If I should describe Token2049 in a word, it would be “extravagance.”

Walking along the conference halls of Marina Bay Sands, one is bombarded by several DJs spinning at the same time, audaciously-dressed women from traditional marketing agencies shoving flyers at attendees and the occasional absurdly-costumed mascot you can’t help but stare at.

Token2049 Singapore is arguably the crypto industry’s largest business-driven event, and its ostentatious presentation leaves no room for moderation.

Step into the exhibition areas and you’re greeted by a plethora of circus-like entertainment options between booths: retro arcade gaming machines, punching bags, a Spanish-style bullfighting ring and even an 18-foot rock climbing wall.

You’d be forgiven for almost forgetting you were here for work.

Stepping out for a breather? There’s even a Bitvavo-sponsored massage room, but expect at least a 30-minute wait (I, sadly, had to pass).

One major crypto company told me that the glitz and glamor was all a bit too “excessive,” and it’s hard to disagree.

Based on the official Token2049 site, the event was being attended by at least 7000 companies and 20,000 attendees — numbers that exceed the daily active users of even L1/L2 chains.

With nearly 800 side events — and that’s not counting the probably hundreds more private events — it’s a stark contrast to the more sober and low-key developer-focused crypto events of the west.

I recall a prominent running gag from previous Token2049s that pointed out how the conference was overrun by venture and hedge funds, while suffering from a dearth of builders.

The same could definitely not be said for the vibe this year. DeFi-centric builders like Aave, Uniswap, Matcha, Sky (previously Maker), EigenLayer, Ethena and Ether.Fi populated the conference and side events this year.

Brand names I expected to see more of — like Cosmos and Cardano — had a relatively muted presence, though I did spot a jubilant Charles Hoskinson being trailed by his entourage.

Notably missing in conference action, and the side events too, were the horde of GameFi and NFT projects that dominated past Token2049s. 

“Conferences like ETH Denver or Devcon are tech-focused, as opposed to Token2049 which is more commercial,” Synthetix and Infinex co-founder Kain Warwick told me. 

“The nice thing about Token2049 this year is you have both the cracked-out zk engineers running around, but you also have tons of VCs and TradFi companies. It’s a really good mix, and more representative of the whole industry rather than just siloing off tech or commercial alone,” Warwick said. 

Source: Donovan Choy – blockworks.co