ETHDenver has always been a beast of an event—massive, chaotic, and full of energy. This year? It was different. Quieter. More fragmented. And completely dominated by AI.
One thing was clear: the main ETHDenver conference is no longer the main attraction.
Yes, the event still drew a crowd, but people who had attended in previous years told me it felt smaller, less buzzing. The BUIDLathon felt eerily quiet. Speakers gave talks to just one or two people slouched on benches. It picked up a bit when the main event kicked off, but even then, it didn’t have the same electricity I had expected.
Instead, side events ruled.
Take HederaCon, for example—a massive, well-organized gathering that felt like its own mini-conference. I attended with Anewbiz, interviewed Shyam Nagarajan (COO of Hedera), and met Ken Anderson from Tashi. It was a serious highlight.
Secret Network ran a Hacker House all week that welcomed leaders in Privacy 2.0.
Other standout side events included the VCs & LPs Cocktail Party and the Decentralized AI Society (DAIS) Dinner, where the guest of honor was none other than Neal Stephenson, the man who coined the term “Metaverse” in Snow Crash. I even got my hands on a signed copy of his latest book—haven’t read it yet, but that’s beside the point. It was a surreal moment.
Then there was the Afternoon TEEParty—one of the best networking events of the week. Packed, buzzing, and full of fascinating people. The only downside? Quiet audio. Panels happened in the background, but unless you were standing right next to the speaker, you were out of luck. Lisa Loud from Secret Network Foundation? Crystal clear. Everyone else? Not so much.
AI, AI, and more AI
Let’s talk trends.
Last year, AI was a minor subplot at ETHDenver—just another piece of the Web3 puzzle. This year? It was the whole damn story.
Agentic AI, decentralized AI, privacy-preserving AI, AI governance—you name it, it was being discussed. Someone pointed out that last year there were maybe one or two AI-related events, but this year? It was everywhere. And rightly so. AI is the biggest shift happening right now, and ETHDenver felt like proof that Web3 is scrambling to keep up, integrate, and stay relevant.
I attended Rollup Day, Multi-Chain Day, and various hacker house sessions, sitting in on conversations that blurred the lines between blockchain and AI. The Qu.ai team was fascinating—I interviewed Dr. K, the founder, who shared a compelling vision of AI’s role in decentralized ecosystems. I also interviewed some of the Autonomys team who were minting memories with AI.
I also had the chance to interview Greg Osuri from Akash, diving into the latest in decentralized cloud computing, and had some great conversations with the iExec team, who are doing interesting work in off-chain computing for Web3.
And a personal highlight? I finally got to meet Jackson Hinkle, executive producer of The Street Crypto.
AI wasn’t just a topic of discussion—it was woven into the very fabric of the conference. This wasn’t ETHDenver anymore. It was AIDenver.
Women in Blockchain: The conversation continues
One of the most engaging events I attended was the Women in Blockchain session with Thessy Mehrain. Conversations centered around inclusion, leadership, and the role of collaboration in shaping the future of AI and blockchain.
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The discussion reinforced a theme that echoed across ETHDenver: blockchain and AI must be built with diverse perspectives, or risk reinforcing old power structures in new tech.
People were there for the vibes, not the main event
Here’s something interesting: many attendees didn’t even bother with tickets to the main event.
The side events, private gatherings, and hacker houses had so much more energy that people just skipped the official conference entirely. And the ones who did go? Many prioritized the exhibition hall over the talks.
To be fair, the booths were great. Tons of cool projects, great conversations, and—importantly—top-tier merch.
London-based Flight3/Zebu live was present too with founder Harry Horsfal traveling with a camera crew - some good footage there too.
Which brings me to…
The real highlight: Woolly hats
Look, I’ve been to a lot of conferences. I do not need another free T-shirt.
But this year? Hoodies, backpacks, and—best of all—woolly hats. I came home with a solid stash, which is perfect because my kids work with horses, and let’s be real: if you’re in Denver, you need a good hat.
Final thoughts
Was ETHDenver 2025 a success? That depends on what you were looking for.
The official conference? Quieter, a little underwhelming.
The side events? Loud, packed, and where the real action happened.
The overarching trend? AI has fully taken over the Web3 conversation.
Between deep conversations on AI ethics, blockchain interoperability, and decentralized governance, ETHDenver still delivered on its core promise—bringing together the builders, thinkers, and disruptors shaping the next phase of technology.
And if nothing else, I walked away with a head full of insights and a bag full of woolly hats.
Not a bad week.
PS - I also turned 60 during the week and enjoyed some cake and balloons.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheStreet Crypto. This piece is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice.
