12am | Institutions Onchain | Institutional | Open | 26 attendees; TradFi/DeFi convergence; all-day institutional focus | | 7pm-10pm | Cannes Pre-Launch Soirée: European Ethereum Institute | Strategic | Open | Pre-launch event for institutional initiative; 4 attendees (ultra-exclusive) | | 7pm-11pm | The Gate [CANNES] by Tori, Delphi Ventures & RockawayX | VC | Open | Top-tier VC firms; 9 attendees (intimate setting) | | 8pm-12am | Investors Meetup by Hybrid Capital | VC/Institutional | Open | 26 attendees; pure investor focus | | 10pm-1am | The Cannes Digital Assets House | RWA | Open | 24 attendees; RWA-specific networking |

Key People to Meet:

Delphi Ventures Team — One of crypto's most active VCs. Recent: Led multiple rounds in 2026 including DeFi protocol investments. Talking point: Ask about their thesis on institutional DeFi adoption post-MiCA.
RockawayX Partners — European crypto VC. Recent: Active in Central/Eastern European Web3 projects. Talking point: European vs. US regulatory arbitrage opportunities.
Hybrid Capital Team — Emerging crypto fund. Talking point: What they're seeing in LP appetite for crypto exposure in 2026.

Schedule Recommendation: Morning: Casual (padel/tennis events available for relationship building) → Afternoon: Institutions Onchain (2pm-6pm) → Evening: European Ethereum Institute (7pm) → The Gate VC party (7pm-9pm) → Investors Meetup (9pm-11pm)

Strategic Notes:

Sunday is investor-heavy; prioritize VC conversations
The Gate event at 7pm is optimal timing before dinner
Multiple late-night options (11pm+) for continued networking

Day 3: Monday, March 30 — HIGHEST PRIORITY DAY

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 11am-7pm | TokenizeThis Cannes 2026 | Conference | 💰 $29 | 31 attendees; infrastructure focus; all-day format | | 12pm-2pm | Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup | Networking | ✅ Registered | 35 attendees; hosted by Tectonic, Sushi, W3JOE, Hack VC, Halborn | | 1pm-9pm | DeFi Day | Conference | ✅ Registered | 37 attendees; THE core DeFi event of the week | | 4pm-7pm | Family Offices & Investors Summit Michelin Dinner | Institutional | 💰 $100 | 36 attendees; 80 family funds managing $800B+ AUM; ultra-HNW focus | | 4pm-9pm | ORAK CANNES - Private Institutional Summit | Institutional | Open | 28 attendees; pure institutional play | | 5pm-11pm | Proof of Liquidity by Yield Network & Ink | Institutional | 💰 $170 | 35 attendees; Kraken Ink L2 focus; institutional liquidity | | 8pm-1am | Builder Nights Cannes (MetaMask, Linea, TRON, etc.) | Networking | ❌ Failed | 71 attendees; LARGEST networking event of the week | | 8pm-12am | Founder x VC Happy Hour | VC | ❌ Failed | 41 attendees; major founder/VC mixer | | 8pm-11pm | Wine & Web3 Growth | VC | ⏳ Pending | 31 attendees; VC/growth focus | | 8pm-11pm | 🇫🇷 ETHCC Château Happy Hour 🥂 | Networking | ✅ Registered | 32 attendees; security-focused crowd |

Key People to Meet:

Jess Houlgrave (CEO, WalletConnect) — Recent: WalletConnect launched Pay SDK in March 2026, enabling crypto spending with cashback in WCT. Preparing for ConsenSys IPO. Talking point: "How is WalletConnect positioning Pay against Stripe/Coinbase Commerce for the 2026 commerce wave?"
Stani Kulechov (CEO, Aave) — Recent: March 2026 "Aave Will Win" proposal secured $42.5M funding despite controversy. Pledged 5,000 ETH to DeFi United after KelpDAO $292M hack. Bought $30M London mansion. Talking point: "With DeFi United coordinating cross-protocol responses, how do you see security coordination evolving industry-wide?"
MetaMask/ConsenSys Team — Recent: ConsenSys planning IPO with JPMorgan/Goldman Sachs as lead underwriters for 2026. SG-Forge partnership integrated USD CoinVertible stablecoin into MetaMask. Launched Perpetual Futures and MASK token plans. Talking point: "SG-Forge integration is massive—how are you thinking about bank-issued stablecoins vs. Circle/Tether?"
Kraken Ink Team — Recent: Ink L2 TVL surged from $7M (Oct 2025) to $534M (Jan 2026)—3,800% growth in two weeks. Expecting Q2-Q3 2026 token launch. Talking point: "Ink's growth is wild—what's driving the institutional TVL surge beyond airdrop farming?"
Yield Network Team — Recent: Hosting Proof of Liquidity with Kraken's Ink. Focus on institutional liquidity infrastructure. Talking point: "With RWA tokenization accelerating, where do you see the biggest liquidity bottlenecks?"
Hack VC Partners — Recent: Co-hosting Quantum Qafe. Active in infrastructure investments. Talking point: "What infrastructure primitives are still missing for institutional adoption?"

Schedule Recommendation: Morning: Quantum Qafe Coffee (12pm-2pm, confirmed registration) → Afternoon: DeFi Day (1pm-5pm, confirmed registration) → Early Evening: Family Offices Summit OR ORAK Institutional Summit (4pm-7pm) → Evening: Château Happy Hour (8pm, confirmed) → Wine & Web3 Growth (8pm-11pm if approved) → Late: Try to network near Builder Nights venue even without registration

Strategic Notes:

Monday is THE day — most high-value events concentrated here
You have 3 confirmed registrations; maximize face time at each
DeFi Day overlaps with Family Offices Summit (both 1pm starts) — arrive at DeFi Day early, leave at 3:30pm to catch second half of Family Offices
Builder Nights failed registration is unfortunate (71 attendees = largest event) — recommend showing up at venue and networking outside/lobby
Evening has 5+ simultaneous events 8pm-11pm; prioritize confirmed registrations

Day 4: Tuesday, March 31

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 11am-9pm | Real-World Asset Summit Cannes 2026 | Conference | Open | 26 attendees; RWA-focused all day | | 12pm-8pm | WalletCon Cannes 2026 | Conference | ✅ Registered | 34 attendees; payments/wallet infrastructure; WalletConnect keynote | | 1pm-9pm | Lido Day | Conference | Open | 26 attendees; liquid staking focus | | 3pm-7pm | Quantstamp x Zircuit Secret Garden | Networking | ❌ Failed | 30 attendees; security/AI/DeFi mix | | 6pm-12am | Proof of Liquidity (Day 2) | Institutional | 💰 $170 | 21 attendees; continued institutional focus | | 6pm-9pm | ETHCC Networking Mixer by Fabric Ventures & NextBlock | VC | Open | 28 attendees; AI/VC/DeFi focus | | 9pm-2am | Starknet Party | Social | ⏳ Pending | 41 attendees; LARGEST party of the week | | 10pm-2am | Palme de DeFi by Octav, DefiLlama, & Trezor | DeFi | Open | 24 attendees; DeFi community gathering |

Key People to Meet:

Riaz Bordie (CTO, WalletConnect) — Speaking at WalletCon about WalletConnect Pay. Recent: Technical lead on Pay SDK launch. Talking point: "What's the biggest technical challenge in abstracting wallet UX for mainstream users?"
Ignacio Rivera (Head of Product, WalletConnect) — Speaking at WalletCon. Talking point: "With Canton Network integration, how do you see institutional privacy requirements shaping wallet architecture?"
Starknet Core Team — Recent: Starknet staking grew 11x (110M → 1.1B STRK) in 2025. Launching strkBTC for "private bitcoin" and STRK20s for private ERC-20 transfers. Developer activity ranks #2 among L2s. Talking point: "Private Bitcoin via strkBTC is fascinating—how do compliance and privacy coexist in that model?"
Fabric Ventures Partners — Recent: Active European crypto VC focusing on AI×Crypto convergence. Talking point: "What's your thesis on AI agent economies and crypto rails?"
NextBlock Partners — Recent: Co-hosting with Fabric. Talking point: "European vs. US venture dynamics post-MiCA—where are the opportunities?"

Schedule Recommendation: Morning: RWA Summit OR wellness activities → Afternoon: WalletCon (12pm-5pm, confirmed registration) → Evening: Fabric/NextBlock Mixer (6pm-9pm) → Night: Starknet Party (9pm-2am if approved)

Strategic Notes:

WalletCon is your anchor event (confirmed registration); spend 3+ hours here
RWA Summit runs all day—drop in morning or late afternoon
Starknet Party is THE social event (41 attendees, pending approval)
Multiple intimate dinners 8pm-10pm if you prefer smaller settings

Day 5: Wednesday, April 1

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 1pm-4pm | THE LOCAL: Rooftop Brunch for Founders, Funders & Friends | VC/Networking | Open | 27 attendees; VC/founder focus; ideal pre-afternoon timing | | 4pm-7pm | Cannes RealFi Mixer: Where AI Meets RWAs | Institutional | Open | 21 attendees; AI×RWA convergence theme | | 6:30pm-8pm | OpenClaw Cannes: EthCC[9] Meetup | Technical | Open | 30 attendees; AI/DeFi/infrastructure focus | | 7pm-12:30am | [not crypto] Art Night | Social | Open | 29 attendees; casual networking in art setting | | 8pm-1am | DeFi in the Sky 3.0 | DeFi | 🚫 Full | 36 attendees; SOLD OUT premium DeFi event | | 8pm-11pm | Trader Summit by Kickoff.fun | Markets | ⏳ Pending | 40 attendees; trader/market maker focus | | 8pm-11pm | Villa BitGo | Institutional | Open | 17 attendees; institutional custody focus |

Key People to Meet:

OpenClaw Team — Recent: Hosting demo days and on-chain meetups at EthCC. Infrastructure/AI focus. Talking point: "What are the biggest barriers to on-chain AI execution today?"
BitGo Institutional Team — Recent: BitGo continues leading institutional custody. Talking point: "With family offices allocating to crypto, what custody concerns come up most often?"
Kickoff.fun Organizers — Recent: Hosting 40-person trader summit. Talking point: "How is trader behavior changing with institutional liquidity entering DeFi?"

Schedule Recommendation: Morning: Wellness/recovery → Afternoon: THE LOCAL Brunch (1pm-3pm) → Cannes RealFi Mixer (4pm-6:30pm) → Evening: OpenClaw Meetup (6:30pm-8pm) → Night: Trader Summit (8pm-11pm if approved) OR Villa BitGo (8pm-11pm)

Strategic Notes:

Wednesday has fewer must-attend events; use for relationship deepening
DeFi in the Sky 3.0 is sold out (would've been top tier)
Multiple dinner options 9pm-10pm for intimate conversations
Art Night is unique non-crypto networking opportunity

Day 6: Thursday, April 2

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 11:30am-8pm | Pragma Cannes | Conference | Open | 24 attendees; infrastructure/DeFi/institutional focus | | 2pm-7pm | Cointelegraph Connect: Cannes Edition | Conference | Open | 23 attendees; media/content networking | | 4pm-10pm | Private Garden Party | Networking | ⏳ Pending | 33 attendees; infrastructure/privacy focus; LARGEST Thursday event | | 6pm-11pm | DeFi Founders Club: Cannes | DeFi | Open | 20 attendees; founder-focused DeFi networking | | 7pm-11pm | Pre-afterparty: Cheese & Wine w/ ChainSecurity & Frankencoin | Social | Open | 30 attendees; DeFi/security/RWA mix | | 9:30pm-12:30am | Private DeFi Soirée | DeFi | Open | 23 attendees; intimate DeFi gathering |

Key People to Meet:

ChainSecurity Team — Recent: Leading smart contract auditor. Talking point: "With AI-generated smart contracts emerging, how is the security auditing workflow evolving?"
DeFi Founders Club Members — Curated group of DeFi protocol founders. Talking point: "What's the biggest non-technical challenge in scaling DeFi protocols today?"

Schedule Recommendation: Morning: Recovery run (multiple morning runs available) → Afternoon: Pragma Cannes (12pm-4pm) → Evening: Private Garden Party (4pm-8pm if approved) OR DeFi Founders Club (6pm-9pm) → Night: Cheese & Wine (7pm-10pm)

Strategic Notes:

Thursday winds down; fewer events than Mon-Wed
Private Garden Party (33 attendees, pending) is largest Thursday option
Multiple intimate dinners/parties 7pm-10pm—choose based on relationship targets
This is last full networking day before Friday exodus

Day 7: Friday, April 3

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 1pm-3pm | ETHGlobal Finalists & Founders Brunch | Builder | Open | 10 attendees; ETHGlobal hackathon winners | | 1:30pm-3:30pm | WAIB Summit Monaco Countdown Beach Brunch & Meetup | Institutional | Open | 9 attendees; AI/DeFi/institutional; Monaco preview |

Schedule Recommendation: Morning: Travel prep → Afternoon: ETHGlobal Brunch (1pm-3pm) for builder relationships → Depart

Strategic Notes:

Friday is minimal activity; most attendees depart
Only attend if staying through weekend
ETHGlobal brunch offers access to top hackathon builders

Top 10 Founders & Executives to Meet

1. Stani Kulechov — CEO, Aave

Why: Aave is DeFi's largest lending protocol. Kulechov is shaping institutional DeFi adoption.

Recent Activity:

Secured $42.5M funding via "Aave Will Win" governance proposal (March 2026)
Pledged 5,000 ETH to DeFi United after $292M KelpDAO hack
Launched v4 roadmap targeting $1B RWA deposits
Bought $30M mansion in London's Notting Hill

Conversation Starters:

"DeFi United's coordinated response to KelpDAO was impressive—do you see this becoming a permanent cross-protocol security layer?"
"With Aave v4 targeting $1B in RWA deposits, which asset classes are most ready for tokenization?"
"The 'Aave Will Win' vote was controversial—how do you balance aggressive growth with community governance?"

Where to Find: DeFi Day (Mon), institutional dinners, DeFi-focused evening events

2. Jess Houlgrave — CEO, WalletConnect

Why: WalletConnect is the messaging layer for Web3; CEO keynote at WalletCon.

Recent Activity:

Launched WalletConnect Pay SDK (March 2026) enabling stablecoin payments with cashback
Secured Canton Network partnership for institutional finance (announced at EthCC)
DAO approved 50M WCT allocation for Pay rewards program
Preparing for decentralized governance activation in 2026

Conversation Starters:

"WalletConnect Pay competes with Stripe and Coinbase Commerce—what's your wedge for merchant adoption?"
"Canton Network integration brings privacy to institutions—how do compliance and privacy coexist?"
"With MASK token launching and ConsenSys IPO coming, how do wallet providers capture value long-term?"

Where to Find: WalletCon keynote (Tue 11:05am), WalletConnect-sponsored events

3. Riaz Bordie — CTO, WalletConnect

Why: Technical lead on WalletConnect Pay; speaking at WalletCon.

Recent Activity:

Led Pay SDK development and launch
Speaking at WalletCon 11:15am (WalletConnect Pay keynote)

Conversation Starters:

"What's the biggest technical challenge in abstracting wallet UX for non-crypto users?"
"How are you handling cross-chain gas abstraction for Pay transactions?"

Where to Find: WalletCon (Tue 11:15am keynote), technical evening sessions

4. Kraken Ink Team (Various Founders/Leads)

Why: Ink L2 is the fastest-growing Ethereum L2 by TVL; backed by Kraken exchange.

Recent Activity:

TVL grew from $7M (Oct 2025) to $534M (Jan 2026)—3,800% growth
Ranks #14 by TVL among all chains
App revenue grew from $500K to $5.77M (Oct-Jan)
Token launch expected Q2-Q3 2026
Hosting Proof of Liquidity summit at EthCC

Conversation Starters:

"Ink's TVL growth is exceptional—what % is organic DeFi usage vs. airdrop farming?"
"With Kraken's CeFi liquidity, how are you thinking about bridging CeFi and DeFi order flow?"
"Token launch timing in Q2-Q3—how are you avoiding the 'vampire attack' cycle other L2s faced?"

Where to Find: Proof of Liquidity (Mon 5pm-11pm, Tue 6pm-12am), Kraken-sponsored events

5. MetaMask/ConsenSys Leadership (Product/BD Leads)

Why: MetaMask is dominant wallet; ConsenSys prepping 2026 IPO.

Recent Activity:

ConsenSys selected JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs for 2026 IPO
SG-Forge partnership integrated bank-issued stablecoin into MetaMask
Launched Perpetual Futures and MetaMask Rewards
MASK token launching soon
Teased Polymarket integration for prediction markets
Launched self-custodial crypto card with Mastercard (US)

Conversation Starters:

"SG-Forge integration is huge—are you pursuing more bank partnerships for native stablecoin issuance?"
"MetaMask moving into perps/rewards/cards—is the strategy to own the full user financial stack?"
"With Linea's RISC-V pivot and Type 1 zkEVM roadmap, how does that impact MetaMask's L2 strategy?"

Where to Find: Builder Nights Cannes (Mon 8pm, even without registration), MetaMask/Linea events

6. Starknet Core Team (Engineering/BD Leads)

Why: Starknet is leading ZK L2; launching privacy-focused Bitcoin integration.

Recent Activity:

Staking grew 11x: 110M → 1.1B STRK staked (2025)
Launching strkBTC (private Bitcoin) and STRK20s (private ERC-20s) end of April
Integrated Garden and Atomiq for native BTC conversion
Developer activity ranks #2 among L2s (374 events/month)
Restructured StarkWare into Applications and Starknet units for revenue focus

Conversation Starters:

"Private Bitcoin via strkBTC is bold—how do you handle compliance vs. privacy trade-offs?"
"With Linea moving to Type 1 zkEVM, is Starknet considering EVM compatibility or doubling down on Cairo?"
"ZK proving costs have dropped—what's the next bottleneck for ZK L2 scaling?"

Where to Find: Stark Café (Tue 12pm-7pm), Starknet Party (Tue 9pm-2am if approved)

7. Yield Network Team (Co-Hosting Proof of Liquidity)

Why: Focus on institutional liquidity infrastructure; partnered with Kraken Ink.

Recent Activity:

Hosting Proof of Liquidity summit at EthCC (250+ attendees in previous editions)
Co-hosted by Kraken's Ink, Funders VC, DIA, STS Digital
Focus: institutional allocators × L2s/RWAs/protocols for liquidity structuring

Conversation Starters:

"With RWA tokenization accelerating, where do you see the biggest liquidity bottlenecks?"
"How are DAOs and protocols thinking about treasury diversification in 2026?"

Where to Find: Proof of Liquidity (Mon 5pm-11pm, Tue 6pm-12am)

8. Fabric Ventures Partners

Why: Leading European crypto VC focusing on AI×Crypto convergence.

Recent Activity:

Co-hosting ETHCC Networking Mixer with NextBlock (Tue 6pm-9pm)
Active in AI/VC/DeFi investments

Conversation Starters:

"What's your thesis on AI agent economies and how crypto rails enable them?"
"European vs. US venture dynamics post-MiCA—where do you see arbitrage opportunities?"
"Which Web3 verticals are European VCs over/under-indexing on vs. US peers?"

Where to Find: ETHCC Networking Mixer (Tue 6pm-9pm), VC-focused dinners

9. Delphi Ventures Team (Partners/Associates)

Why: Top-tier crypto VC; co-hosting The Gate party.

Recent Activity:

Co-hosting The Gate [CANNES] with Tori and RockawayX (Sun 7pm-11pm)
Led multiple 2026 funding rounds in DeFi protocols

Conversation Starters:

"What's your thesis on institutional DeFi adoption post-MiCA?"
"With so many L2s launching, how do you evaluate which will have sustainable economics?"
"What metrics do you prioritize when evaluating DeFi protocols in 2026?"

Where to Find: The Gate party (Sun 7pm-11pm), VC dinners/mixers

10. ChainSecurity Team (Security Auditors)

Why: Leading smart contract auditor; hosting Cheese & Wine event.

Recent Activity:

Co-hosting Pre-afterparty: Cheese & Wine with Frankencoin (Thu 7pm-11pm)
Active in DeFi/security/RWA auditing

Conversation Starters:

"With AI-generated smart contracts emerging, how is your auditing workflow evolving?"
"What are the most common security mistakes you're still seeing in 2026 deployments?"
"How do you see formal verification adoption changing in the next 2 years?"

Where to Find: Cheese & Wine (Thu 7pm-11pm), security-focused events

Networking Strategy

Best Events for Investor Conversations

Tier 1 (Highest ROI):

Family Offices & Investors Summit (Mon 4pm-7pm) — 80 family funds, $800B+ AUM, $100 ticket
Investors Meetup by Hybrid Capital (Sun 8pm-12am) — 26 attendees, pure investor focus
The Gate by Tori, Delphi Ventures & RockawayX (Sun 7pm-11pm) — Top-tier VCs, 9 attendees
Proof of Liquidity (Mon 5pm-11pm, Tue 6pm-12am) — Institutional allocators, $170 ticket
ETHCC Networking Mixer by Fabric Ventures & NextBlock (Tue 6pm-9pm) — 28 attendees, AI/VC focus

Tier 2 (Good Access):

ETH CC 9 VCs & LPs Cocktail Hour (Mon 5pm-7pm, invite only—try to get in)
Founder x VC Happy Hour (Mon 8pm-12am, 41 attendees—failed registration but worth showing up)
Wine & Web3 Growth (Mon 8pm-11pm, pending approval)
THE LOCAL: Rooftop Brunch (Wed 1pm-4pm, 27 attendees)

Strategy:

Prioritize Mon afternoon/evening for investor density
Family Offices Summit requires $100 but gives access to ultra-HNW allocators
Prepare 2-minute pitch focusing on institutional readiness, compliance, and ROI

Best Events for Technical Founders

Tier 1 (Deep Technical):

DeFi Day (Mon 1pm-9pm) — ✅ Registered, 37 attendees, protocol builders
WalletCon Cannes (Tue 12pm-8pm) — ✅ Registered, 34 attendees, wallet/payments infra
Builder Nights Cannes (Mon 8pm-1am) — 71 attendees, MetaMask/Linea/TRON (failed registration—show up anyway)
Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup (Mon 12pm-2pm) — ✅ Registered, 35 attendees, Hack VC/Halborn hosted
Lido Day (Tue 1pm-9pm) — 26 attendees, liquid staking focus

Tier 2 (Technical Networking):

OpenClaw Cannes Meetup (Wed 6:30pm-8pm, 30 attendees, AI/DeFi/infra)
Pragma Cannes (Thu 11:30am-8pm, 24 attendees, infrastructure)
BEAST MODE zkEVM day (Sat 11:30am-7pm, 15 attendees, privacy/ZK)

Strategy:

Monday has highest technical founder density (DeFi Day + Builder Nights)
WalletCon on Tuesday is ideal for infrastructure/payments discussions
Bring technical demos or GitHub links; founders want to see working code

Best Events for Casual Networking

Tier 1 (Large, Accessible):

Starknet Party (Tue 9pm-2am) — 41 attendees, pending approval
🇫🇷 ETHCC Château Happy Hour (Mon 8pm-11pm) — ✅ Registered, 32 attendees
[not crypto] Art Night (Wed 7pm-12:30am) — 29 attendees, relaxed setting
Builder Nights Cannes (Mon 8pm-1am) — 71 attendees (show up without registration)

Tier 2 (Smaller, Themed):

Wine & Web3 Growth (Mon 8pm-11pm, 31 attendees, pending)
Palme de DeFi (Tue 10pm-2am, 24 attendees, DefiLlama community)
Cheese & Wine w/ ChainSecurity (Thu 7pm-11pm, 30 attendees)

Strategy:

Use casual events to deepen relationships started at formal events
Château Happy Hour (Mon 8pm, confirmed) is perfect post-DeFi Day networking
Art Night (Wed) offers unique non-crypto conversations that build trust

Dinner/Intimate Events (Best for BD)

Tier 1 (Small, High-Value):

Family Offices & Investors Summit Michelin Dinner (Mon 4pm-7pm) — $100, 36 attendees, ultra-HNW
Cannes Pre-Launch Soirée: European Ethereum Institute (Sun 7pm-10pm) — 4 attendees (ultra-exclusive)
Private DeFi Soirée (Thu 9:30pm-12:30am) — 23 attendees, curated DeFi crowd
VIP Investors Dinner @ EthCC [9] (Mon 8:30pm-10:30pm) — 20 attendees
The Privacy Table (Mon 9pm-12am) — 25 attendees, privacy/security/institutional

Tier 2 (Thematic Dinners):

Consensus on the Coast (Mon 9:30pm-12am, 19 attendees, founders/VCs)
funnymoney dinner (Mon 8pm-11pm, 15 attendees, infra/DeFi/community)
Proof Of Liquidity: VIP Dinner by Yield Network (Wed 9pm-11pm, 19 attendees)
Passover in Cannes (Wed 9pm-11:30pm, 12 attendees, DeFi/privacy/community)

Strategy:

Dinners are 3-5x more effective for BD than large parties
2-hour seated format forces deeper conversations
Target 1-2 dinners per day max; prioritize decision-maker density
Monday evening has most dinner options (5+ simultaneous)

Logistics & Travel Notes

Event Clustering:

Palais des Festivals area: Main EthCC venue + many side events
Cannes hills/villas: Private Garden Party, Family Offices Summit, various dinners
Beach/waterfront: Wellness events (runs, padel, beach workouts)
Art Nouveau Villa (101 Avenue de Grasse): Family Offices Summit venue, 930m from Palais

Travel Time Estimates:

Palais → Cannes hills: 10-15 min drive, 25-30 min walk
Event-to-event downtown: 5-10 min walk
Plan 15-min buffers between back-to-back events

Peak Networking Windows:

Monday 12pm-11pm: Highest-value window; 15+ events including DeFi Day, institutional summits, VC mixers
Tuesday 12pm-2am: Second-highest; WalletCon + Starknet Party
Sunday 7pm-12am: Best for investor introductions before main conference

Food/Energy Management:

Many breakfast/lunch events 10am-2pm (use these for meals + networking)
8pm-11pm dinner window has 5+ simultaneous options daily
Keep snacks; events run long and food quality varies

Weather (Late March/Early April in Cannes):

Average high: 15°C (59°F)
Average low: 9°C (48°F)
Pack layers; outdoor evening events can be chilly
Morning runs/wellness events popular (10am starts)

Final Recommendations

Must-Attend Events (Confirmed Registrations):

✅ Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup (Mon 12pm) — Start Monday strong with 35 attendees
✅ DeFi Day (Mon 1pm-9pm) — Anchor event; stay until 5pm minimum
✅ 🇫🇷 ETHCC Château Happy Hour (Mon 8pm) — Evening networking after DeFi Day
✅ WalletCon Cannes (Tue 12pm-8pm) — Infrastructure focus; Jess Houlgrave keynote

High-Priority (Pending/Open):

Family Offices & Investors Summit (Mon 4pm) — Worth the $100 for HNW access
Starknet Party (Tue 9pm) — Pending approval; largest party of the week
Trader Summit by Kickoff.fun (Wed 8pm) — Pending approval; 40 traders/MMs
Private Garden Party (Thu 4pm) — Pending approval; 33 attendees

Opportunistic (No Registration Needed):

The Gate by Delphi/RockawayX (Sun 7pm) — Top-tier VC access, 9 attendees
Investors Meetup by Hybrid Capital (Sun 8pm) — 26 investors
ETHCC Networking Mixer by Fabric/NextBlock (Tue 6pm) — AI/VC focus
Show up at Builder Nights (Mon 8pm) — 71 attendees, network outside/lobby

Key Talking Points to Prepare:

Institutional DeFi adoption: MiCA impact, custody solutions, compliance frameworks
RWA tokenization: Which asset classes, liquidity challenges, regulatory clarity
Privacy infrastructure: ZK vs. FHE vs. TEE trade-offs, compliance-friendly privacy
AI×Crypto convergence: Agent economies, payment rails, computation markets
L2 economics: Sustainable business models, value capture, competitive moats

Conversation Framework:

Intro (30 sec): Name, company, 1-sentence value prop Discovery (1 min): Ask about their recent work/launches/investments Value Exchange (1 min): Share relevant insight or connection Follow-up (30 sec): Exchange contact, suggest specific next step

Executive Summary

Registration Status

Day-by-Day Intelligence

Day 1: Saturday, March 28

Day 2: Sunday, March 29

Day 3: Monday, March 30 — HIGHEST PRIORITY DAY

Day 4: Tuesday, March 31

Day 5: Wednesday, April 1

Day 6: Thursday, April 2

Day 7: Friday, April 3

Top 10 Founders & Executives to Meet

1. Stani Kulechov — CEO, Aave

2. Jess Houlgrave — CEO, WalletConnect

3. Riaz Bordie — CTO, WalletConnect

4. Kraken Ink Team (Various Founders/Leads)

5. MetaMask/ConsenSys Leadership (Product/BD Leads)

6. Starknet Core Team (Engineering/BD Leads)

7. Yield Network Team (Co-Hosting Proof of Liquidity)

8. Fabric Ventures Partners

9. Delphi Ventures Team (Partners/Associates)

10. ChainSecurity Team (Security Auditors)

Networking Strategy

Best Events for Investor Conversations

Best Events for Technical Founders

Best Events for Casual Networking

Dinner/Intimate Events (Best for BD)

Logistics & Travel Notes

Final Recommendations

Must-Attend Events (Confirmed Registrations):

High-Priority (Pending/Open):

Opportunistic (No Registration Needed):

Key Talking Points to Prepare:

Conversation Framework:

Sources & References

Event & Conference Information

Builder Nights & MetaMask

WalletCon & WalletConnect

Starknet

Family Offices & Investors Summit

Proof of Liquidity & Kraken Ink

Quantum Qafe

Aave & Stani Kulechov

MetaMask & ConsenSys

Linea

Additional Events & Venues