Last week’s Token2049 conference brought together some of the biggest names in Crypto, and while the sun was underwent at another busy meeting for the crypto industry in Dubai, we could only think about some of the weird, crazy and thoughtful things we heard on the way.
What can be heard at a conference reveals the most honest stories behind Crypto. Founders and CEOs outline their vision of the future on panels for hundreds of attendees, but the real value is often found in the conversations next to the buffet or while cooling for the air conditioner.
Here are five important sentences that Decrypt Caught during our time at the conference, including what they signal for the future of Crypto.
“I don’t understand”
Entering the crypto room can be confusing with technical jargon, self-referential jokes and complicated user experiences, as well as hacks and scams that can quickly undo all potential victories. Nevertheless, some newcomers are still able to ‘make’ it.
A teacher in primary education who went to Token2049 claimed to have made it big on meme coins after entering the space only a matter of months ago. This successful escapade in Crypto is what led him to fly from Europe to Dubai for the event. But still, he laughed, “I don’t understand anything” – and continued to put pasta in his free plate.
It is clear that even those who do well in Crypto have difficulty bringing their heads to bring everything. This sentiment was reflected by Eric Trump, the son of the US President and the executive VP of the Trump organization, who said that the user experience of crypto must improve for massive adoption to fully scale up.
Trump said it was a roadblock for him who entered the space, although he is certainly not having to chase his famous family for turning meme coins. (Hopefully.)
“We are no longer early”
A slogan for the crypto industry was turned upside down at Token2049. “We have changed early” we are no longer early “, because the fears peaked that this might be the last chance to ride a bull run before the wild price fluctuations end up in the industry.
This growing fear is due to institutions and governments around the world that invest in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Spot Bitcoin ETFs were approved in the US at the beginning of last year with ETHEEM ETFs, allowing traditional investors to buy Bitcoin. Subsequently, President Trump signed an executive order in March 2025 to set up a Bitcoin reserve and digital assets stock.
For many this is a sign that it is no longer early for Bitcoin, with many who think about which technological revolution will subsequently put forward the industry. On the other hand, large players in the industry continue to throw away huge price projections, even if BTC is close to his all time.
“Bitcoin was made by the government”
With governments that embrace crypto, it seems that the conspiracy theory that pseudonymous Bitcoin maker Satoshi Nakamoto was actually part of the government is only growing.
A theory is that the National Security Agency Bitcoin has founded because it has published the 1996 “How To Make A Mint: The Cryptography of Anonymous Electronic Cash”, which suggested a Bitcoin-like system. Some believe it was the CIA, because “Nakamoto” and “Satoshi” roughly “central” and “intelligent” mean. And others just find it unrealistic that any individual could have come up with such a system.
“Bitcoin was made by the government,” said an unnamed trader at Token2049 Decrypt. But then they immediately make doubts about the starting point: “It is that, or a random one we will never hear … I hope we don’t discover it.”
“I have insider info”
Meme coins are the ultimate speculative active and have dominated a large part of the crypto story in the past year. The craze cooled in recent months (prior to this week’s rebound), because it seemed that traders had become tired of the meme -coincasino after accusations from insider trade found deep in the industry.
In February the president of Argentina promoted a token on social media called Libra, who quickly crashed 90%. Hayden Davis, CEO of Cheese Ventures – a company that helped launch the project – in an interview with Coffeezilla that he “snipped” his own token.
This served as the catalyst for a stream of allegations of prior knowledge trade against both influencers and founders, which ultimately resulted in the co-founder Ben Chow of Meteora, who resigned because of his ties with Cabel Ventures. Nevertheless, with calls for the arrest of Davis, that Token2049 -assuming did not try to achieve similar benefits. After all, swords will degenerate.
‘You should buy [redacted meme coin]… yes, I have insider info, ” Decrypt Heard a participant who threw in the sizzling heat. The recipient of the information seemed uncomfortable, but shuffled away from them in the chair.
“I lost $ 1 million on NFTS”
Most traders have given up the profile photo NFTs. Was in the Pudgy Penguins part of Token2049, Decrypt Heard someone who confesses to losing $ 1 million on the long-term trend-union with a tough day at the office.
Even the most successful NFT projects such as DEGODS, Milady and Pudgy Penguins have all baptized their toes in the Meme Coin World, because many believe at the conference that the activa class came to the fore as a more liquid and efficient way to promote a community. Yet not all hope was lost for NFTs as technology.
During the event, speakers and attendees suggested that it is time for NFTs to break down from its branding as a speculative possession, and that it is used to create real products that promote change.
The hopeful, including the Raoul Pal, CEO of Real Vision, introduced a future in which NFTS would have important documents and power -decentralized digital identities, because the world is looking for a way to fight against hyper information AI. To be clear, however, this kind of argues in the industry for years, even when digital photos of monkeys were still worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Many of the scars of Crypto could be seen on Token2049, with deep-rooted trust problems that bubbled at the surface and fear that the wild ride will soon be over. Yet some people present held their heads high and shared optimism that technology will continue to evolve and offer opportunities to investors.
Published by Andrew Hayward
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