[ETHDenver DAY 3 WRAP-UP]: Day 3 Highlights Ethereum Marketing, OnChain Exchanges, Institutional Adoption, and Blockchain Capital

What an incredible Day 3 at ETHDenver! The event is flying by at warp speed! 😎🚀We hope you caught all the insightful talks and made the most of today’s energy. With the closing ceremony tomorrow, let’s soak in every moment and finish strong!

For a round-up of newsworthy takeaways from Day 3, scroll down, and don’t forget, you can catch live-stream talks here. ✍️

– EVENT HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE –

Moderated by Lane Rettig from NEAR Foundation, David Phelps from JokeRace, Jill Gunter from Espresso Systems, and Mark Beylin, from Boost VC shared their perspectives on Ethereum’s marketing challenges. Mark Beylin noted, “There’s no single leader in Ethereum— it’s the community that comes together, creating a shared culture. But there’s still a gap in how the Ethereum Foundation highlights projects that truly deserve attention.” David Phelps added, “The real issue isn’t just liquidity fragmentation— it’s attentional fragmentation. We’re overstimulated, making it hard to know where to focus. Blockchains are like app stores, and the real challenge is finding users. Very few prioritize distribution, but Solana is absolutely nailing it.”

Lane Rettig from NEAR Foundation, David Phelps from JokeRace, Jill Gunter from Espresso Systems, and Mark Beylin, from Boost VC.

During the fireside, Ethereum’s Inflection Point hosted by BuidlGuidl Founder, Austin Griffith, Danny Ryan Co-Founder of Etherealize, and former Ethereum Foundation Researcher discussed how to set Ethereum on the best path forward. Danny Ryan said, “My thesis is that the world is actually ready to adopt blockchain systems. There is also a gap between meeting the world where it is and Ethereum as it is today, getting to where it needs to be.” How should this be done? “We talk to institutions, we talk to the banks, we talk to governments.”

Austin Griffith, Founder of BuidlGuidl with Danny Ryan, Co-Founder of Etherealize, and former Ethereum Foundation Researcher.

In a panel moderated by Margaux Nijkerk from CoinDesk, Phil Girard from Coinbase, Armani Ferrante from Backpack Exchange, 0xloth from Morpho and Bryan Pellegrino from LayerZero Labs discussed the shift towards onchain exchanges. Bryan Pellegrino emphasized, “Users shouldn’t have to worry about chains or gas— what they need is abstraction. Frontends should handle connections seamlessly. It’s like PayPal or Coinbase— creating a fully abstracted experience. We’re almost there.”

Margaux Nijkerk from CoinDesk, Phil Girard from Coinbase, Armani Ferrante from Backpack Exchange, 0xloth from Morpho and Bryan Pellegrino from LayerZero Labs.

During a fireside chat moderated by Debra Nita from YAP Global, Jonathan King from Coinbase Ventures discussed the evolution of investment models. Jonathan King explained, “We’re seeing a shift towards more hybrid investment models, where cap tables now include traditional venture investors, angel investors, and increasingly, echo and legion groups. This provides founders with more opportunities.” He added, “For founders, it’s crucial to consider what’s valuable to you and where you are in your journey— there are more resources than ever available to tap into. We’ll see a convergence of institutional capital with blockchain-specific investments moving forward.”

Debra Nita from YAP Global, Jonathan King from Coinbase Ventures.

Jing Xiong from Solv Protocol discussed Solv’s 2025 vision, “We will drive institutional adoption of BTC by tokenizing Bitcoin ETFs and leveraging financial tools like convertible bonds through BRO to accelerate the flywheel. Additionally, we plan to create xSolvBTC, a unified LST that incorporates all types of BTC yield, including RWA. This is Solv’s vision for 2025.”

Jing Xiong from Solv Protocol

In a panel moderated by Mason Lynaugh from Stand With Crypto, Hannah Oreskovich Laut from ETHDenver, Tyler Adams from COZ, Taylor Kendal from Learning Economy Foundation and Dylan Grabowski from Neo News Today discussed the barriers to advancing pro-crypto regulation in the U.S. and how projects can bridge the gap between legislators and the crypto industry. Dylan Grabowski explained, “Rather than just defining crypto, we showed legislators real-world value— like embedding an NFT chip in a backpack, if stolen, it proves ownership on-chain. Watching them tap and scan to verify it was a mind-blowing moment, shifting blockchain from speculation to practical use.” Taylor Kendal added, “Making it real for people isn’t always about tech— sometimes it’s about investing in community and good people.” Hannah Oreskovich Laut emphasized the power of engagement, noting, “We brought in staffers from various offices to tour ETHDenver. Watching them explore and realize blockchain is more than just markets was incredible.”

Mason Lynaugh from Stand With Crypto, Hannah Oreskovich Laut from ETHDenver, Tyler Adams from COZ, Taylor Kendal from Learning Economy Foundation and Dylan Grabowski from Neo News Today.

– OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS –

The Crypto Startup Accelerator (CSX) by a16z
Designed for early-stage blockchain startups, CSX offers access to capital, industry experts, and a network of leading Web3 teams. The program provides mentorship and resources to help startups refine their product-market fit and scale across industries. The Spring 2025 cohort will take place in San Francisco from April 1 to June 3. For more details and to apply, check it out here.

Yappers

As Day 3 of ETHDenver comes to a close, let’s go out with a bang! 💥🚀

As always, don’t forget to subscribe to The Context newsletter from YAP Global. It’s the perfect way to stay plugged into all the latest evolutions in crypto, DeFi, and Web3.

See y’all tomorrow for the closing ceremony!
Your YAP Global team

P.S. A Friendly Final Reminder:

Cast your vote for three SporkDAO board members before tomorrow, March 2nd at 10 AM MT in your account.

• ⚡ Reminder: You must have had $SPORK staked by 02/20 to be eligible for voting.

• 🏆 Winners will be announced live, tomorrow during Closing Ceremonies 12PM-3PM MT!