ETHPorto 2023: Highlights from a successful first edition

ETHPorto was a massive success! Over the course of 3 days, we had over 700 participants, exceeding the expectations of both the organizers and attendees.

The event was also an important milestone for Portugal's web3 community, with Porto as its host! We're certain it delivered and laid out an incredible foundation for years to come.

Today, we'll be looking back at the unforgettable experiences of the past three days. We had so many thrilling moments, connected with incredible people and old friends alike, and of course, we made sure to have an absolute blast.

Here's everything that happened from the 16 to the 18th of March in Porto.

Porto won everyone's hearts 💙

Right in the heart of Porto, Hard Club could not have been a better location for the event. The venue is known for its rock concerts, but we took it for a spin and introduced a web3 event on the same stage many rock legends have stepped on.

Overlooking the Douro river and a cascading view of Ribeira, attendees loved the scenery it provided, with many complimenting the views and location.

The selection of Porto as the host city was not done by chance; it was a deliberate decision. Our team made a tremendous effort to make this event happen in what is, for many of us, our hometown and where we are also based. 

Portugal has achieved international recognition as a hub for web3 technology, however, the spotlight of this success is primarily focused on Lisbon. ETHPorto gave us the perfect opportunity to shine a light on Porto and prove that Portugal is embracing Ethereum's web3 ecosystem. This event showed the local and international community that Portugal, as a whole, has its doors open to the web3 industry.

The hackathon competition ⚡

What would a web3 event be without a hackathon?

The hackers teamed up for 48 hours of intense work and the result was in sight - an overall hackathon category plus 8 bounties, 268 participants, 28 projects delivered and over $35,000 in prizes!

The Hacker Room was crammed with developers, working relentlessly - even at night - to create and deliver incredible projects. We had projects using the dappKit and rocketKit frameworks, as well as integrating Bepro Network into their solution, which for us, is a great validator of our products and how they can be incorporated into real-world applications.

Last but not least, the hackathon was hosted at TAIKAI and ran smoothly the entire time. We provided in-person and online support and mentoring from our team, to ensure everyone felt integrated and any enquiries were solved in no time.

We also spoke with plenty of developers, some of which were "surprised with the number of hackers participating, especially for a first edition", while others spoke about the importance of hackathons: 

"Hackathons are interesting because you can connect entrepreneurs with developers and build new things together. I know many people are working non-stop at their computers all day, so it's good to socialize and be present here".

The last day of ETHPorto was dedicated to the hackathon competition, with pitches happening in the beautiful Casa da Música venue, followed by the closing ceremony and party. Watching this mass participation was very rewarding, and safe to say the hackathon competition was also a successful event on its own.

Talking web3 🗣️

The captivating talks were the highlight of the first two days at this event. We delved into topics spanning from DeFi, ReFi and DAOs to social impact, public good and communities - truly something for everyone.

The Ethereum foundation, Ledger and Chainlink, to name a few, also organized a variety of workshops that mainly focused on hacking and developing activities. These workshops created an atmosphere that fostered creativity and collaboration among the attendees at the event.

Guilherme Sanches from Kraken exchange shared a few words regarding the event: 

"Amazing event, very well organized and a lot of people from all over the world! Connecting the conferences and the hackathon at the same time allows you to really feel the vibe of the devs working hard. This type of initiative and event is mandatory for anyone looking to learn more about web3 and go deeper into the Ethereum ecosystem"

Commitment and effort from the organizers 🤝

LayerX and the Ethereum Foundation worked together to ensure that each aspect of ETHPorto was carefully calibrated down to the finest detail. This allowed participants to focus solely on learning and connecting with one another. 

The organizers did an outstanding job of orchestrating a seamless experience for everyone and attendees were amazed by the event's venue, turnout, and impeccable organization. Due to their efforts, what was initially conceived as an ambitious event became a smooth-sailing success for all parties.

One of the many participants we spoke with shared that "it's been great to connect with the local and international community here in Porto and spend some time in this beautiful city, what is probably the first edition of many ETHPorto to come".

Final Thoughts

The results speak for themselves - the first edition of ETHPorto was an overwhelming success, and the entire event proved that Portugal is indeed a reference in web3 space. Not only did we gain recognition as host city of a major web3 event, but we also showcased our potential to become one of the main hubs for blockchain development in Europe.

Overall, ETHPorto was a fantastic event that showcased the power and potential of the Ethereum ecosystem. The event was a great opportunity for developers, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts to come together and share ideas, learn from each other, and collaborate on exciting new projects.

We cannot wait for what is sure to be an even more impressive second edition. See you next year!