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March went by with the dynamic event of "Paris Blockchain Week 2023", which occurred between 17th - 24th March 2023 at Le Carrousel Du Louvre where the greatest minds came together to shape the future of web3. Major blockchain journalists are publishing their groundbreaking reports on this event and so I couldn't resist writing my take on the same. Being a blockchain enthusiast out there, you all must have kept a keen eye on this event. Here's my ground report on this event and all the things that you might have missed. Commençons!
Paris Blockchain Week (PBW) is an annual event that brings together blockchain enthusiasts, developers, entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers from around the world to discuss the latest trends and innovations in the blockchain industry. The event is held in Paris, France, and features a variety of activities, including panel discussions, workshops, hackathons, and networking opportunities.
The first Paris Blockchain Week was held in 2019, and it has since become a major event in the blockchain community. The event is organized by the French blockchain association, ADAN (Association pour le Développement des Actifs Numériques), in collaboration with various partners and sponsors.
The main objective of Paris Blockchain Week is to promote the adoption and development of blockchain technology by fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among industry players. The event aims to showcase the latest innovations and use cases of blockchain technology, while also addressing the regulatory and legal challenges facing the industry.
The event typically attracts high-profile speakers and attendees from the blockchain industry, including executives from leading blockchain companies, policymakers, academics, and investors. Some of the topics covered at the event include blockchain applications in finance, healthcare, supply chain management, and digital identity.
Each day of 'Paris Blockchain Week 2023' at Le Carrousel Du Louvre was filled with fun, excitement, and optimism brought up by the blockchain and web3 leaders. This year's event had 4 main themes, "Brands and Web3 Economy", "Marketing in Web3", "Web3 Art", and the "Market and Investing in Web3: Culture and Entertainment". The event's week started with a 2-days hackathon (17-19 March) where participants were asked to find solutions to given topics solving real-life challenges to which the winning prize was €4,500. This year the challenges were set by the panel including Solana, Gridex, and XRPL.
The 1st challenge given by Gridex was to build a dApp that can make use of Gridex's order book to onboard as many web3 users as possible. This hackathon was won by team "Etherla Wave". The 2nd challenge given by Solona was to scale a dApp based on consumers to bring crypto to 1 mn on-chain users. This challenge was won by team "Pay Consent". Finally, the 3rd challenge set up by XRPL technology was to make use of their technology to solve a real-world problem. It was won by Thomas Hussenet and Maxime Dienger of XRPL Solvency.
The fourth day of the event was packed with many start-up competitions, investor day, and talent fairs participated several brightest minds of the industry, young professionals, and students. The final day of the event was concluded with the VIP dinner and overall was a complete blast in its truest sense.
This year's Paris Blockchain Week was conducted amid ongoing protests and downgrading macroeconomics. Cointelegraph's journalist Joseph Hall interviewed some of the protesters at the event venue but very few of them were aware of the fundamentals of blockchain while many others never heard of Bitcoin before. Against the backdrop of ongoing protests on the Paris streets, PBW 2023 was conducted which proved to be a resounding success.
Despite the challenges posed by the unrest outside, the organizers remained focused and determined to deliver an unforgettable experience for attendees. With meticulous planning and a firm commitment, the event unfolded seamlessly, showcasing the talents of the performers and creating an atmosphere of joy and celebration. Even amidst the chaos and turmoil that surrounded the venue, the success of the event served as a reminder of the resilience and strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
The event was graced by the presence of many renowned industry leaders including Binance CEO, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), Ethereum co-founder, Joseph Lupin, NASDAQ Head of Digital Assets, Ira Auerbach, Stablecoin issuer Tether’s CTO Paolo Ardoino, and more.
In the words of Denelle Dixon, CEO of the Stellar Development Foundation,
“We need to not live in a bubble to include, to embrace, to empower all these people from outside. They don’t have a clue about what is blockchain. So our goal is to use different and different terminology so we can include all of them into the conversation.”
All in all, this event was a huge success in bringing together like-minded people in the blockchain and web3 industry despite the on-street reforms and protests.
