CONSENSUS DROPS FIRST 100 SPEAKERS FOR AUSTIN, TX FESTIVAL + PERFORMANCES, EXPERIENCES, & MORE

NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CoinDesk will host the must-attend crypto & blockchain event of the year, the Consensus Festival from June 9-12, 2022 with events and experiences in the week leading up to the mainstage keynotes. As the only event focusing on all sides of the blockchain and crypto ecosystems, Consensus will host an unparalleled gathering of some of the world's brightest minds and most impactful voices, with musical performances each night.

The first 100 announced speakers include Meltem Demirors, CSO CoinShares; Cathie Wood ARK Invest CEO; Neal Stephenson, author; Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao, CEO of Binance; Edward Snowden, privacy activist and President of Freedom of Press; Kimbal Musk, Co-Founder & CEO of Big Green; Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO FTX; Abby Johnson, Chairman and CEO of Fidelity Investments; Latashá, artist at ZORA; Lin Dai, OneOf Founder; Keith Grossman, President at TIME; Wally Adeyemo Deputy Treasury Secretary; Bill Tai, Co-Founder & Chairman Metagood; Matt Medved, CO-Founder & CEO NFT Now; Alex Zhang, Friends with Benefits Mayor, Mike Novogratz, Founder & CEO Galaxy Digital; Steve Adler, the Mayor of Austin, Garry Kasparov, Avast Software Security Ambassador, and former World Chess Champion and executives from Sotheby's, Anheuser-Busch, Reese Witherspoon's Media Co. Hello Sunshine, Visa, Microsoft, Dapper Labs, Circle, Helium, Audius, WallStreetBets, SoFi, please find the full speaker list here: Consensus Speakers

"Consensus has always been the one 'Big Tent' event of the crypto calendar, where different chains, projects, token communities, developers, investors, creatives, digital art collectors, policymakers, and thinkers in this space come together to converse, clash and collaborate," said Michael Casey, CoinDesk's Chief Content Officer. "Our shift to an Austin-based festival takes this all-comers model to the next level, putting this event at the center of a global conversation around the future of money, the emergence of a Web 3-based, metaverse-ready internet, and what it all means for humanity and the planet."

Consensus will make experience front and center with a decentralized festival footprint taking over downtown Austin. Experience highlights include:

• The MetaGala is a charity crypto event benefiting blockchain education.
• Ticketed Proof of Steak networking dinners at some of Austin's hottest restaurants.
• The Creator Summit, which will showcase the creators, founders, investors vs. developers, and collectors who are helping to decode the fastest-growing opportunities of a more decentralized, creative-centric digital economy.
• Crypto Unlocked, offering hands-on workshops on the basic "how to's" of crypto like setting up a wallet, minting an NFT, joining a DAO, shopping in the metaverse, and much more.
• Metaverse Zone, which will showcase key metaverse worlds and dissect the emergence of virtual worlds, goods, and economies.
• Presentations and analysis from dozens of key chains and projects, including Chainlink, PolkaDot, Cosmos, Near, FileCoin, with hands-on demos for developers.
• Musical performances from top artists at some of Austin's most iconic venues, which will begin to be unveiled next week.
• Dedicated venues in downtown Austin include:
• DAO House: A dedicated location for DAOs to meet with their members and discuss the future of DAOs and their impact
• NFT Gallery presented by FileCoin: A visual immersion into the future of art x commerce on the blockchain
• Talent Hub: Connecting companies with crypto talent and job seekers looking to enter the space
• Sport Court presented by Chain Global: Hosting conversations on collectibles, teams, and the future of fan engagement on a basketball court with games, tournaments, and more
• The DESK social token will be integrated throughout Consensus, as well as at partner events around Austin all week long,  with unique ways to earn and spend DESK for exclusive rewards
• Programming and closed-door sessions for asset managers and institutional investors actively evaluating new digital asset investment opportunities.
• Satellite events around Austin throughout the week, including events from the World Economic Forum, Coin Center, and dozens of other groups.
• If you are interested in hosting events during Consensus week, please email [email protected]

About Consensus: The iconic crypto and blockchain event of the year since 2015, Consensus has gathered all sides of the crypto industry as it has grown from a clique of visionary founders to encompass every aspect of mainstream society. Curated & produced by CoinDesk, the most influential platform for media, events, data & indices, Consensus is the only event showcasing and celebrating all sides of the blockchain industry - NFTs, Web3, DeFi, Regulation, Investing, and the Metaverse - and their wide-reaching effect on commerce, culture, and communities. Consensus invites developers, creators, policymakers, executives, and academics from a wide array of projects to come together for the most influential event of the year.

About CoinDesk: CoinDesk is the most influential, trusted platform for a growing global community engaged in the transformation of the financial system and the emerging crypto economy. Founded in May 2013, the CoinDesk Media platform provides millions of consumers interested in cryptocurrency assets and blockchain technology with news and insights, podcasts, live streaming TV shows, and research reports. CoinDesk Indices are the industry standard for institutional single and multi-asset benchmarks for crypto assets. The flagship CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index (XBX) has been in operation continuously since 2014. CoinDesk is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, one of the largest privately-held investment companies in the crypto industry whose mission is to accelerate the development of a better financial system.

Press Contact:
Casey Craig, Global Head of Communications at CoinDesk
[email protected]

SOURCE CoinDesk Inc