The Hack Seasons Conference in Brussels on July 7th has brought together visionary leaders, innovative developers, the most prominent brands, and forward-thinking investors from around the globe. The conference featured a packed agenda filled with insightful panels, engaging keynote speeches, and hands-on workshops, all designed to foster collaboration and drive the industry forward.
Attendees had the opportunity to explore the latest advancements in zero-knowledge proofs, investment strategies in volatile markets, scalable ecosystem development, the GameFi sector, and the future of Ethereum and cross-chain ecosystems.
The conference wrapped up just a week ago, and there’s still so much to share. Let’s take a look at the major highlights and photos from the event.
Main Track Got the Hottest Insights
The conference boasted a longlist of top speakers. It began with an inspiring welcome speech by Vadim Krekotin, the founder, and Alex Mukhin, the co-founder, who set an enthusiastic tone for the day. This was followed by the first-panel discussion on “Embracing ZK for Upcoming Adoption,” moderated by Alex Mukhin. The discussion featured insights from Roshan Raghupathy, a researcher at Marlin, Vlad Bochok, the “Master of Everything” at ZKSync, and Sarah Grace, a product manager at zkLink.
Next, Cecilia Hsueh, the Co-Founder and CEO of Morph, delivered a keynote speech introducing the Morph Ecosystem, capturing the audience’s attention with her vision and expertise.
The following panel, moderated by Terry Culver, Executive Director at DFG, delved into “Seeking the Most Profitable Investment in the Current Market.” The panelists, Gabriele Zannaro from Outlier Ventures, Jenny Cheng from Shuttle Capital, Mathias Beke from KAIRON, and Ray Xiao from IOSG, shared their valuable perspectives on navigating investments in today’s market.
Mathias Beke returned to the stage to highlight the importance of liquidity during a bull market in his keynote speech, providing critical insights into market dynamics. This led to a panel on “Strategies for Scaling Robust Ecosystems,” moderated by Joey Anthony from MONAD. Panelists included Gnana Lakshmi from STARKNET, Sunny Lu from Vechain, Pranay Valson from Covalent, and Vlad Degen from TON, who explored various strategies to scale and maintain robust ecosystems.
Viacheslav Shebanov, CTO at dRPC, delivered a compelling keynote on whether the future of the Web3 data layer will be centralized, sparking thought-provoking discussions.
The afternoon sessions continued with a focus on “Building and Growing GameFi Ecosystems,” moderated by Alexey Stelmakh, featuring Ian Wallis from Consensys and Ben Miller from SKALE, who discussed the growth and potential of GameFi.
The conference then explored “How Restaking Fuels the Future of Ethereum and Cross-Chain Ecosystems” in a panel moderated by Matan Si from Lighthouse Labs. Ramani Ramachandran from Router, Jakov Buratovic, a DeFi contributor from Lido, Nader Dabit from EigenLayer, and Apeguru from Lynex provided deep dives into the future of Ethereum and cross-chain developments.
Edi Sinovcic from Space Shard moderated the subsequent panel on “Blockchain 2.0: Embracing the Modular Era,” featuring Viacheslav Shebanov from dRPC, Mustafa Al-Bassam from Celestia, Dorothy from AltLayer, and Antoni Palazzolo from Flow Dapper Labs.
Alex Mukhin returned to the stage to deliver a keynote on “The Naked Truth About Crypto 2024,” offering candid insights into the current state and future of crypto. This was followed by a panel on “Practical Applications of DeFi & AI Fueling Global Adoption,” moderated by Vitalis Elkins, with insights from Jacob Zhao of Arweave SCP, Anil Murty from Akash, Vasiliy Sumanov from PowerPool, Mariela Tanchez from IoTeX, and Jan Czernuszka from DFINITY Foundation.
Claudio Cossio of Meta Pool DAO & ICP Hub Mexico presented a keynote on “Liquid Staking on ICP,” explaining its significance and benefits. Josh Crites from Aztec moderated the panel “ZK: The Key to Unlocking Private & Scalable Web3,” featuring Kevin Wang from Manta Network, Jarrod Watts from Polygon, Zack Xuereb from Aleo, and Phil Kelly from zkLabs.
The final panel of the day, “Past to Present: Analyzing Bull Runs and Market Dynamics,” was moderated by Denney Kwok from Circle and included insights from Ciara Sun of C^Ventures, Kevin Ren from CGV, Vadim Krekotin from Cryptomeria Capital, and Kimberly Adams from Bankless Ventures.
Engaging Workshops with the Industry Leaders
In addition to the main track panels, the conference featured several hands-on workshops designed to provide participants with practical skills and knowledge. Wes Floyd, Solution Architect/DevRel at EigenLayer, gave an in-depth overview and demonstration on building your first AVS with “Hello-World-AVS.”
Vasily Sumanov, Head of Research at PowerPool, discussed automating transactions for DeFi and AI using PowerPool. Alp Bassa, a research scientist at Veridise, presented tools for security in the ZK domain, while Sarah Grace from zkLink explored the concept of Beyond Rollups, focusing on aggregation, abstraction, and infinite-scale blockchain.
Abril Zucchi from Morph explained the fundamentals of zero-knowledge proofs, making complex cryptographic concepts accessible. Usman Asim from Avalanche led a workshop on building your own Layer 1 with Avalanche, covering custom virtual machines and powerful consensus mechanisms. Humpty from Ontology discussed building powerful cross-chain identity-driven experiences with ONT ID and facilitated a mini-panel on the topic.
Jan Camenisch, CTO at DFINITY Foundation, focused on building with Chain Fusion, detailing its integration and advantages. Ignacio from Somnia provided a walkthrough on MML and its relation to the metaverse and the Somnia ecosystem.
Aditya Arora from Pyth conducted a workshop on pulling the data that developers deserve, emphasizing the importance of data accessibility and reliability. Robert Kodra from Starknet discussed building on Starknet, highlighting its unique features and development benefits. Lastly, Ryan Wegner from Scroll shared tips on avoiding security pitfalls in his session, offering crucial advice on best practices.
Useful Insights About Market Trends From Our Partners
We’ve had the privilege of engaging in insightful conversations with several industry leaders and visionaries leading up to the Hack Seasons Conference. Here’s a glimpse into what they shared:
Gnana Lakshmi, Developer Advocate at Starknet Foundation
Gnana, affectionately known as Gyan, shared her perspectives on the evolving Web3 industry in India. She discussed the roles of StarkEx and Starknet within the ecosystem, emphasizing how these technologies contribute to scalability and efficiency in decentralized applications.
Gyan also highlighted the strategic advantages of the STARK token and expressed enthusiasm about the future integration of gaming on Starknet. Her dedication to education and emerging technologies was evident as she detailed her contributions to Starknet’s vision and her anticipation for the upcoming Hack Seasons Brussels.
Ramani Ramachandran, CEO of Router Protocol
Ramani provided in-depth insights into Router Protocol’s architecture, particularly focusing on the evolution from Router V1 to V2. He explained the concept of modularity in Router Chain and its implications for liquidity fragmentation and security within decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystems. His visionary approach underscored Router Protocol’s commitment to enhancing interoperability and user experience across various blockchain networks.
Altan Tutar, Co-Founder and CEO of Nuffle Labs and NEAR Contributor
Altan shared his perspective on the Web3 industry’s evolution, emphasizing the practical applications of zero-knowledge technology. He discussed NEAR’s innovative approaches to improving developer experiences and expanding blockchain adoption through scalable solutions. Altan’s insights highlighted Nuffle Labs’ contributions to pushing the boundaries of blockchain technology, particularly in enhancing user privacy and decentralization.
Shubham Bhandari, Ecosystem Head at Manta Network
Shubham elaborated on Manta Network’s focus on EVM compatibility and zero-knowledge-proof technology. He emphasized the network’s role in addressing the challenges of privacy and scalability in decentralized applications while also supporting low gas fees. Shubham’s discussion underscored Manta Network’s commitment to fostering a robust ecosystem for decentralized finance and blockchain-based applications.
Vince Yang, CEO of zkLink
Vince provided valuable insights into ZK technology and its implications for blockchain scalability and interoperability. He discussed zkLink’s innovative solutions aimed at overcoming current limitations in crypto mining efficiency and blockchain transaction throughput. Vince’s perspective highlighted the critical role of interoperable solutions in driving the next phase of blockchain adoption and ecosystem growth.
Cecilia Hsueh, Co-founder and CEO of Morph
Cecilia discussed the importance of decentralized sequencers for blockchain security and the role of responsive validity-proof technology in improving layer two state verification. She outlined Morph’s modular architecture designed to support consumer blockchain applications, emphasizing scalability and regulatory compliance. Cecilia’s insights reflected Morph’s strategic focus on achieving mass adoption through user-friendly blockchain solutions.
Geoffrey Richards, Europe Ecosystem Lead at Ontology
Geoffrey shared his journey into Web3 and Ontology’s innovative approach to decentralized identity. He explained how Ontology is redefining trust in the digital world through the ONT ID framework, emphasizing its potential impact on various industries. Geoffrey addressed challenges in mass adoption and highlighted Ontology’s efforts in digital identity protection, underscoring the importance of secure and efficient blockchain solutions.
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