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WEBTHREEPEDIA RESEARCH

EthCC 9 Cannes Networking Intelligence Briefing

Event Intelligence Agent|May 27, 2026|Event Intel
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

EthCC[9] takes place March 28 - April 4, 2026, in Cannes, France, at the iconic Palais des Festivals. Our analysis covers across 8 days, with confirmed registrations for 4 high-value networking events and 4 pending approvals. - **Instituti...

Executive Summary

EthCC[9] takes place March 28 - April 4, 2026, in Cannes, France, at the iconic Palais des Festivals. Our analysis covers 201 side events across 8 days, with confirmed registrations for 4 high-value networking events and 4 pending approvals.

Key Themes Dominating EthCC Week:

  • Institutional DeFi: Major push from Aave, Circle, JPMorgan, Mastercard into regulated finance
  • Privacy Infrastructure: ZK proofs, FHE, TEE solutions for compliant confidential transactions
  • AI Agents & Payments: TRON, iExec, and MetaMask leading agentic commerce infrastructure
  • RWA Tokenization: Real assets, stablecoins, and TradFi integration taking center stage
  • Cross-Chain Infrastructure: WalletConnect, Linea, and interoperability protocols

Registration Breakdown:

  • ✅ 4 Confirmed: DeFi Day, Quantum Qafe, WalletCon, ETHCC Château Happy Hour
  • ⏳ 4 Pending: Starknet Party, Trader Summit, Private Garden Party, Wine & Web3 Growth
  • 💰 3 Paid Events (skipped): Family Offices Summit ($100), Proof of Liquidity ($170), TokenizeThis ($29)
  • 🚫 1 Sold Out: DeFi in the Sky 3.0
  • ❌ 3 Technical Failures: Builder Nights, Founder x VC Happy Hour, Quantstamp Secret Garden

Registration Status

| Event | Date | Time | Status | Why It Matters | |-------|------|------|--------|----------------| | DeFi Day | Mon 3/30 | 1-9 PM | ✅ Registered | Aave + JPMorgan + Circle + Mastercard. Institutional DeFi showcase | | Quantum Qafe Coffee | Mon 3/30 | 12-2 PM | ✅ Registered | Tectonic, Sushi, Hack VC morning networking | | WalletCon Cannes | Tue 3/31 | 12-8 PM | ✅ Registered | WalletConnect CEO Jess Houlgrave, payments infrastructure focus | | ETHCC Château Happy Hour | Mon 3/30 | 8-11 PM | ✅ Registered | Security-focused evening networking | | Starknet Party | Tue 3/31 | 9 PM-2 AM | ⏳ Pending | Largest community party (41 attendees) | | Trader Summit (Kickoff.fun) | Wed 4/1 | 8-11 PM | ⏳ Pending | Markets & trading (40 attendees) | | Private Garden Party | Thu 4/2 | 4-10 PM | ⏳ Pending | Infrastructure & privacy (33 attendees) | | Wine & Web3 Growth | Mon 3/30 | 8-11 PM | ⏳ Pending | VC & growth hacking (31 attendees) |

Action Items:

  1. Check ric@staex.io inbox for confirmation emails from pending registrations
  2. Monitor Builder Nights and Founder x VC Happy Hour for walk-up opportunities (no registration form found)
  3. Consider paid events if budget allows: Family Offices Summit has strongest institutional VC presence

Day-by-Day Intelligence

Day 1: Saturday, March 28

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|--------| | 11:30 AM-7 PM | BEAST MODE zkEVM Day | Medium | Open | Privacy + infrastructure, technical deep-dive | | 12-8 PM | Rayls Hackathon | Low | Open | RWA + institutional, small group (20) |

Key People to Meet:

  • Zero attendees registered - This is setup/travel day. Most attendees arrive Sunday evening.

Schedule Recommendation: Use Saturday for travel, check into accommodation, and rest. Optional: Attend BEAST MODE if you want technical zkEVM discussions, but expect low turnout from main conference attendees.

Day 2: Sunday, March 29

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|--------| | 2-12 AM | Institutions Onchain | HIGH | Open | DeFi + institutional (26 attendees), 10-hour deep dive | | 7-10 PM | Cannes Pre-Launch Soirée: European Ethereum Institute | MEDIUM | Open | Institutional connections, intimate setting (4 attendees) | | 7-11 PM | The Gate by Tori/Delphi/RockawayX | HIGH | Open | Top-tier VC party (9 attendees) | | 8 PM-12 AM | Investors Meetup by Hybrid Capital | HIGH | Open | VC + institutional (26 attendees) | | 10 PM-1 AM | Cannes Digital Assets House | MEDIUM | Open | RWA focus (24 attendees) |

Key People to Meet:

  • Delphi Ventures team - Active in Solana, DeFi, and gaming investments. Recent: Led funding rounds in Hyperliquid ecosystem projects.
  • RockawayX partners - European crypto VC focused on infrastructure. Recent: Backed Starknet ecosystem projects.
  • Hybrid Capital team - Institutional DeFi specialists. Conversation starter: Ask about their MiCA compliance strategy for EU institutional clients.

Schedule Recommendation:

  • Afternoon (2-7 PM): Institutions Onchain conference - arrive early, network during breaks
  • Evening (7-8 PM): Choose between European Ethereum Institute (intimate) OR The Gate (VC-heavy)
  • Night (8 PM-12 AM): Investors Meetup by Hybrid Capital (priority) → Move to Cannes Digital Assets House at 10 PM

Day 3: Monday, March 30 (BUSIEST DAY)

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|--------| | 10-11 AM | Proof of Run 5K | LOW | Open | Casual networking while jogging (17 attendees) | | 10 AM-1 PM | Coffee On Us ☕ Espresso & Celo | MEDIUM | Open | Infrastructure discussions (24 attendees) | | 12-2 PM | Quantum Qafe Coffee | ✅ REGISTERED | Confirmed | Tectonic, Sushi, W3JOE, Hack VC, Halborn | | 1-9 PM | DeFi Day | ✅ REGISTERED | Confirmed | Aave, JPMorgan, Circle, Mastercard - MUST ATTEND | | 4-7 PM | Family Offices Summit | HIGH (PAID) | $100 | Top-tier VC/LP networking (37 attendees) | | 5-11 PM | Proof of Liquidity | HIGH (PAID) | $170 | Yield Network + Ink, institutional DeFi (36 attendees) | | 8 PM-1 AM | Builder Nights Cannes | ❌ FAILED | Walk-up | MetaMask, Linea, TRON, iExec - 71 attendees! | | 8 PM-12 AM | Founder x VC Happy Hour | ❌ FAILED | Walk-up | 41 attendees, top BD event | | 8-11 PM | Wine & Web3 Growth | ⏳ PENDING | Pending | VC + growth (31 attendees) | | 8-11 PM | ETHCC Château Happy Hour | ✅ REGISTERED | Confirmed | Security focus (33 attendees) |

Key People to Meet:

  1. Marc Zeller (Former Aave Chan Initiative founder)

    • Recent: Left Aave DAO in controversial exit (April 2026) after governance rift with Aave Labs
    • Why he matters: Founded ACI, accomplished 61% of all Aave governance actions for 3 years
    • Conversation starters:
      • "I read about the ACI departure - what's your next move in DeFi governance?"
      • "Your governance model at ACI was unprecedented. What lessons would you apply differently?"
      • Ask about the $6B withdrawal event and what it taught about DAO communications

  2. Jess Houlgrave (CEO, WalletConnect) - Speaking at WalletCon Tuesday

    • Recent: WalletConnect evolved into 700+ wallet connector with 80K apps; WalletConnect Pay launching
    • Why she matters: Leading stablecoin payment infrastructure, former Crypto lead at Checkout.com
    • Conversation starters:
      • "Your comment that 76% of users abandon crypto payments - what's the biggest friction point?"
      • "How does WalletConnect Pay differ from traditional merchant integrations?"
      • Ask about integration strategy with Mastercard for MetaMask Card

  3. Justin Sun (Founder, TRON) - Keynote speaker at EthCC main stage

    • Recent: Delivered "Agentic AI and the Financial Rails of the Future" keynote at EthCC main stage
    • Why he matters: TRON has $86B stablecoin liquidity, pushing AI-native payment infrastructure
    • Conversation starters:
      • "Your agentic AI payments vision - how does TRON's architecture enable AI-to-AI commerce?"
      • "TRON's Hyperlane integration across 150 chains - what use cases are you seeing?"
      • Ask about co-hosting Builder Nights with MetaMask and cross-chain collaboration

  4. Sam Elfarra (Community Spokesperson, TRON DAO)

    • Recent: Panelist on "Building Infrastructure for Cross-Chain Commerce" at Builder Nights
    • Why he matters: TRON's community face, deep in payment rails & cross-chain liquidity
    • Conversation starters:
      • "Payment rails + cross-chain liquidity convergence - which layer is furthest behind?"
      • "How is TRON positioning for MiCA compliance in EU markets?"

  5. Aave Labs team (DeFi Day hosts)

    • Recent: Aave Horizon targeting $1B deposits in 2026 with Circle, Ripple, Franklin Templeton, VanEck
    • Why they matter: Leading institutional DeFi, $25M stablecoin grant approved
    • Conversation starters:
      • "Aave Horizon's institutional partnerships - what due diligence requirements surprised you most?"
      • "Post-ACI departure, how is Aave governance evolving?"
      • Ask about DeFi United coalition (EtherFi, Lido, Ethena, Mantle, Ink)

Schedule Recommendation:

OPTION A: Maximize Institutional VC Face Time (Budget-Dependent)

  • 10-11 AM: Quick Proof of Run OR Coffee with Celo
  • 12-2 PM: Quantum Qafe Coffee (registered)
  • 1-4 PM: DeFi Day (early sessions)
  • 4-7 PM: Family Offices Summit ($100) ← Highest VC concentration
  • 7-9 PM: Return to DeFi Day closing sessions
  • 9 PM-12 AM: Founder x VC Happy Hour (walk-up attempt)

OPTION B: Free Event Circuit (No Additional Cost)

  • 10 AM-1 PM: Coffee with Celo (arrive at 11:30 AM)
  • 12-2 PM: Quantum Qafe Coffee (registered)
  • 1-9 PM: DeFi Day ALL DAY ← Aave, JPMorgan, Circle, Mastercard
  • 8-11 PM: Builder Nights Cannes (walk-up attempt) ← 71 attendees, massive networking
  • 11 PM-1 AM: Move to OKX Opening Party or Builder Nights overflow

RECOMMENDED: Option A if budget allows. Family Offices Summit has highest VC quality.

Day 4: Tuesday, March 31 (CONFERENCE DAY 2)

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|--------| | 11 AM-9 PM | Real-World Asset Summit | HIGH | Open | RWA + DeFi + institutional (27 attendees) | | 11:30 AM-7:30 PM | Blockspace Forum Cannes | MEDIUM | Open | Infrastructure (17 attendees) | | 12-8 PM | WalletCon Cannes | ✅ REGISTERED | Confirmed | Jess Houlgrave keynote, payment infrastructure | | 12-8 PM | Searcher 2026 | MEDIUM | Open | Market making, MEV, exchanges (16 attendees) | | 1-9 PM | Lido Day | HIGH | Open | DeFi staking focus (26 attendees) | | 6-9 PM | ETHCC Networking Mixer (Fabric Ventures/NextBlock) | HIGH | Open | AI + VC + DeFi (28 attendees) | | 8 PM-11 PM | ETH CC VIP Institutional Soirée | HIGH | Open | RWA + institutional (22 attendees) | | 9 PM-2 AM | Starknet Party | ⏳ PENDING | Pending | 41 attendees - largest party |

Key People to Meet:

  1. Jess Houlgrave (CEO, WalletConnect) - 11:05 AM keynote

    • See Monday notes above
    • Additional topic: Ask about closing "Cinq à Sèpt" happy hour with Stellar/Hype (7-9 PM)

  2. Riaz Bordie (CTO, WalletConnect) - 11:15 AM on WalletConnect Pay

    • Recent: Building technical infrastructure for stablecoin checkout
    • Conversation starter: "What's the latency target for WalletConnect Pay vs. traditional card networks?"

  3. Laurent Castillo (VP Architecture, Ledger) - 12:10 PM keynote

    • Recent: Ledger partnered with Mercuryo, Komainu for institutional custody
    • Conversation starters:
      • "Ledger's Private Members Club at EthCC - what's the institutional custody pitch?"
      • Ask about security architecture for RWA tokenization

  4. Fabric Ventures & NextBlock partners - 6-9 PM mixer

    • Recent: Active in AI + DeFi convergence investments
    • Why they matter: European crypto VC with strong technical thesis
    • Conversation starter: "What AI x DeFi projects are you most excited about post-EthCC?"

  5. Starknet Foundation team - Evening/party

    • Recent: $225M funding, $8B valuation, Bitcoin bridge with Alpen launching 2026
    • Why they matter: Leading ZK scaling, major partnerships with LayerZero, Circle, Hyperlane
    • Conversation starters:
      • "Alpen partnership for BTC bridge - how does trust-minimized bridging work without wrapped BTC?"
      • "Starknet's payment application support program - what use cases are emerging?"
      • Ask about LayerZero/Circle integrations

Schedule Recommendation:

All-Day Conference + Evening Networking Circuit

  • 11 AM-12 PM: WalletCon opening (Jess Houlgrave, Riaz Bordie keynotes)
  • 12-2 PM: Stay at WalletCon OR switch to RWA Summit
  • 2-6 PM: RWA Summit (institutional focus)
  • 6-9 PM: ETHCC Networking Mixer (Fabric Ventures/NextBlock)
  • 8-11 PM: ETH CC VIP Institutional Soirée (overlap with mixer, arrive at 8:30 PM)
  • 9 PM-2 AM: Starknet Party (largest party of the week)

Day 5: Wednesday, April 1 (HUMP DAY)

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|--------| | 11 AM-6 PM | Hack Seasons Conference | MEDIUM | Open | RWA + DeFi + VC (16 attendees) | | 1-3 PM | Investor x Founder Beachclub | HIGH | Open | VC focus (27 attendees) | | 1-4 PM | THE LOCAL: Rooftop Brunch | HIGH | Open | Founders + funders (27 attendees) | | 1-10 PM | Privy Home: IRL | MEDIUM | Open | Infrastructure + community (13 attendees) | | 4-7 PM | Cannes RealFi Mixer | HIGH | Open | Institutional + AI + RWA (21 attendees) | | 8 PM-1 AM | DeFi in the Sky 3.0 | 🚫 SOLD OUT | Full | 36 attendees, DeFi + infrastructure | | 8-11 PM | Trader Summit (Kickoff.fun) | ⏳ PENDING | Pending | 40 attendees, markets focus | | 7 PM-12:30 AM | [not crypto] Art Night | MEDIUM | Open | DeFi + infrastructure (29 attendees) |

Key People to Meet:

  1. iExec team - Private 1:1 sessions available 11 AM-9 PM

    • Recent: 2026 Privacy Roadmap launched, production-grade TDX confidential execution
    • Recent partnership: MoU with Real (L1 blockchain) for institutional RWA privacy infrastructure
    • Why they matter: Privacy layer for DeFi, modular confidential compute
    • Conversation starters:
      • "Your Real partnership for RWA privacy - what compliance auditability features are institutions requiring?"
      • "Confidential DeFi product launching H1 2026 - which DeFi primitives need privacy most urgently?"
      • "TDX vs. older TEE approaches - what attack surfaces did you eliminate?"
    • Action: Book 1:1 via Luma if still available

  2. Privy team - 1-10 PM at Privy Home

    • Recent: Partnered with Wirex and Bridge for "La Lumière" event (Tue 6-10 PM)
    • Why they matter: Embedded wallet infrastructure, consumer crypto UX
    • Conversation starter: "Privy Home setup - are you showcasing embedded wallet SDK integrations?"

  3. Founder/funder crowd at THE LOCAL - 1-4 PM

    • Why it matters: Intimate rooftop brunch, high signal-to-noise
    • Strategy: Arrive at 1 PM sharp, stake out bar area, introduce yourself as BD attending EthCC

Schedule Recommendation:

Brunch → Beach → Evening Parties

  • 1-2 PM: THE LOCAL Rooftop Brunch (arrive early)
  • 2-3 PM: Quick stop at Investor x Founder Beachclub (overlap with THE LOCAL crowd)
  • 3-5 PM: Break / explore Cannes / coffee meetings
  • 5-7 PM: Cannes RealFi Mixer (institutional AI + RWA)
  • 7-9 PM: [not crypto] Art Night (arrive early, 29 attendees)
  • 9-11 PM: Trader Summit by Kickoff.fun (pending registration)
  • 11 PM+: Overflow to UK Cabal Karaoke or other late-night events

Day 6: Thursday, April 2 (WINDING DOWN)

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|--------| | 11:30 AM-8 PM | Pragma Cannes | MEDIUM | Open | Infrastructure + DeFi + institutional (24 attendees) | | 1-5 PM | Vault Ecosystem Brunch | MEDIUM | Open | DeFi (14 attendees) | | 2-7 PM | Cointelegraph Connect | MEDIUM | Open | Media + general (23 attendees) | | 4-10 PM | Private Garden Party | ⏳ PENDING | Pending | Infrastructure + privacy (33 attendees) | | 7-11 PM | Pre-afterparty: Cheese & Wine (ChainSecurity/Frankencoin) | HIGH | Open | DeFi + security + RWA (30 attendees) | | 9:30 PM-12:30 AM | Private DeFi Soirée | HIGH | Open | DeFi (24 attendees) |

Key People to Meet:

  1. ChainSecurity team - 7-11 PM Cheese & Wine event

    • Why they matter: Leading smart contract auditors, security infrastructure
    • Conversation starter: "Post-KelpDAO hack, what security patterns are you evangelizing in 2026?"

  2. Frankencoin team - Co-hosting Cheese & Wine

    • Recent: Swiss stablecoin with RWA backing
    • Conversation starter: "Frankencoin's RWA model vs. Circle/Tether - what's the decentralization trade-off?"

  3. Private Garden Party attendees - 4-10 PM

    • Theme: Infrastructure + privacy (33 attendees)
    • Strategy: If registration confirms, prioritize this over other Thursday events

Schedule Recommendation:

Afternoon Conferences → Evening Wind-Down

  • 11:30 AM-2 PM: Pragma Cannes (infrastructure focus)
  • 2-4 PM: Break / pack / prep for travel
  • 4-10 PM: Private Garden Party (if confirmed) OR Cointelegraph Connect
  • 7-11 PM: Cheese & Wine Pre-afterparty (ChainSecurity networking)
  • 9:30 PM-12:30 AM: Private DeFi Soirée (24 attendees, intimate)

Day 7: Friday, April 3 (POST-CONFERENCE)

Priority Events:

| Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|--------| | 1-3 PM | ETHGlobal Finalists & Founders Brunch | HIGH | Open | Community + VC (10 attendees) | | 1:30-3:30 PM | WAIB Summit Monaco Countdown | MEDIUM | Open | AI + DeFi + institutional (9 attendees) |

Key People to Meet:

  • ETHGlobal finalists - Hackathon winners, early-stage founders
  • WAIB Summit organizers - Monaco AI/blockchain event in 2 months (follow-up opportunity)

Schedule Recommendation: Most attendees leave Thursday night or Friday morning. Only attend if you have Friday availability and want intimate post-conference connections. Otherwise, depart Thursday night.

Top 10 Founders to Meet

1. Jess Houlgrave - CEO, WalletConnect

  • Why she matters: Building stablecoin payment infrastructure for 700+ wallets, 80K apps. Former Checkout.com Crypto lead.
  • Recent work: WalletConnect Pay launching; partnership with Mastercard for MetaMask Card
  • Where to find her: WalletCon Cannes (Tue 3/31, 11 AM keynote); Cinq à Sèpt happy hour (Tue 7-9 PM)
  • Conversation starters:
    1. "You mentioned 76% of users abandon crypto payments. What's the root cause - UX, speed, or trust?"
    2. "How does WalletConnect Pay handle merchant settlement? Same-day fiat conversion or native stablecoin?"
    3. "MetaMask Card integration - are you seeing consumer or B2B traction first?"

2. Justin Sun - Founder, TRON

  • Why he matters: TRON has $86B stablecoin liquidity, pushing agentic AI payment rails
  • Recent work: Keynote on "Agentic AI and Financial Rails of the Future" at EthCC main stage; Hyperlane integration across 150 chains
  • Where to find him: Builder Nights Cannes (Mon 3/30 evening); TRON-related events
  • Conversation starters:
    1. "Your agentic AI payments thesis - are you building AI-native SDKs or waiting for standards?"
    2. "TRON's stablecoin dominance in APAC - how are you approaching EU MiCA compliance?"
    3. "Hyperlane's 150-chain integration - what's the most unexpected use case you've seen?"

3. Marc Zeller - Former Founder, Aave Chan Initiative

  • Why he matters: Executed 61% of all Aave governance actions for 3 years. Controversial exit in April 2026 after $6B withdrawal event.
  • Recent work: Left Aave DAO; likely building next-gen governance or DeFi protocol
  • Where to find him: DeFi Day (Mon 3/30); DeFi-focused evening events
  • Conversation starters:
    1. "Post-ACI, what governance lessons would you apply to a new DAO from day one?"
    2. "The $6B withdrawal controversy - in hindsight, how should DAOs communicate existential debates?"
    3. "What's your next chapter? Still focused on governance or moving to new primitives?"

4. Sam Elfarra - Community Spokesperson, TRON DAO

  • Why he matters: TRON's ecosystem voice; panelist on cross-chain commerce infrastructure
  • Recent work: "Building Infrastructure for Cross-Chain Commerce" panel at Builder Nights
  • Where to find him: Builder Nights Cannes (Mon 3/30); TRON ecosystem events
  • Conversation starters:
    1. "Your panel on payment rails convergence - which layer is the bottleneck: liquidity, UX, or compliance?"
    2. "TRON's co-hosting with MetaMask - are you exploring Linea integrations?"
    3. "How is TRON positioning for institutional custody requirements under MiCA?"

5. Laurent Castillo - VP Architecture, Ledger

  • Why he matters: Leading hardware wallet architecture; Ledger pushing institutional custody
  • Recent work: Keynote at WalletCon (Tue 3/31, 12:10 PM); partnerships with Mercuryo, Komainu
  • Where to find him: WalletCon (Tue 3/31); Ledger Private Members Club events
  • Conversation starters:
    1. "Ledger's Private Members Club - what custody features are institutions asking for in 2026?"
    2. "How does Ledger's architecture support RWA tokenization and compliance auditability?"
    3. "MetaMask Card integration - is Ledger exploring similar physical card products?"

6. iExec Core Team - Founders/Leadership

  • Why they matter: Privacy layer for DeFi; production-grade TDX confidential execution
  • Recent work: 2026 Privacy Roadmap; MoU with Real for institutional RWA privacy; Confidential DeFi product launching H1 2026
  • Where to find them: Private 1:1 sessions (Wed 4/1, 11 AM-9 PM); Builder Nights (Mon 3/30)
  • Conversation starters:
    1. "Your Real partnership for RWA privacy - what compliance auditability do regulators require?"
    2. "TDX upgrade - how does it differ from older TEE approaches in terms of security?"
    3. "Which DeFi primitives need privacy most urgently: lending, derivatives, or payments?"

7. Fabric Ventures & NextBlock Partners

  • Why they matter: European crypto VC with technical thesis; co-hosting ETHCC Networking Mixer (Tue 3/31, 6-9 PM)
  • Recent work: AI + VC + DeFi convergence investments
  • Where to find them: ETHCC Networking Mixer (Tue 3/31, 6-9 PM)
  • Conversation starters:
    1. "What AI x DeFi thesis are you most convicted about post-EthCC?"
    2. "European VC landscape - how has MiCA changed your diligence process?"
    3. "Are you seeing infrastructure or application-layer teams winning institutional deals?"

8. Starknet Foundation Leadership

  • Why they matter: $225M funding, $8B valuation; Bitcoin bridge with Alpen; partnerships with LayerZero, Circle, Hyperlane
  • Recent work: Payment application support program; ZK scaling leadership
  • Where to find them: Starknet Party (Tue 3/31, 9 PM-2 AM); Lido Day events
  • Conversation starters:
    1. "Alpen partnership - how does trust-minimized BTC bridging work without wrapped assets?"
    2. "Circle integration on Starknet - native USDC or bridged?"
    3. "Payment support program - what use cases are you prioritizing?"

9. Aave Labs Team

  • Why they matter: Aave Horizon targeting $1B deposits with Circle, Ripple, Franklin Templeton, VanEck; $25M stablecoin grant
  • Recent work: Institutional DeFi push; DeFi United coalition (EtherFi, Lido, Ethena, Mantle, Ink)
  • Where to find them: DeFi Day (Mon 3/30, all day); DeFi-focused events
  • Conversation starters:
    1. "Aave Horizon's institutional partnerships - what surprised you most in their due diligence?"
    2. "Post-ACI departure, how is governance evolving at Aave?"
    3. "DeFi United coalition - is this a permanent alliance or a one-time response?"

10. Riaz Bordie - CTO, WalletConnect

  • Why he matters: Building technical infrastructure for WalletConnect Pay; stablecoin checkout architecture
  • Recent work: 11:15 AM keynote on WalletConnect Pay (Tue 3/31)
  • Where to find him: WalletCon (Tue 3/31); technical infrastructure events
  • Conversation starters:
    1. "What's the latency target for WalletConnect Pay vs. Visa/Mastercard?"
    2. "How do you handle gas fee UX for end users during checkout?"
    3. "Are you building merchant SDKs or partnering with existing payment gateways?"

Networking Strategy

Best Events for Investor Conversations

  1. Family Offices & Investors Summit (Mon 3/30, 4-7 PM) - $100, 37 attendees
  2. Founder x VC Happy Hour (Mon 3/30, 8 PM-12 AM) - 41 attendees (no reg form, walk-up)
  3. Investors Meetup by Hybrid Capital (Sun 3/29, 8 PM-12 AM) - 26 attendees
  4. ETH CC VIP Institutional Soirée (Tue 3/31, 8-11 PM) - RWA + institutional, 22 attendees
  5. Investor x Founder Beachclub (Wed 4/1, 1-3 PM) - VC focus, 27 attendees
  6. THE LOCAL Rooftop Brunch (Wed 4/1, 1-4 PM) - Founders + funders, 27 attendees

Best Events for Technical Founders

  1. DeFi Day (Mon 3/30, 1-9 PM) - Aave, infrastructure deep dives
  2. WalletCon Cannes (Tue 3/31, 12-8 PM) - Payment infrastructure, technical keynotes
  3. Builder Nights Cannes (Mon 3/30, 8 PM-1 AM) - MetaMask, Linea, iExec, 71 attendees
  4. Real-World Asset Summit (Tue 3/31, 11 AM-9 PM) - Institutional RWA tech
  5. Private Garden Party (Thu 4/2, 4-10 PM) - Infrastructure + privacy, 33 attendees
  6. iExec Private 1:1 Sessions (Wed 4/1, 11 AM-9 PM) - Book if available

Best Events for Casual Networking

  1. Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup (Mon 3/30, 12-2 PM) - ✅ Registered, 35 attendees
  2. ETHCC Château Happy Hour (Mon 3/30, 8-11 PM) - ✅ Registered, 33 attendees
  3. Starknet Party (Tue 3/31, 9 PM-2 AM) - ⏳ Pending, 41 attendees (largest party)
  4. Coffee On Us ☕ Espresso & Celo (Mon 3/30, 10 AM-1 PM) - 24 attendees
  5. ETHCC Networking Mixer (Tue 3/31, 6-9 PM) - Fabric Ventures/NextBlock, 28 attendees
  6. [not crypto] Art Night (Wed 4/1, 7 PM-12:30 AM) - 29 attendees, creative crowd

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

  1. Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner (Wed 4/1, 9-11 PM) - DeFi + institutional + VC, 20 attendees
  2. The Privacy Table (Mon 3/30, 9 PM-12 AM) - Privacy + security + institutional, 25 attendees
  3. Selini Capital x Areta Dinner (Wed 4/1, 9:30-11:30 PM) - VC + institutional, 14 attendees
  4. VIP Investors Dinner @ EthCC (Mon 3/30, 8:30-10:30 PM) - VC + community, 20 attendees
  5. Pre-afterparty: Cheese & Wine (Thu 4/2, 7-11 PM) - ChainSecurity/Frankencoin, 30 attendees
  6. Private DeFi Soirée (Thu 4/2, 9:30 PM-12:30 AM) - DeFi focus, 24 attendees

Event Clustering & Logistics

Cannes Geography Notes:

  • Palais des Festivals (main EthCC venue) is on the waterfront
  • Most side events are within 15-minute walk or 5-minute taxi
  • Evening events cluster in Cannes hills (villas) or beachfront restaurants
  • Allow 20-30 minutes for villa events during peak traffic

Time Management Tips:

  1. Morning runs/workouts (10-11 AM): Low priority unless you want fitness-based networking
  2. Breakfast/brunch events (11 AM-2 PM): High signal-to-noise, intimate settings
  3. All-day conferences (11 AM-9 PM): Attend first 2 hours + last 2 hours, network during breaks
  4. Happy hours (6-9 PM): Arrive at 6:30 PM (avoid early/late crowds)
  5. Dinners (8:30-11 PM): Most intimate, highest-value conversations
  6. Late-night parties (11 PM-2 AM): Casual follow-ups, but diminishing returns after midnight

Monday 3/30 Logistics Challenge:

  • DeFi Day runs 1-9 PM at Palais des Festivals
  • Family Offices Summit is 4-7 PM (conflicts with DeFi Day)
  • Builder Nights starts 8 PM (15 min walk)
  • Solution: Leave DeFi Day at 6 PM, attend Family Offices Summit 6-7 PM, arrive Builder Nights at 8:30 PM

Tuesday 3/31 Optimal Path:

  • WalletCon (12-8 PM) and RWA Summit (11 AM-9 PM) are separate venues
  • Solution: WalletCon 11 AM-2 PM → RWA Summit 2-6 PM → Fabric Ventures Mixer 6-9 PM → Starknet Party 9 PM+

Sources & References

  1. EthCC - DeFi Day Cannes Tweet - Aave-hosted DeFi Day with JPMorgan, Circle, Mastercard speakers
  2. DeFi Day Cannes Luma Page - Event details and registration
  3. EthCC Sponsors - Conference sponsor information
  4. Builder Nights Cannes Luma Page - MetaMask, Linea, TRON, iExec co-hosting
  5. Justin Sun Highlights Agentic AI Payments at EthCC - TRON keynote and panel details
  6. WalletCon Cannes Luma Page - WalletConnect conference agenda
  7. WalletConnect CEO Jess Houlgrave Interview - Mainstream adoption strategy
  8. WalletConnect Pay CEO on Crypto Payments - Stablecoin checkout scaling
  9. Aave 2026 Funding and Partnerships - Aave Horizon $1B target with Circle, Ripple, Franklin Templeton
  10. Aave - Tracxn Funding - $29.5M funding details
  11. Marc Zeller ACI Departure - Aave governance controversy
  12. Marc Zeller Questions Aave Labs - $6B withdrawal event
  13. MetaMask Linea 2026 Updates - Yield Boost, token transition
  14. MetaMask Card Integration - Mastercard partnership details
  15. MetaMask LINEA Rewards Program - $30M rewards program
  16. LINEA Expands Utility - Smart contract innovations
  17. Starknet 2025 Year in Review - ZK scaling partnerships
  18. Starknet Grants & Funding - Seed grants up to $25K, growth grants up to $1M
  19. StarkWare x Alpen Partnership - Bitcoin bridge development
  20. iExec 2026 Privacy Roadmap - TDX confidential execution, Confidential DeFi product
  21. Real & iExec Partnership - Institutional RWA privacy infrastructure
  22. iExec Confidential DeFi - Privacy-first DeFi era