On April 13th, amidst the cherry blossoms, I had the privilege of representing our company at a prominent event in the Web3 industry, held in Tokyo. The event brought together a multitude of innovative Web3 enterprises, totalling in the hundreds, for an exhibition. These companies including venture capital like Taisu, Emurgo, Square, DFG; Decentralized/blockchain technology playerslike Echox, DeepBrainChain, L7, THXNET, CESS, Bitgrit, Kekkai, subwallet; Crypto exchange platforms like Websea, Crypto.com, bit castle, Bifrost, Gate Labs and etc.

The exhibition comprised three main components: the first stage featured speeches from founders and executives of various companies, the second stage focused on speeches primarily from venture capitalists (VCs), and there was also an exhibition hall.

Throughout the afternoon, I spent most of my time at the first stage, attentively listening to the lectures delivered by industry leaders. Occasionally, I ventured into the exhibition hall to explore the showcased companies or to grab a coffee downstairs. The exhibition hall buzzed with activity, filled with myriad companies, lively conversations, and passionate music, truly embodying the dynamic and rebellious spirit of Web3. The startup founders were easily recognizable in their denim jeans and T-shirts, while the VCs and private equity representatives tended to don shirts and trousers.

The afternoon sessions were packed with content, running from 1 pm to 6 pm, featuring dozens of guest speakers. Each speaker was allotted roughly ten minutes, resulting in several consecutive hours of lectures. Esteemed figures from the global VC community participated in three panel discussions, covering topics such as Web3 infrastructure, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), digital wallets, as well as panels featuring Japanese Web3 entrepreneurs, among others. Panels were organized based on specific fields, with numerous startups also taking the stage to introduce their companies. Notably, the Chief Solutions Architect from Alibaba Cloud presented Alibaba’s artificial intelligence projects, while Xana and the metaverse concepts captivated audiences with their innovation.

The event boasted a global presence, with approximately half of the guests hailing from foreign countries. Consequently, about half of the panels or speeches were delivered in Japanese, while the rest were in English. Many companies had branches in Switzerland and Dubai, with some exhibitors coming from Dubai showcase in a booth that help startups in Tokyo to expand their entity to UAE. It was evident that Dubai, with its reputation for openness and innovation, was an attractive destination for many Web3 startups, as evidenced by their expanding presence there.

Chinese elements were also prominent at the event, with many Chinese entrepreneurs, despite their sometimes faltering English, taking the stage. Numerous Chinese companies were represented in the exhibition hall, with Mandarin frequently heard in the background. Additionally, many companies had established branches in India, indicating a preference among entrepreneurs for India’s characteristics as an emerging hub in the Web3 industry.

This exhibition provided ample opportunities to connect with existing clients, make new acquaintances, and gain insights into the latest trends and developments in the industry. Overall, it was a fruitful experience. When asked whether attending was worthwhile, my response was unequivocal: absolutely! This was a $100 Web3 program featuring two days of intensive courses, with networking opportunities as an added bonus.

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