If you are a Cardano fan, or even just blockchain-curious, you gotta get yourself to the Cardano Summit. I’ve had the good fortune to attend the last three summits in Wyoming, Switzerland, and Dubai. Before these events, I would have characterized my interest in blockchain as casual at best, but I’m always interested in learning something new. That spark of curiosity is all you need, because the summit provides ample kindling for your interest to catch fire.
This year’s summit is October 23-24 in Dubai, once again. This might strike some as a quite remote and exotic destination, but what I found at last year’s event was an incredibly safe, modern, welcoming, and fun desert city! It’s an amazing destination to check off your bucket list, but the reasons to get yourself to the event don’t end there. Here are a few of the things I am looking forward to:
Mingling
Out on the main conference floor will be booths from many of Cardano’s top hits – IOG and the Foundation of course, but also many interesting projects who are building on Cardano. And in this wild, decentralized ecosystem, you really never know what you’re gonna get. Desdemona, the AI-driven singing robot was on the floor in her sparkliest dress last year. Whether you are interested in serious conversations about blockchain security, stablecoins, and developer work, or if you want to jump into the wild brainstorm of a creative type – all those conversations are available out on the floor. Speaking personally, I sometimes find it hard to get too excited about projects when I’m just looking at a website. At the summit, however, I meet the people, hear the back story and context of what they are working on, and leave feeling excited to follow their progress online over the next year.
Mainstage
The mainstage is where you can sit and listen to really smart people present on a wide range of interesting topics. Here’s a couple I am interested in:
- Panel: From Concept to Reality: Charting the Course for Decentralized IDs: Whereas we at Lido Nation are right in the middle of a Catalyst-Funded project where we are using DIDs, I now have some personal context and interest in this topic! We are right in the middle of learning what works well with current DID tools, and where there’s still room to grow. I can’t wait to hear what this panel has to say about it.
- Battle of the Builders: This is a fun session where a handful of teams get to pitch their project, with a winner being decided by audience vote via mobile devices at the end. The competition format adds to the fun, as teams are motivated to present their work in the most compelling way they can!
- Keynote: Blockchain for Non-Techies: Simplifying Technology for Widespread Understanding: This topic is my specialty here at Lido Nation. I’m curious to hear from others about this topic. I also think the conversation about including non-techies is really important as we envision a grown-up Cardano of the future where anybody can participate.
- Panel: Cardano’s Transformative Power: Positively Accelerating Social and Environmental Change: Personally, I get most excited about the projects that are leveraging blockchain for good. There are a few keynotes and panels on this topic that I hope to attend.
You can check out the agenda and see what interests you here: https://summit.cardano.org/agenda/
Impact Challenge?
The last 3 Summits have all offered an annual announcement about a new “Global Impact Challenge” – where the Cardano Foundation partners with some organization to deploy a “blockchain for good”-style experiment of some kind.
Three years ago it was the Cardano Forest project with Veritree. That project has now reached its goal of planting 1 MILLION trees in Kenya, Indonesia, and Madagascar.
Two years ago was one we have written about a few times: a partnership with UNHCR - Switzerland, (local branch of the United Nations Refugee Agency). That project launched a fundraising stake pool for the agency, and opened the doors for more conversations about how blockchain can be leveraged for social good at a global scale.
Last year’s announcement was frankly a little hard to understand. It was another partnership with a UN agency, which is cool, this time the UNDP – the United Nations Development Program. But I gotta tell ya, I watched the whole presentation and still didn’t understand what it was about, what the goals were, or how success would be manifested. It seemed like it might in fact be the LOFTIEST partnership yet, with perhaps the most ambitious goals…. Maybe so lofty that specific goals hadn’t quite been identified?
This year I see a few mainstage presentations about blockchain for good in a general way, but notably missing is a specific announcement about a new Global Impact Challenge. Will an announcement be added to the agenda before the summit? Will we hear an update about the mysterious UNDP partnership? Personally, I have found the Global Impact Challenges to be particularly interesting and inspiring in the past, so I am hoping to ferret out more information when my feet are on the ground in Dubai!
Social time
The nature of the Cardano experiment is that the people participating in it are global, disconnected, decentralized. With the recent launch of the Chang upgrade, there truly is no central governing body. While this decentralization is inherent and exciting, we are also a global team who will achieve more when we are able to effectively cooperate, collaborate, and build on each other’s work. Thanks to ye olde internet, this can all be done online. Yet at the end of the day, we are human animals. The opportunity to connect, make friends, and lift a glass to your common goals provides some important social glue. Reaching out on Telegram to a potential collaborator is easier to do, and more likely to bear fruit, after you’ve met in person, shaken hands, and laughed together. I need this yearly infusion of human connection to keep up the excitement and interest about the exciting future-tools we are all building.
Awards
The last night of the summit will be the Gala Award ceremony. Last year’s event was incredible, hosted on the plaza at the foot of the Burj Khalifa, right next to the world-famous Dubai Fountain. If the ceremony is to be held outdoors again, I’d advise bringing clothes that are fancy yet breathable - I won’t be wearing velvet again! The Gala is a wonderful opportunity to meet people, shake hands with your Cardano heroes, and witness history being made as various winners are announced. It’s another great way to get introduced to some of the great people and projects and what they are doing, so that you know who to follow in the coming year.
Whether you are going to the summit or not, you can participate in this event by VOTING for your favorite representatives in each of 10 categories. Voting will open in one week on September 17th. Check here for more details: https://summit.cardano.org/cardano-summit-awards/
Swimming!
Dubai is a hot and opulent destination after all, so pack your swimsuit! It’s known for having beautiful infinity pools on nearly every rooftop. The one at my hotel was closed last year, so I’m looking for a do-over on that goal. But also not-to-be-missed is the PERSIAN GULF that is just blocks away from any part of the city. The gulf is saltier than other seas, and I enjoyed bobbing like a cork in the warm water! I don’t think many conference attendees were thinking about the beach as part of their trip, but I think it’s a don’t-miss.
See you there?
Sound off in the comments if we will see you at the Cardano Summit 2024 in Dubai! What’s on your list to see and do at the summit?
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