WEBTHREEPEDIA RESEARCH

EthCC9 Cannes Networking Intelligence Briefing

Event Intelligence Agent|August 19, 2026|Event Intel

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Executive Summary

EthCC[9] takes place March 28 - April 4, 2026 in Cannes, France, representing Europe's premier Ethereum conference. Our analysis identified 201 side events across 8 days, with key themes including: DeFi institutional adoption (38% of events), wallet infrastructure (18%), RWA tokenization (14%), privacy/security (12%), and AI x crypto (9%).

Registration Success: We successfully registered for 4 high-value events, have 4 pending approval, identified 4 paid premium events ($1-$170), and 3 events are at capacity. Total addressable networking surface: ~2,500 key decision-makers across 71+ events.

Strategic Focus: Monday-Wednesday (Mar 30 - Apr 1) offer the highest networking ROI, with multiple institutional investor dinners, founder meetups, and technical conferences running in parallel. Key sponsors to engage: Aave, MetaMask, Starknet, WalletConnect, Circle, JPMorgan, and Kraken.

Registration Status

| Event | Date | Status | Action Required | |-------|------|--------|-----------------| | DeFi Day | Mon Mar 30 | ✅ Confirmed | Verify ric@staex.io inbox for details | | Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup | Mon Mar 30 | ✅ Confirmed | Check email for venue details | | WalletCon Cannes 2026 | Tue Mar 31 | ✅ Confirmed | Prepare wallet infrastructure pitch | | 🇫🇷 ETHCC Château Happy Hour | Mon Mar 30 | ✅ Confirmed | Security-focused networking event | | Starknet Party | Tue Mar 31 | ⏳ Pending | Monitor email for approval | | Trader Summit by Kickoff.fun | Wed Apr 1 | ⏳ Pending | Check spam folder for confirmation | | Private Garden Party | Thu Apr 2 | ⏳ Pending | High-value privacy/infrastructure event | | Wine & Web3 Growth | Mon Mar 30 | ⏳ Pending | VC-focused evening networking | | Builder Nights Cannes | Mon Mar 30 | ❌ Failed | Manual registration required - 71 attendees | | Pre-afterparty: Cheese & Wine | Thu Apr 2 | ❌ Failed | Contact ChainSecurity directly | | Founder x VC Happy Hour | Mon Mar 30 | ❌ Failed | Reach out to organizers on Luma | | Proof of Liquidity | Mon Mar 30 | 💰 $170 | Consider ROI for institutional DeFi access | | TokenizeThis Cannes 2026 | Mon Mar 30 | 💰 $29 | RWA-focused, hosted by RedStone | | Family Offices Summit | Mon Mar 30 | 💰 $1 | Elite $800B AUM access - worth it | | DeFi in the Sky 3.0 | Wed Apr 1 | 🚫 Sold Out | Join waitlist, network outside venue |

Day-by-Day Intelligence

Day 1: Saturday, March 28

Priority Events: | Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 11:30 AM - 7:00 PM | BEAST MODE zkEVM / Ethproofs day | A | Open | Technical deep-dive on privacy + infrastructure. 16 attendees = intimate networking | | 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Rayls Hackathon | B | Open | RWA + institutional focus. Build connections before main week |

Key People to Meet:

Privacy Protocol Founders - BEAST MODE attracts zkEVM builders. Recent: StarkWare's post-quantum roadmap announced. Talking point: "I saw your PQ security plans - how does that compare to NIST standards?"

Schedule Recommendation: Morning: Arrive in Cannes, settle in hotel
Afternoon: BEAST MODE zkEVM workshop (11:30 AM) - stay until 4 PM for technical sessions
Evening: Light networking at Rayls Hackathon (6-8 PM), early rest before peak week

Day 2: Sunday, March 29

Priority Events: | Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 2:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Institutions Onchain | S | Open | 26 attendees, DeFi + institutional focus. All-day conference with evening networking | | 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM | The Gate [CANNES] | A | Open | VC-only event by Tori, Delphi Ventures & RockawayX. 9 attendees = high signal | | 8:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Investors Meetup by Hybrid Capital | A | Open | 26 VC + institutional attendees. Prime BD opportunity | | 10:00 PM - 1:00 AM | The Cannes Digital Assets House | A | Open | 24 attendees, RWA focus. Late-night intimate conversations |

Key People to Meet:

Delphi Ventures Team - One of crypto's top VCs. Recent: Active in AI agent investments. Talking point: "What's your thesis on agentic AI payments after TRON's recent announcements?"
Hybrid Capital Partners - Institutional-focused fund. Talking point: "How are family offices responding to the new MiCA regulations?"

Schedule Recommendation: Afternoon: Institutions Onchain conference (2 PM start) - attend keynotes
Evening: The Gate VC event (7 PM) → Investors Meetup (8 PM)
Late Night: Cannes Digital Assets House (10 PM) for RWA conversations

Day 3: Monday, March 30 (HIGHEST VALUE DAY)

Priority Events: | Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Coffee On Us ☕ | A | Open | Espresso & Celo infrastructure breakfast. 24 attendees, casual networking | | 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM | Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup | S | ✅ Confirmed | Hosted by Tectonic (quantum-secure defense). Post-quantum crypto discussions | | 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM | DeFi Day | S+ | ✅ Confirmed | TOP EVENT: Aave + JPMorgan + Circle + Mastercard speakers. 37 attendees | | 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Family Offices Summit | S+ | 💰 $1 | 36 attendees managing $800B. Worth the token fee | | 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Proof of Liquidity | S | 💰 $170 | Yield Network + Ink Chain. Institutional deal flow focus | | 8:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Founder x VC Happy Hour | A+ | ❌ Needs Reg | 38 attendees - largest VC networking event | | 8:00 PM - 1:00 AM | Builder Nights Cannes | S+ | ❌ Needs Reg | 71 attendees - MetaMask, Linea, TRON, iExec. Largest builder event | | 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Wine & Web3 Growth | A | ⏳ Pending | 30 attendees, VC + growth focus | | 9:00 PM - 12:00 AM | The Privacy Table | A | Open | 25 attendees - privacy, security, institutional dinner | | 11:00 PM - 4:00 AM | OKX Opening Party | B | Open | 29 attendees, major exchange backing |

Key People to Meet:

1. Stani Kulechov - Founder/CEO, Aave

Why: Just announced 2026 Master Plan with Aave V4, mobile app, Horizon RWA platform after SEC probe ended
Recent: Expanding into securities-backed lending, targeting Wall Street's trillion-dollar markets
Talking points:
- "Congrats on the SEC closure - what was the turning point in their investigation?"
- "Your securities-backed lending vision - how does that compete with traditional prime brokers?"
- "I saw your $50T 'abundance assets' post - are solar/robotics RWAs coming to Aave?"

2. Jean-Marc Stenger - CEO, Societe Generale-Forge

Why: Leading European bank's blockchain division, speaking at DeFi Day
Recent: SocGen actively expanding digital asset offerings under MiCA
Talking points:
- "How is MiCA changing your approach to tokenized securities?"
- "What's the biggest blocker for traditional banks adopting DeFi protocols?"

3. Circle Team (USDC Representatives)

Why: Presenting at DeFi Day. Circle just launched Arc blockchain, expanding institutional infrastructure
Recent: BNY Mellon + Standard Chartered now offer institutional USDC minting
Talking points:
- "How is Arc testnet performing - 1.5M wallets in 90 days is massive"
- "Are you seeing family offices prefer USDC or USYC for treasury management?"

4. MetaMask/ConsenSys Team at Builder Nights

Why: Just launched AI agent wallet, Money Account with 4% yield, and perpetual futures
Recent: Acquiring Web3Auth for social login onboarding
Talking points:
- "The AI agent wallet with spending limits - how are developers using it?"
- "MASK token timeline - still near future or more specific now?"
- "How's the Linea zkEVM integration performing vs other L2s?"

5. Tectonic Labs Team (Michael Berman & Ron Kahat, Co-CEOs)

Why: Hosting Quantum Qafe - leading post-quantum crypto research
Recent: Launched PQ Wallet (Falcon-512 signatures), partnering with IBM, MIT, Google researchers
Talking points:
- "Is 'harvest now, decrypt later' actually happening at scale?"
- "Which protocols are most vulnerable to quantum attacks in your assessment?"

6. JPMorgan Onyx/Kinexys Team

Why: Speaking at DeFi Day about institutional DeFi
Recent: Rebranded Onyx to Kinexys, filed tokenized fund, $1.5T+ blockchain transactions executed
Talking points:
- "Jamie Dimon said you need to move faster on tokenization - what's accelerating?"
- "Your Avalanche tokenized portfolio tests - what surprised you?"

Schedule Recommendation: Morning: Coffee On Us (10 AM) → Quantum Qafe (12 PM) for post-quantum discussions
Afternoon: DeFi Day ALL DAY (1-9 PM) - this is your anchor event. Network during breaks with Aave, Circle, JPMorgan teams
Evening Decision Point:

Option A (BD Focus): Family Offices Summit (4-7 PM overlap with DeFi Day end) → Founder x VC Happy Hour (8 PM) → Wine & Web3 (8 PM)
Option B (Builder Focus): Stay at DeFi Day until 7 PM → Builder Nights Cannes (8 PM-1 AM) for MetaMask, Linea, TRON connections
Option C (Elite): Proof of Liquidity ($170, 5-11 PM) for institutional deal flow
Late Night: Privacy Table dinner (9 PM) if focused on security conversations OR OKX party (11 PM) for casual exchange networking

Day 4: Tuesday, March 31

Priority Events: | Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM | Pharos X Faroo Breakfast | A | Open | 15 attendees, VC + community networking | | 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM | Real-World Asset Summit | S | Open | 27 attendees - largest RWA-focused conference | | 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM | WalletCon Cannes 2026 | S+ | ✅ Confirmed | 34 attendees - WalletConnect, Ledger, Circle, Ethereum Foundation | | 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Searcher 2026 | A | Open | Market making, MEV, exchanges. 16 attendees | | 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Lido Day | A | Open | 26 attendees, DeFi staking focus | | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM | ETHCC Networking Mixer | A+ | Open | Fabric Ventures & NextBlock. 28 attendees, AI + VC + DeFi | | 6:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Proof of Liquidity (Day 2) | S | 💰 $170 | Continued institutional deal flow from Monday | | 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM | RWA Première | A | Open | 16 attendees, VC + RWA focus | | 9:00 PM - 2:00 AM | Starknet Party | S | ⏳ Pending | 41 attendees - largest party. Eli Ben-Sasson likely attending | | 10:00 PM - 2:00 AM | Palme de DeFi | A | Open | Octav, DefiLlama, Trezor. 24 attendees |

Key People to Meet:

1. WalletConnect Team

Why: Hosting WalletCon. Just launched WalletConnect Pay with Ingenico, expanding to TRON
Recent: Integrated TokenPocket, planning governance activation, adding Polygon/Arbitrum support
Talking points:
- "The Ingenico integration - are traditional merchants actually accepting crypto at checkout?"
- "How's TRON network performing vs EVM chains for payments?"

2. Eli Ben-Sasson - CEO, StarkWare (Starknet Party)

Why: Leading zkEVM research, recently laid off staff to pivot toward revenue products
Recent: Expanding Starknet to Bitcoin L2, allocated $12M (100M STRK) to BTCFi
Talking points:
- "The Bitcoin L2 expansion - are you competing with Lightning or complementing it?"
- "You restructured for revenue - what products are actually generating income now?"
- "Post-quantum roadmap for Starknet - timeline for implementation?"

3. Fabric Ventures & NextBlock Partners

Why: Hosting networking mixer, active AI x crypto investors
Recent: Focused on AI infrastructure and DeFi convergence
Talking points:
- "What AI x DeFi projects are you most excited about in 2026?"
- "How do you evaluate AI agent protocols vs traditional DeFi?"

4. RWA Protocol Founders

Why: Real-World Asset Summit attracts institutional tokenization projects
Recent: RedStone powering $580M of BlackRock's BUIDL fund on-chain
Talking points:
- "How are institutional LPs responding to tokenized treasury products?"
- "Regulatory clarity under MiCA - is Europe leading the US now?"

Schedule Recommendation: Morning: Pharos X Faroo Breakfast (11 AM) for VC connections
Afternoon: WalletCon (12-8 PM) as anchor event - overlap with RWA Summit if needed
Alternative Afternoon: Real-World Asset Summit (11 AM-9 PM) if RWA is higher priority
Evening: ETHCC Networking Mixer (6 PM) → RWA Première (8 PM) → Starknet Party (9 PM) - don't miss this, biggest event
Late Night: Palme de DeFi (10 PM) for DeFi protocol networking

Day 5: Wednesday, April 1

Priority Events: | Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM | Hack Seasons Conference | A | Open | 16 attendees, RWA + DeFi + VC focus | | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Investor x Founder Beachclub | S | Open | 28 attendees - intimate beachside BD | | 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM | THE LOCAL: Rooftop Brunch | A+ | Open | 28 attendees, founders + funders + friends | | 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Cannes RealFi Mixer | A | Open | 21 attendees, AI meets RWAs + institutional | | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM | The DeFi Rendezvous | A | Open | 20 attendees, lending meets perpetuals | | 8:00 PM - 1:00 AM | DeFi in the Sky 3.0 | S+ | 🚫 Sold Out | 37 attendees - network outside venue if possible | | 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Trader Summit by Kickoff.fun | A+ | ⏳ Pending | 40 attendees - largest trading-focused event | | 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Villa BitGo | A | Open | 17 attendees, institutional custody focus | | 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Proof of Liquidity: VIP Dinner | S | Open | 20 attendees, DeFi + institutional + VC |

Key People to Meet:

1. Kraken/Ink Chain Team

Why: Ink L2 is co-hosting Proof of Liquidity events. Just launched INK token in 2026
Recent: TVL grew from $7M to $450M in 4 months, app revenue hit $5.77M/month
Talking points:
- "Ink's growth is wild - $7M to $450M TVL in 4 months. What's driving it?"
- "RedStone as your oracle - why them over Chainlink?"
- "DeFi Earn 8% APY - how sustainable is that yield?"

2. RedStone Oracles Team

Why: Hosting TokenizeThis (if overlapping schedule). Powers 200+ protocols including BlackRock BUIDL
Recent: Official oracle for Ink, Canton Network, Securitize partnership
Talking points:
- "You're powering $580M of BlackRock's BUIDL - what's the technical challenge there?"
- "Bolt ultra-low-latency oracle - how fast vs Pyth/Chainlink?"

3. BitGo Institutional Team

Why: Major custody provider, essential for institutional crypto infrastructure
Recent: Expanding multi-chain custody solutions
Talking points:
- "How are family offices choosing between self-custody and qualified custodians?"
- "Post-FTX, what due diligence questions are LPs asking?"

4. DeFi Protocol Founders at Trader Summit

Why: 40 attendees focused on trading infrastructure
Recent: Perpetuals DEX growth, MEV competition
Talking points:
- "How are on-chain perps competing with CEX leverage after the Hyperliquid growth?"
- "Is MEV still profitable post-merge with PBS?"

Schedule Recommendation: Morning: Light recovery from Monday/Tuesday intensity
Afternoon: Investor x Founder Beachclub (1 PM) - most relaxed, highest-value networking OR THE LOCAL Rooftop Brunch (1 PM)
Late Afternoon: Cannes RealFi Mixer (4 PM) for AI x RWA conversations
Evening: DeFi Rendezvous (6 PM) → Trader Summit (8 PM) if approved OR Villa BitGo (8 PM) → Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner (9 PM)
Alternative: Try networking outside DeFi in the Sky 3.0 venue (sold out but attendees will exit for air)

Day 6: Thursday, April 2

Priority Events: | Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 11:30 AM - 8:00 PM | Pragma Cannes | A | Open | 23 attendees, infrastructure + DeFi + institutional | | 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Cointelegraph Connect | B | Open | 23 attendees, media networking | | 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Private Garden Party | S | ⏳ Pending | 33 attendees - infrastructure + privacy focus | | 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM | DeFi Founders Club | A+ | Open | 20 attendees, founder-only networking | | 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Pre-afterparty: Cheese & Wine | A | ❌ Needs Reg | 31 attendees, ChainSecurity + Frankencoin, DeFi + security + RWA | | 9:30 PM - 12:30 AM | Private DeFi Soirée | S | Open | 24 attendees - exclusive DeFi networking |

Key People to Meet:

1. ChainSecurity Team (if Cheese & Wine registration works)

Why: Leading smart contract auditing firm
Recent: Auditing major DeFi protocols, RWA platforms
Talking points:
- "What's the most common vulnerability you're seeing in 2026 protocols?"
- "How do RWA smart contracts differ in security requirements vs pure DeFi?"

2. Private Garden Party Attendees

Why: 33 attendees focused on infrastructure + privacy - high signal
Recent: Privacy tech advancing with FHE, ZK, TEE convergence
Talking points:
- "Is FHE finally production-ready or still 2-3 years out?"
- "Privacy vs compliance - how do you handle OFAC/sanctions?"

3. DeFi Founders Club Members

Why: Founder-only event, pure peer networking
Recent: DeFi consolidation, protocol mergers
Talking points:
- "What's your take on Aave expanding into securities lending?"
- "Are you raising in this market or staying default alive?"

Schedule Recommendation: Morning/Afternoon: Rest and strategic 1:1s from connections made earlier in week
Late Afternoon: Pragma Cannes (join at 3 PM) OR Private Garden Party (4 PM) if approved
Evening: DeFi Founders Club (6 PM) → Cheese & Wine (7 PM) if registered OR Private DeFi Soirée (9:30 PM)
Strategy: Thursday is winding down - focus on deepening existing connections rather than new intros

Day 7: Friday, April 3

Priority Events: | Time | Event | Tier | Registration | Why Go | |------|-------|------|--------------|---------| | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM | ETHGlobal Finalists & Founders Brunch | A | Open | 10 attendees - hackathon winners + VCs | | 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM | WAIB Summit Monaco Countdown | B | Open | 9 attendees, AI + DeFi + institutional |

Key People to Meet:

1. ETHGlobal Hackathon Winners

Why: Fresh projects, often venture-backable
Recent: Best projects from EthCC hackathon
Talking points:
- "What did you build during the hackathon?"
- "Are you turning this into a full-time project?"

Schedule Recommendation: Afternoon: ETHGlobal brunch (1 PM) for fresh project scouting
Rest of Day: Recovery, process connections, send follow-up emails

Day 8: Saturday, April 4

No major events listed - Conference wind-down, travel day

Top 10 Founders/Executives to Meet

1. Stani Kulechov - Founder/CEO, Aave

Why: Building largest DeFi lending protocol ($20B+ TVL), expanding to securities
Recent: SEC probe ended, announced 2026 Master Plan with Aave V4, Horizon RWA, mobile app
Where: DeFi Day (Mon Mar 30, 1-9 PM)
Conversation starters:
- "The securities-backed lending push - are you partnering with prime brokers or competing?"
- "Your $50T 'abundance assets' vision - which asset class first?"
- "How did you navigate the SEC investigation for 4 years?"

2. Eli Ben-Sasson - CEO, StarkWare

Why: Leading zkSTARK research, expanding Starknet to Bitcoin L2
Recent: Restructured company for revenue focus, allocated $12M to BTCFi ecosystem
Where: Starknet Party (Tue Mar 31, 9 PM-2 AM)
Conversation starters:
- "Bitcoin L2 strategy - technical architecture vs Rootstock or Stacks?"
- "The restructuring - what revenue streams are working?"
- "Post-quantum roadmap - is it marketing or genuine threat mitigation?"

3. Michael Berman & Ron Kahat - Co-CEOs, Tectonic Labs

Why: Building post-quantum cryptography infrastructure for Web3
Recent: Launched PQ Wallet with Falcon-512 signatures, partnering with IBM/MIT/Google researchers
Where: Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup (Mon Mar 30, 12-2 PM)
Conversation starters:
- "How long until quantum computers can actually break ECDSA?"
- "Is 'harvest now, decrypt later' happening to crypto protocols?"
- "Which L1s are most vulnerable in your analysis?"

4. Circle Executive Team - USDC Stablecoin

Why: $50B+ stablecoin, expanding institutional infrastructure with Arc blockchain
Recent: BNY Mellon + Standard Chartered offering institutional USDC minting, Arc testnet 1.5M wallets
Where: DeFi Day (Mon Mar 30, 1-9 PM)
Conversation starters:
- "Arc blockchain vs Ethereum - why build your own L1?"
- "How are family offices allocating between USDC, USYC, and EURC?"
- "Stablecoin regulation in EU vs US - which market is easier?"

5. ConsenSys/MetaMask Leadership

Why: 30M+ users, expanding to AI agents, stablecoin yield, perpetual futures
Recent: Launched AI agent wallet, Money Account (4% yield on mUSD), acquiring Web3Auth
Where: Builder Nights Cannes (Mon Mar 30, 8 PM-1 AM)
Conversation starters:
- "AI agent wallet adoption - what are devs building with it?"
- "MASK token - timeline solidifying or still 'near future'?"
- "Linea zkEVM - how's it performing vs Arbitrum/Optimism?"

6. JPMorgan Blockchain Team (Kinexys/Onyx)

Why: $1.5T+ blockchain transactions, launching tokenized funds
Recent: Rebranded Onyx to Kinexys, filed JPMorgan OnChain Liquidity Token MMF
Where: DeFi Day (Mon Mar 30, 1-9 PM)
Conversation starters:
- "Jamie Dimon wants you to move faster - internal pressure or market-driven?"
- "Avalanche tokenized portfolio - why Avalanche over Ethereum?"
- "How do you handle crypto volatility for institutional clients?"

7. RedStone Oracles Team

Why: Oracle for BlackRock BUIDL ($580M), Kraken Ink, 200+ protocols
Recent: Acquired TokenizeThis conference, official oracle for Ink ecosystem
Where: TokenizeThis Cannes (Mon Mar 30, 11 AM-7 PM) - paid event but worth it
Conversation starters:
- "BlackRock BUIDL - what's the technical complexity vs DeFi oracles?"
- "Bolt ultra-low-latency - how fast vs Pyth Network?"
- "110 chains supported - how do you maintain data consistency?"

8. WalletConnect Team

Why: Leading wallet connection protocol, expanding to payments with WalletConnect Pay
Recent: Ingenico partnership for merchant crypto payments, TRON integration, governance activation planned
Where: WalletCon Cannes (Tue Mar 31, 12-8 PM)
Conversation starters:
- "Ingenico merchants actually accepting crypto or just testing?"
- "TRON integration - is Justin Sun driving that or organic demand?"
- "How do you compete with Reown or direct wallet integrations?"

9. Kraken Ink Team

Why: Fastest-growing Superchain L2, $450M TVL in 4 months
Recent: Launched INK token, DeFi Earn with 8% APY, partnered with RedStone oracles
Where: Proof of Liquidity events (Mon-Wed, multiple sessions)
Conversation starters:
- "$7M to $450M TVL in 4 months - what drove it?"
- "Nado and Tydro as flagship apps - sustainable vs vampire attacks?"
- "How are you incentivizing liquidity beyond airdrops?"

10. Fabric Ventures & NextBlock Partners

Why: Leading European crypto VCs, focus on AI x DeFi convergence
Recent: Active in AI agent infrastructure, DeFi protocol investments
Where: ETHCC Networking Mixer (Tue Mar 31, 6-9 PM)
Conversation starters:
- "What's your AI x DeFi investment thesis - agents or infrastructure?"
- "How do you evaluate token launches in this market?"
- "Best EU crypto founders you've met this year?"

Networking Strategy

Best Events for Investor Conversations

Family Offices & Investors Summit (Mon, $1) - $800B AUM, 36 attendees
Founder x VC Happy Hour (Mon, 8 PM) - 38 attendees, largest VC event
Investors Meetup by Hybrid Capital (Sun, 8 PM) - 26 institutional investors
The Gate [CANNES] (Sun, 7 PM) - Delphi Ventures, RockawayX, 9 attendees
Fabric Ventures & NextBlock Mixer (Tue, 6 PM) - 28 attendees, AI + DeFi focus
Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner (Wed, 9 PM) - 20 attendees, institutional deal flow
Wine & Web3 Growth (Mon, 8 PM) - 30 attendees, VC-focused
Private SunDAO: Investors Speed Dating (Tue, 6 PM) - 12 attendees, structured intros

Best Events for Technical Founders

Builder Nights Cannes (Mon, 8 PM) - 71 attendees, MetaMask + Linea + TRON
WalletCon Cannes (Tue, 12-8 PM) - 34 attendees, wallet infrastructure
DeFi Day (Mon, 1-9 PM) - 37 attendees, Aave + technical DeFi
Starknet Party (Tue, 9 PM) - 41 attendees, zkEVM builders
Quantum Qafe Coffee Meetup (Mon, 12 PM) - 35 attendees, post-quantum crypto
Private Garden Party (Thu, 4 PM) - 33 attendees, privacy tech
Lido Day (Tue, 1-9 PM) - 26 attendees, staking infrastructure
BEAST MODE zkEVM (Sat, 11:30 AM) - 16 attendees, privacy proofs

Best Events for Casual Networking

Coffee On Us ☕ (Mon, 10 AM) - 24 attendees, breakfast setting
Investor x Founder Beachclub (Wed, 1 PM) - 28 attendees, relaxed beach environment
THE LOCAL: Rooftop Brunch (Wed, 1 PM) - 28 attendees, founders + funders
ETHCC Sunset Social (Mon, 7 PM) - 29 attendees, sunset networking
Pharos X Faroo Breakfast (Tue, 11 AM) - 15 attendees, morning networking
Cannes Coffee Exchange (Wed, 4 PM) - 2 attendees, intimate 1:1s
Paint & Sip (Thu, 5:15 PM) - 3 attendees, creative networking

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

Proof of Liquidity VIP Dinner (Wed, 9 PM) - 20 attendees, institutional focus
The Privacy Table (Mon, 9 PM) - 25 attendees, security + privacy + institutional
Family Offices Summit Michelin Dinner (Mon, 4 PM) - 36 attendees, $800B AUM
Consensus on the Coast Dinner (Mon, 9:30 PM) - 20 attendees, founders + VCs
Selini Capital x Areta Dinner (Wed, 9:30 PM) - 14 attendees, VC-focused
Pre-afterparty: Cheese & Wine (Thu, 7 PM) - 31 attendees, DeFi + security + RWA
funnymoney dinner (Mon, 8 PM) - 15 attendees, infrastructure + DeFi + community
VIP Investors Dinner (Mon, 8:30 PM) - 20 attendees, VC + community
Private DeFi Soirée (Thu, 9:30 PM) - 24 attendees, exclusive DeFi

Logistics & Travel Notes

Event Clustering by Venue

Palais des Festivals (Main EthCC Venue):

DeFi Day (Mon)
Main conference sessions (Mon-Thu)

Art Nouveau Villa (101 Avenue de Grasse):

Family Offices & Investors Summit (Mon)

Hotel Majestic:

TokenizeThis (Mon)

Stark Café:

Various Starknet-related meetups (Tue)

Travel Time Between Venues

Palais des Festivals ↔ Art Nouveau Villa: 12 min walk (930m)
Most events are concentrated in Cannes downtown area, within 10-15 min walk
Consider booking accommodation near Palais des Festivals for easy access

Peak Networking Hours

Monday 8 PM - 12 AM: Highest density of parallel events (7+ major events)
Tuesday 8 PM - 2 AM: Starknet Party + multiple dinners/soirees
Wednesday 8 PM - 1 AM: Trader Summit + multiple institutional dinners

Action Items Before Trip

✅ Confirm email access for ric@staex.io to receive event confirmations
⚠️ Manually register for Builder Nights Cannes (71 attendees - highest value failed registration)
⚠️ Contact ChainSecurity directly for Cheese & Wine event
⚠️ Reach out to Founder x VC Happy Hour organizers on Luma
💰 Consider purchasing: Family Offices Summit ($1), TokenizeThis ($29), Proof of Liquidity ($170)
📧 Monitor spam folder for Starknet Party, Trader Summit, Private Garden Party, Wine & Web3 approvals
🎯 Prepare pitch deck for BD conversations with institutional investors
🔗 Update LinkedIn profile with EthCC attendance, open for meetings

Executive Summary

Registration Status

Day-by-Day Intelligence

Day 1: Saturday, March 28

Day 2: Sunday, March 29

Day 3: Monday, March 30 (HIGHEST VALUE DAY)

Day 4: Tuesday, March 31

Day 5: Wednesday, April 1

Day 6: Thursday, April 2

Day 7: Friday, April 3

Day 8: Saturday, April 4

Top 10 Founders/Executives to Meet

1. Stani Kulechov - Founder/CEO, Aave

2. Eli Ben-Sasson - CEO, StarkWare

3. Michael Berman & Ron Kahat - Co-CEOs, Tectonic Labs

4. Circle Executive Team - USDC Stablecoin

5. ConsenSys/MetaMask Leadership

6. JPMorgan Blockchain Team (Kinexys/Onyx)

7. RedStone Oracles Team

8. WalletConnect Team

9. Kraken Ink Team

10. Fabric Ventures & NextBlock Partners

Networking Strategy

Best Events for Investor Conversations

Best Events for Technical Founders

Best Events for Casual Networking

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

Logistics & Travel Notes

Event Clustering by Venue

Travel Time Between Venues

Peak Networking Hours

Action Items Before Trip

Sources & References