Posts published by: Alex
Last week, members of the Wachsman team from our London and Dublin offices travelled to historic Hatfield Park for Avalanche Summit London, a three-day gathering of builders, legal experts, journalists, and thought leaders from across the Web3 ecosystem.
Set against a backdrop of historic architecture and sprawling grounds, the event brought together some of the brightest minds in blockchain for panels and product showcases, connections and conversations. It was great to see our clients, Backed and Avara, in attendance, and to catch up with reporters and industry leaders in such a vibrant, festival-like atmosphere.
While each day brought something new, there were a few key themes from the week.
The Regulation Revolution
Regulation was front and centre on Wednesday. Panels offered a rare behind-the-scenes look at the evolving U.S. regulatory landscape, with input from lobbyists, legal experts, and industry stakeholders. The message from Capitol Hill was clear: “You’re either at the table or on the menu.” The discussions were especially timely given the recent passage of the GENIUS Act through the Senate and growing anticipation around the Crypto Market Structure Bill.
Speakers also compared global regulatory frameworks, highlighting the contrasting approaches of the EU, UK, and US, with a particular focus on their approach to DeFi.
Levelling Up Web3 Gaming & Sport
Avalanche’s Web3 gaming community was out in full force. In a room lined with suits of armour, attendees tested the latest blockchain-based gaming innovations, demonstrating how Avalanche’s community continues to drive experimentation and innovation in the space.
At the same time, there was real excitement about the potential of blockchain to support community ownership, particularly in areas like sports and entertainment, where decentralisation can help funnel value directly to fans.
Interoperability and Infrastructure
On the infrastructure side, several panels explored how blockchain and tokenisation are revolutionising financial systems, from streamlining settlements to transforming asset issuance.
In the realm of private credit, speakers discussed how blockchain is helping define, measure, and manage risk with greater clarity and transparency, unlocking new efficiencies in this traditionally opaque market.
Another major theme was interoperability, with sessions emphasising the importance of cross-chain functionality and the ongoing push to bring blockchain into the mainstream tech stack.
Exploring Blockchain’s Frontier
Thursday’s sessions highlighted the role of decentralisation in emerging technologies like AI and social media. While decentralisation was widely championed, panellists did raise concerns around the technical and energy limitations that currently prevent large-scale AI processes from occurring fully on-chain.
The attention economy also came under the spotlight. Platforms like Bluesky were discussed as models for on-chain social disruption, although builders cautioned that data privacy remains a persistent challenge.
Congratulations to the Avalanche team for such an impressive event. We’re already looking forward to next year.