Tech
What to Expect from Consensus 2024: Spotlight on Blockchain Technology
Bitcoin Level 2. Ethereum restaging. Interoperability. TO THE. DePIN. Next generation encryption.
These are just a few of the cutting-edge blockchain technology topics on the agenda on CoinDesk Consensus Conference 2024which will take place from Wednesday, May 29th to Friday, May 31st in Austin, Texas.
For blockchain developers, it’s red meat. For others, it might seem unusual. For everyone, including those in the middle, the three days are full of opportunities to learn about the hottest crypto technology on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Cosmos and XRP Ledger, from the world’s leading experts.
We took a look at the agenda to identify phases and sessions that might be of interest to blockchain developers and people interested in the technology.
In general there are six broad categories of relevant programming:
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Debates and interviews on stage – mainly on the Mainstage, Town Square and Money Reimagined Stage.
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Protocol Village: We give blockchain projects a dedicated time and place and plan the content.
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Workshops: As it seems. People who know what they’re talking about try to explain important topics to smart people who show up.
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AI Summit: Discussions about what blockchain can do for cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence and vice versa.
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Startup Village: Where PitchFest takes place, along with sessions on topics blockchain project founders need to know.
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Collateral events: Some official, many unofficial.
Panel discussions
The general agenda of the Consensus is quite extensive. In terms of blockchain technology highlights, the following would represent our picks.
Wednesday:
1.45pm (main stage): Joe Lubin of consensus discusses Ethereum with Consensus President Michael Casey.
2.45pm (main stage): Emin Gün Sirer, CEO, Ava Labs, the lead developer of Avalanche, joins panel about what blockchain can do for AI and what AI can do for cryptocurrencies.
3.00pm (Town Square): Bryan Bishopone of the first Bitcoin programmers (and now an editor of Bitcoin Improvement Proposal), discusses the first few days on a panel with other crypto OGs.
Thursday:
12.45pm (Main Stage): David Marcoformer head of Facebook/Meta Diem/Libra, speaks about Lightspark, his digital payments startup based on Bitcoin’s Lightning Network.
1.15pm (Main Stage): Sergei Nazarovco-founder of Chainlink, speaks on his project’s work with global banking payments network Swift, in a panel moderated by Sam Kessler of CoinDesk.
4.15pm (Town Square): John Adlerco-founder and director of research of Celestia Labs, e Austin Federaresponsible for the strategy of the Solana Foundation, discuss whether modular or monolithic blockchains are the best way to scale.
The story continues
Friday:
10:00 (Money Reimagined Stage): Co-founder of MakerDAO Runa Christensen discusses where DeFi is headed.
10.40am (Main Stage): Raj Gokalco-founder and president of Solana Labs, discusses the future of the network and the upcoming release of Firedancer software designed to improve performance.
11:00 (Money Reimagined Phase): Helium CEO Abhay Kumar speaks on a panel on the future of “decentralized physical infrastructure networks” or DePIN (formerly called Internet of Things or IoT).
11.30am (Main Stage): Casey Rodarmorthe developer who almost single-handedly created the two most impactful protocols launched on Bitcoin in the last two years – Ordinals and Runes – speaks about what comes next and his vision for the oldest and largest blockchain.
11.45am (Money Reimagined Phase): Margaux Nijkerk of CoinDesk leads a discussion about liquid staking and re-staking.
12:00 (Town Square): LOVES with Casey Rodarmor
12.15pm (Startup Village): Injective co-founder Eric Chen discusses his vision for the future of finance.
3pm (Money Reimagined Phase): Gauntlet co-founder Tarun Chitra speak on a panel on “DeFi risk reduction,” from preventing smart contract bugs and carpetbagging to managing treasury management strategies and audits.
Protocol Village
For blockchain developers and VC investors, this is probably where you’ll end up spending a lot of time.
Wednesday
10.30am XRP Register
11 in the morning Avalanche
half past twelve Chain shirt
1.30pm Solana
2.45pm NEAR
3.45pm Stellar
Thursday
10.30am Ethereum/L2s half day.
1.30pm Half a day in Bitcoin.
Friday
10:00 Panel session appchain stack.
11.30am Panel session zero-knowledge proofs.
half past twelve Coinbase Security with Jeff Lunglhofer, CISO
1 pm Six
1.30pm Cosmos (on “Bitcoinization)
2pm Microsoft
Workshops
Wednesday
11:30 Head of Alchemical Engineering Rohan Thomare Talks about “building the next killer dapp” and “how to simplify the Web3 user experience with account abstraction.”
1.30pm Marcin Kazmierczakco-founder of RedStone Oracles, gives a intensive course on “Pull vs. Push Oracle”.
3.30pm Blockdaemon CEO and founder Konstantin Richter Talks about how institutions can navigate the evolving restaging landscape.
4.30pm Akash Network founder Greg Osuri explain how”decentralization is saving artificial intelligence.”
Friday
1.30pm Solana’s head of developer relations, Jacob Creech explains”how to build consumer apps on a blockchain.”
Artificial Intelligence Summit
Artificial Intelligence Summit – Friday from 10.10am to 3.30pm, Gen C stage. A day of sessions dedicated to the intersection of crypto and AI, with speakers including Co-founder of Tezos Arthur Breitmann AND Collaborator of Morpheus Erik Vorhees.
Startup village
Thursday and Friday, Startup village is where the PitchFest semi-finals and finals are taking place. The winner will be announced on Friday at 1.20pm.
Crypto VC sessions are scheduled for Wednesday and between PitchFest; secure financing; how to win field races; Web3 and decentralized identities; and Web3 games.