This month’s EthCC event in Brussels kicked the summer circuit of blockchain meetups into high gear. Thousands of attendees from around the world and industry leaders convened to share their thoughts onstage, connect, and push the industry forward.
With a blockchain event that has gone on for so long (this year will be EthCC’s seventh annual conference), comparisons and “post-mortems” are bound to happen as attendees reflect not just on the event itself, but the industry as a whole.
This year, James Wo, the founder and CEO of the leading Web3 VC firm DFG, shared his thoughts on EthCC and how the conference has evolved. As a sponsor of the event’s VC track and the host of a successful side event, Wo’s insights give a glimpse into how events like EthCC help foster innovation within the blockchain and in the Ethereum ecosystem specifically.
In a new Medium post, Wo’s key takeaways from the event highlight evolving themes and focus from the industry towards new sectors or reinforcing development in key functional areas.
AI, of course, has become a key driver in innovation for the Ethereum ecosystem. During EthCC, Wo noted that AI gained significant attention as it is set to enhance DeFi platforms by optimizing trading strategies, risk management, and fraud detection. Thanks to AI’s ability to analyze large datasets and predict market trends, Wo emphasized that it can significantly improve the efficiency and security of DeFi operations from smart contracts to auditing processes.
Likewise, Wo noted that AI agents have moved to the forefront of the discussion of its implementation in Ethereum, with companies in DFG’s portfolio like RedPill helping lead the charge in decentralized hosting protocols. Because of AI’s transformative potential, Wo notes that its prominence at EthCC indicates its long-term development over the next decade, and investment in quality AI projects is sure to follow.
Beyond AI, a shift to consumer apps has shown to be one of the next frontiers in making blockchain technology accessible by offering functionalities from practical financial services to gaming and social platforms.
However, Wo notes that many such apps are still under development, but they do show promise in bringing more audiences to blockchain and Ethereum by delivering intuitive interfaces and useful tools. While there were attempts to do so before, the new influx of consumer apps demonstrates a progression in bringing mainstream consumers to crypto. Wo notes that applications such as Lens Protocol that work to simplify blockchain interactions and make them as user-friendly as possible are poised to transform how audiences engage with digital assets, social networks, and financial services.
The other star of the show at EthCC, and the backbone that will support exciting developments in AI and consumer apps is infrastructure. Wo noted that infrastructure continues to be a recurring key conversation driver in developing and scaling the Ethereum ecosystem.
As Ethereum continues to face scalability challenges, Wo outlines that infrastructure improvements such as Layer 2 scaling solutions and sharding are still as essential as ever for handling increased transaction volumes and reducing gas fees. And as infrastructure improves, so does the end-user experience in any blockchain interaction.
Wo highlights DFG’s focus on infrastructure and protocol-level projects as a key investment area that will help set the stage for significant future growth. Given its expertise not only in fuelling innovative Ethereum projects but across blockchain as a whole, DFG utilizes its position as a VC leader in Web3 to concentrate on infrastructure projects that are creating real solutions for the ecosystem’s issues.
Alongside recaps of its successful side event and speaking engagements at the conference, DFG’s insights on EthCC reaffirm its standing as a leader in Ethereum innovation and a key player in fuelling blockchain development.
