DevCon has emerged as one of the hottest extravaganzas on the crypto calendar, bringing together the most innovative Ethereum builders, explorers, entrepreneurs, and users from around the world. The 2024 edition in Bangkok was one of the most insightful yet. If you didn’t make it to the event, don’t worry, as we caught up with a number of representatives from leading crypto companies that graced DevCon with their presence to help us define the narratives on everyone’s lips.
One of the major themes throughout the event was the rise of AI, and attendees were eager to elaborate on the ways that technology will be integrated into blockchain and DeFi, with a focus on expanding access and automation. AI agents have emerged as one of the most likely use cases, starting with social media avatars and later, leading to all sorts of personalized agents.
Security still remains a major focus on the DevCon agenda, and attendees were encouraged by a number of developments that suggest progress is being made. TEEs (Trusted Execution Environments) have the potential to push the protocol to its edges, when paired with other cryptographic approaches, achieving a level of decentralization without giving excessive power to manufacturers.
Layer-2 networks were easily the most commonly recurring theme at DevCon. Infrastructure is the key to scaling and usability, and scaling upgrades have significantly lowered transaction costs, making blockchain interactions more affordable and efficient. The continued rise of layer-2 solutions and zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) will make blockchain interactions more affordable and efficient, with dynamic pricing models for infrastructure services becoming standard.
The emergence of so many prominent L2 networks has led to a lot of rivalries between them, with the likes of ZK rollups and optimistic rollups all competing for users and trying to outdo each other. But in the coming year, Mark Smargon of Fuse.io thinks those networks will be much less focused on each other, and much more aware of where the real competition is.
No Ethereum roadshow these days is complete without a mention of memecoins, and Cornejo believes they will continue to grow as a force on Ethereum, as there are no signs of the hype around them letting up. However, it’s crucial to remain cautious as market conditions evolve. The overarching mood among the Ethereum community and Web3 developers emphasizes Ethereum’s enduring dominance as the foundational blockchain for innovation and development.
Despite the rise of competing ecosystems and the noise surrounding new narratives, Nate Holiday’s message underscores a key takeaway from Devcon: Ethereum remains the go-to platform for developers seeking robust infrastructure, active community support, and a mature ecosystem.
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<p>The post Just Keep Building – The Narratives At DevCon 2024 first appeared on CoinBuzzFeed.</p>
