ETHDenver 2025: Focus on Long-term Development, Downplay Short-term Speculation

ETHDenver 2025 attracted around 25,000 participants, although the number has decreased compared to previous years, it still demonstrated the resilience of the Web3 ecosystem. Despite facing market challenges, builders remain focused on sustainable practical applications in areas such as artificial intelligence, interoperability, and next-generation decentralized applications. Investors are staying active, but are more inclined to prioritize projects that have solid fundamentals, reasonable valuations, and practical drivers in artificial intelligence, real-world assets, decentralized finance, and institutional infrastructure. The event highlighted that the industry is shifting towards long-term vision, innovation, and sustainable development, rather than short-term speculation.

Overall Market Sentiment

Despite ongoing macroeconomic concerns, such as trade tensions between several major countries, attendees at ETHDenver 2025 remain optimistic about the long-term outlook. Many believe that anticipated regulatory clarity and increasing institutional adoption are key factors driving sustainable growth in the sector. Meanwhile, the speculative meme coin craze has noticeably cooled, with many in the community openly criticizing its negative impacts, arguing that it has drained liquidity from more valuable projects, diverted attention from innovation, and hindered broader ecosystem development.

The sentiment in the small cryptocurrency market seems to be at a low point in recent years, with valuations dropping significantly. This has led startups to further delay token issuance, waiting for more favorable market conditions. However, many developers are turning their attention to developing the next generation of Web3 applications that can drive real adoption, rather than focusing on short-term token issuance. This reflects a broader recognition in the industry that long-term success will depend on the practicality and usability of decentralized applications rather than speculative trading.

One of the most exciting aspects of this event is the combination of blockchain and artificial intelligence. Many attendees are optimistic about the synergy between these two technologies, believing that AI-driven smart contracts, decentralized AI models, and blockchain-based data validation are promising applications that could drive the next wave of innovation. This ongoing enthusiasm indicates that, despite the ups and downs of speculative narratives, there is still a strong focus on meaningful progress and real-world applications.

Builder's Perspective

Despite the lackluster market performance, ETHDenver 2025 still showcases a strong builder spirit, with many teams continuing to develop products focused on profitability and long-term sustainability. This mindset resonates with the theme of "Year of Regeneration," emphasizing the creation of regenerative and self-sustaining ecosystems rather than chasing speculative hype. Projects are no longer prioritizing short-term gains but are placing greater emphasis on revenue generation and business viability, ensuring that their innovations can thrive across various market cycles.

A significant shift in the builder strategy is the recognition that multi-chain deployment has now become a necessity. Interoperability was once seen as a major technical barrier, but is now viewed as a necessary function for long-term success. Some teams are adopting cross-chain solutions to maximize their coverage, liquidity, and availability across different blockchain ecosystems.

Artificial intelligence and agent-based applications remain major themes, but the focus has shifted from speculative excitement to practical utility. Builders are working on developing infrastructure and real-world products that leverage the advantages of blockchain (such as verifiability, privacy, interoperability, and scalability) to enhance AI-driven applications. This shift indicates that the intersection of AI and blockchain is moving from theoretical possibilities to practical implementation.

Another noteworthy trend is the increasing participation of traditional technology sector players in these activities. More and more traditional venture capitalists, legal professionals, AI developers, and academics are getting involved in the Web3 space, bringing valuable expertise and new perspectives. Their participation indicates a growing recognition of the potential of blockchain beyond its native industries, fostering collaboration between traditional technology, regulatory frameworks, and decentralized innovation.

Venture Capital Perspective

At ETHDenver 2025, venture capital has shown strong interest in key areas poised for long-term growth, including artificial intelligence, real-world assets, decentralized finance, stablecoins, and institutional infrastructure. As investors seek projects with tangible use cases and sustainable business models, these areas have become the focus of discussion. Unlike previous cycles driven by hype, investors have clearly shifted to prioritize strong fundamentals and genuine token utility. Investors are now more discerning, looking for projects that provide real value rather than speculative returns.

Although many venture capital firms are still actively deploying capital, they are being more cautious given the uncertain macroeconomic environment and the pessimism in the small cryptocurrency market. This caution is reflected in stricter due diligence processes and a preference for teams with clear roadmaps, revenue models, and regulatory compliance strategies. With small cryptocurrency valuations at low levels, investors also expect more realistic investment terms, favoring deals that reflect the current market conditions rather than the high valuations seen in previous cycles. This recalibration indicates that the market is maturing, with disciplined capital allocation and long-term vision taking precedence over short-term speculation.

Event Highlights

As the main sponsor of ETHDenver 2025, we are fully leveraging this opportunity to engage with builders, investors, and industry leaders, whether at our booth or through curated side events. This year, we further hosted two exclusive gatherings: a founders and venture capital breakfast and a crypto beer tasting event, reuniting with portfolio companies and establishing new relationships throughout the ecosystem.

On February 26, the founders and venture capital breakfast meeting co-hosted with partners achieved great success, attracting over 350 high-quality guests. As projects and investors engaged in in-depth discussions on emerging trends such as artificial intelligence, real-world assets, and decentralized physical infrastructure networks, the atmosphere on site was lively. Our investment team held one-on-one meetings with carefully selected projects to assess high-potential investment opportunities and reinforced our commitment to supporting visionary founders who can shape the future of Web3.

On February 28, we also held a crypto beer tasting event together with our partners. From craft beer to engaging Web3 discussions, we established meaningful connections and shared exciting insights.

On March 1st, I participated in the investment roundtable discussion "The Next Billion-Dollar Idea is Here," where we explored the development of decentralized finance, highlighting key innovations and areas in need of improvement. I was also pleased to share three key investment principles for cryptocurrency with investors.

During the four-day main event of ETHDenver, our investment and market team interacted with hundreds of visitors at our booth, sharing our background, investment philosophy, and long-term vision for the Web3 ecosystem.

At the DeFi World 2025 Conference on February 26, our Chief Marketing Officer discussed the future of blockchain infrastructure and scaling solutions with other roundtable members, covering innovations in layer 2 networks, modular chains, and interoperability.

Conclusion

ETHDenver 2025 brings together builders, investors, and industry leaders to explore the next phase of blockchain innovation. While the market continues to evolve, this event emphasizes a crucial shift—prioritizing long-term sustainability over short-term speculation. From infrastructure and artificial intelligence to real-world assets and institutional adoption, the focus has shifted from hype to meaningful progress in shaping the future of Web3.

As the industry matures, we believe that fundamental value creation and utility will determine the next wave of growth. ETHDenver 2025 has clearly indicated that builders will continue to exist, and the future of blockchain will be built on a strong and sustainable foundation.