Devcon SEA 2024 Snapshot Report

We just got back from Devcon SEA in Bangkok, and while we’re still recovering from the jet lag and getting back into the groove of things, it’s fair to say this has been one of the best editions yet!

Our team flew across the world to Bangkok to attend the biggest Devcon conference yet, so if you didn’t manage to be there, don’t worry, because we’re bringing you the main highlights from the event!

What is Devcon?

Devcon is short for "Developer Conference", so the name says it all! 

This is one of the leading events centered around Ethereum and it takes place over several days to bring together developers, professionals, and tech enthusiasts to discuss the latest trends and future of Ethereum and web3.

This year’s edition, Devcon SEA (short for Southeast Asia), was held in Bangkok, with a record attendance of 12,000 participants—double last edition's 6,000 in Bogota and far surpassing previous editions! Rumor has it that the next edition will be held in Argentina, so let’s wait and see.

Top highlights from Devcon SEA

• This was by far the biggest Devcon yet, showing that whether in a bear or bull market, the Ethereum community and web3 continue to grow and thrive
• The convergence of web3 and blockchain with AI was one of the event’s biggest highlights, with many talks dedicated to the topic of improving the overall network intelligence with AI and exploring how AI and blockchain can amplify each other’s capabilities.
• There was also a strong focus on improving the UX/UI of decentralized technologies, with an emphasis on putting the user at the center and making decentralized technologies accessible to everyone.
• There was a noticeably stronger presence of non-technical spaces such as sales, marketing, and community building when compared to previous Devcon conferences. This emphasis on business and operational roles reflects a growing maturity in the ecosystem and the importance of non-technical functions to drive the adoption of decentralized technologies. One good example was a side event exclusively for web3 marketing professionals, the Web3 Marketers Summit.
• The keynote sessions were on another level, featuring not only in-depth technical discussions but also sessions tailored to beginner, and intermediate levels covering a wide range of topics from blockchain fundamentals to advanced decentralization. 
• Many, many side events throughout the conference that deep-dived into niche topics and provided the opportunity to interact more closely with other attendees and network. Our CEO, Mário Ribeiro Alves, moderated one of the sessions at the dAGI Summit, a discussion space focused on the confluence of AI and web3.
• The renaissance of DeFi was one of the most notorious trends of Devcon and the side events.

Opportunities for LayerX at Devcon

• On the TAIKAI Garden, we had several discussions at both the main event and side events that we attended and partnered with, such as dAGI Summit, ETHBangkok, and many others, where we had the opportunity to gather feedback and validation on the needs and features that will be available on our new product release scheduled for the end of the year. This was incredibly valuable as we could gather that we were working in the right direction and there is a need for an innovation project like this one, which also validates the importance of the project being funded by European funds and initiatives (PRR, Portuguese Republic, and the European Union).
• On TAIKAI, we also took advantage of these contacts to explore new opportunities for launching new hackathons, with several organizations and ETH events alike.
• On Bepro, the feedback on the new AI Marketplace was absolutely incredible, which reinforces that we’re working towards building this new builder economy, now supported through AI.

About LayerX

LayerX connects web3 developers and organizations through hackathons and task-based work, bringing together talent and opportunities to create innovative solutions.

Our hackathon platform, TAIKAI, and Task Marketplace at Bepro empower developers to showcase their skills and earn rewards. Don’t forget to join our community and say hello on Discord!