London’s Web3 Week culminated with a bang, as crypto enthusiasts, DeFi degens and NFT addicts made their way to Kensington Gardens for ZebuLive 2022, and some of the Bumper were there to soak in the atmosphere, represented by Content Manager Dylan (the SmoothBrainedApe) and Communities Manager Ana (the Navigator), alongside our Talent Acquisition partners Ross, Rory and Logan.
Although ZebuLive’s attendance doesn’t come close to those you might expect at the mega-events, the quality and range of speakers is no less impressive. With keynotes from a Dragon (Stephen Bartlett), industry Titans (Aave CEO Stani Kulechov) and ex-Ministers of state (Matt Hancock, MP and Lord Ed Vaizey) the line-up of speakers was strong enough to draw crowds from all over Europe, and beyond.
But what was more interesting was the atmosphere of Zebu, and perhaps because it was such a small affair compared to some of the more cyclopean events like Bitcoin 22 and Consensus, there was a real intimacy to the event, and it very much created the space for free discussion of ideas, contemplation and, yes the forging of partnerships which may well manifest into new dApps in the not too distant future.
Some of the interesting topics covered included discussions on Optimising rewards and minimising risks in DeFi, Investing in Web3, and the Mass adoption versus decentralisation of Stablecoins. There was also a great deal of discussion, especially on the first day, around the hype and reality of NFT’s and Web3 gaming.
Zebulive was also heavy on the creative, which is what you’d expect of course from the Zebu marketing collective. Showcasing mindblowing, thought-provoking and the sometimes downright weird (but wonderful), with both visual art and music being well represented at the show.
Probably our favourite was the eyecatching Dancing Seahorses lounge, showcasing the teams impressive NFT collection, complete with IRL benefits for music fans, and coming just a few days away from the Legendary reveal of their 4K artwork collection.
And the esoteric didn’t end there. For those who found walking round and having constant chats relating to Web3 exhausting, a moment of respite could be found in the ‘Moment of Space’ zone, where weary cryptonauts could wind down and sit for a while whilst been taken on a guided meditation.
Whilst there’s a lot to talk about from Zebulive, Member of the UK Parliament Matt Hancock somewhat surprised many by calling on his own government to take on a “Growth-Maximising Mindset” to foster innovation in the Web3 and DeFi space with lower taxes and asserting that regulators should be ”front foot, positive, open, risk-on, instead of the opposite of all those things”.
But the major highlight of the show came right at it’s conclusion, with the packed audience thrilled by Stephen Bartlett. One of his key messages for builders in the Web3 space was that he, as an investor, always pays attention to the personal characteristics of those involved in the team.
“If you can understand the characteristics of the person, you can understand how they will behave in the future”
STEPHEN BARTLETT
He went on to say that he believed that the real power in Web3 is where it can provide solutions to real world problems which Web2 can’t deal with. Essentially, he said, Infrastructure remains is the most important area where Web3 technologies have the ability to seriously innovate and drive growth.
Many businesses, he said, currently suffer from a “centralisation problem”, and, whilst recognising it doesn’t appear in every business sector, Bartlett believes that many industries are going to face significant challenges from novel and innovative products and services driven by Web3 in the coming years.
“Industries where centralisation and a lack of transparency…are going to change drastically over the next couple of years… they’re going to be torn to pieces by Web3”
STEPHEN BARTLETT
This is where we at Bumper are in full agreement, as we’re engaged in building a whole new infrastructure for the future of risk markets, built with Rawlsian philosophy in mind, and all part of a fairer ‘game of crypto’ in which hedging risk and yield generation are unified in a novel and innovative manner.
It’s within this Web3 framework that we’ve been able to create such a novel and powerful protocol which presents a direct challenge to how hedging strategies operate, and the future of risk management in crypto.
It's something we’re really passionate about, as noted by a number of those we spoke to at the event, talking about Bumper’s unique price protection until our feet ached and our throats ran dry towards the end of the final day.
But overall, our key takeaway from the conference was that, despite the Bear cycle which has raged throughout the entirety of 2022 so far, there is no less of an optimistic view among the developers and builders in the crypto and DeFi space.
Whilst some might regard Web3 as a bit of a fad, there’s no question that there remains an air of excitement about the future becoming more and more decentralised as Web3 technologies mature and expand in use cases. When talk is more about building solutions than just building personal wealth, you know there is really something in this.
Were you at ZebuLive 2022, and what were your thoughts on the show?
Come and join us on Social Media and in our Discord to be kept up to date with the latest from Bumper.
Disclaimer:
Any information provided on this website/publication is for general information purposes only, and does not constitute investment advice, financial advice, trading advice, recommendations, or any form of solicitation. No reliance can be placed on any information, content, or material stated on this website/publication. Accordingly, you must verify all information independently before utilising the Bumper protocol, and all decisions based on any information are your sole responsibility, and we shall have no liability for such decisions. Conduct your own due diligence and consult your financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Visit our website for full terms and conditions.
