Crypto Chaos: What to Expect at Consensus Hong Kong!

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Hold onto your digital wallets, folks! Consensus, the world’s longest-running crypto conference (yes, longer than your last relationship), is kicking off in Hong Kong next week! Get ready for a wild ride into the land of digital assets in Asia. 🚀

More than 270 speakers and thousands of attendees from over 90 countries are expected to invade the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from Tuesday, Feb. 18 to Thursday, Feb. 20. That’s right, it’s like the Olympics, but for people who think “blockchain” is a four-letter word. 🏅

Here are some of the highlights that will make you question your life choices:

The conference’s opening keynote (Feb. 19) will be delivered by Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-Po. Following that, a panel discussion featuring Bitcoin OG Adam Back, JAN3 CEO Samson Mow, and Babylon co-founder David Tse will tackle whether Bitcoin can be the foundation of a new financial system. Spoiler alert: they might just end up arguing about who has the best meme! 💰

Then, Julia Leung, the head of Hong Kong’s primary financial regulator, will share the territory’s regulatory priorities. Because nothing says “fun” like regulations, am I right? 📜

Yat Siu, co-founder of Web3 giant Animoca Brands, will discuss the epic battle for digital property rights. Meanwhile, the ever-colorful Justin Sun, founder of TRON, will regale us with tales of his token’s meteoric rise—because who doesn’t love a good rags-to-riches story? 🌟

On the blockchain front, Solana Foundation president Lily Liu will chat about the future of blockchain, while Robinhood’s head of crypto, Johann Kerbrat, will join her to discuss why retail investors are moving on-chain. And let’s not forget SUI founder Evan Cheng, who will explain how his blockchain is adapting to institutional needs. Sounds riveting, right? 😴

Wrapping up the first day, Binance CEO Richard Teng will sit down with Consensus Hong Kong chairman Michael Lau. I can only assume they’ll be discussing how to make crypto sound even more complicated. 🤔

On Thursday, regulators from Hong Kong, Thailand, and Malaysia will provide an outlook on regional regulations. Stacks’ CEO Muneeb Ali will headline a spirited discussion on the renaissance in Bitcoin Layer 2s. And Eric Anziani, president of Crypto.com, will give a fireside chat about his company’s ambitious global plans. I hope he brings marshmallows! 🔥

Also on Thursday, Memeland CEO Ray Chan will chat with CoinDesk’s Sam Ewen about the memification of finance. Because if it’s not a meme, did it even happen? 😂 And on the Emerging Tech stage, we’ll have the Decentralized AI summit, featuring panels with some seriously smart folks. No pressure, right? 🤖

But wait, there’s more! From Tuesday to Wednesday, hundreds of developers will compete in the EasyA Hackathon for prizes and potential investments from top VC firms. And don’t miss the live onstage pitching battle at the CoinDesk Hong Kong Pitchfest 2025. It’s like Shark Tank, but with more crypto and fewer sharks. 🦈

Finally, for those who like to mix business with pleasure, the eighth installment of the Crypto Fight Night boxing exhibition will take place on Thursday night at the Grand Hyatt. Watch as crypto influencers Bitlord and Korean Jew duke it out—because nothing says “networking” like a good old-fashioned boxing match! 🥊

It all promises to be an invigorating conference at a special time, set in one of the most dynamic cities in Asia. So grab your passes while you can—because who wouldn’t want to be part of this circus? 🎪

For the full agenda, please see here. Passes are still available for sale here.

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2025-02-14 20:24