Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s giving a keynote speech at TOKEN2049 — and there will also be a star-studded appearance from MOTHER founder Iggy Azalea.

TOKEN2049 is kicking off in Singapore this week — with the sold-out conference billing itself as the world’s largest crypto event.

Whereas Bitcoin 2024 is renowned for having a dim view of altcoins, this gathering is set to be a more open-minded affair, with everything from Web3 to DAOs on the agenda.

More than 30,000 attendees are going to pile into the luxury, five-star Marina Bay Sands resort, with regulars on the conference circuit appearing in panels and fireside chats.

But with the crypto markets fearful of what lies around the corner and no shortage of bearish price action, the atmosphere may be far from upbeat.

Wednesday’s proceedings will feature a chin-scratching conversation on crypto’s changing landscape — as regulators vie to catch up with this fast-moving industry.

A keynote speech from Arthur Hayes on current macroeconomic events will also prove enlightening, with the Federal Reserve widely expected to cut interest rates this week.

But his long and in-depth essays on crypto matters have often been wrong just as much as they’ve been right. By his own admission, lofty predictions that a brand-new bull market would begin this month haven’t materialized — and warnings that Bitcoin could sink below $50,000 also proved wide of the mark.

All eyes too will be on a 20-minute slot led by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, and there’s little doubt crowds will want updates on the blockchain’s roadmap.

He’ll appear again on a panel alongside OKX founder Star Xu and Circle chairman Jeremy Allaire to discuss what the next three years will look like for crypto — but pragmatically, it’s near impossible to anticipate the next big trend that’ll dominate the market.

Few could have foreseen the runaway popularity of Hamster Kombat, insatiable demand for prediction markets, the ascendancy of political memecoins, nor the frenzied activity on Pump.fun, where anyone can create their own coin in a matter of minutes.

Indeed, TOKEN2049 is shaping up to be a star-studded affair in this regard, with the Australian rapper Iggy Azalea set to appear on a panel entitled “The Virality of Value: Memecoins in the Attention Economy.”

Azalea hit headlines back in May when she launched her MOTHER token — and regularly posts about the digital asset to her 7.7 million followers on X. But given the coin’s fallen by more than 75% from all-time highs of $0.24 set in June, it hasn’t been an easy ride for holders.

A recurring theme

Several of the panels at TOKEN2049 are going to center on mainstream adoption — with lively debate on what it will take for crypto to be used by the masses.

The hurdles that stand in the way are pretty clear to see. Many trading platforms still lack an intuitive user interface, and can be a steep learning curve for newcomers. Skyhigh fees when making transactions also prices out consumers in emerging economies — and as Buterin’s pointed out in the past, they can sometimes cost more than what workers in low-income countries earn in a day.

What’s more, the narrative surrounding Bitcoin being used as an everyday payment method has failed to take off — primarily because of its volatility. For evidence of this in action, just look at Laszlo Hanyecz, who stumped up 10,000 BTC for two pizzas in May 2010. Today, that crypto haul would be worth a jaw-dropping $600 million.

Nonetheless, there are pockets of crypto that have a compelling opportunity to represent the future of finance — especially stablecoins. Pegged on a 1:1 basis with fiat currencies, the likes of USDT and USDC are opening up access to digital dollars — and making cross-border payments both cheaper and faster. Given the Federal Reserve is continuing to drag its heels on the development of a central bank digital currency, there’s a decent chance that these private alternatives could play a much bigger role in the economy over the years to come.

Crypto conferences always offer a heady blend of business and pleasure, and it looks like TOKEN2049 will be no exception. A huge afterparty is planned for once the conference concludes — boasting musical acts, an open bar, and views of the Singapore Grand Prix. Tickets for last year’s gig were snapped up in a matter of minutes.