Devconnect Argentina breaks records as the largest Ethereum fair

Buenos Aires has long been known for its vibrant cultural life, but in late November it became the beating heart of the global blockchain community. Devconnect Argentina, organized by the Ethereum Foundation, broke records and cemented its place as the largest event ever held by the organization. With 20,000 tickets distributed and participants from 130 countries, the gathering transformed the city into a hub of innovation, debate, collaboration, and empanadas served throughout the event.

The numbers alone tell a remarkable story. Over 10,000 participants were Argentinian, demonstrating the country’s growing role in the global cryptocurrency ecosystem. Latin America contributed another 1,800 participants, and the diversity of the audience was reflected in the wide range of nationalities represented. Perhaps most impressive was the fact that 60% of participants were experiencing Devconnect—or its sister event, Devcon—for the first time. This influx of new participants signals a growing interest in Ethereum and decentralized technologies beyond the traditional developer base. More than 5,000 developers were present, along with over 300 students and educators from academic institutions. In collaboration with the Buenos Aires Ministry of Education, hundreds of students from local schools also participated, offering insight into how blockchain is beginning to permeate educational spaces.

The scale of the event was equally impressive. La Rural, the historic convention center, hosted 40 official events, while hundreds of others were scattered throughout Buenos Aires, creating a city-wide festival of ideas. Seventy-nine exhibitors presented applications built with Ethereum, covering topics ranging from decentralized finance (DeFi) and privacy to gaming, artificial intelligence, and digital art. Undoubtedly great for the city and commerce, but Uber fares soared during peak hours.

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, drew packed audiences with his reflections on the future of decentralized governance. Tomasz Stanczak and Hsiao-Wei Wang, co-executive directors of the Ethereum Foundation, emphasized the importance of inclusion and experimentation in building resilient systems. Industry leaders such as Oren Katz, COO of Starkware, spoke about Starknet’s advancements; Stani Kulechov of Aave, Jesse Pollak of Base, and Roger Dingledine of the Tor Project brought perspectives from the areas of finance, infrastructure, and privacy; Danny Ryan, former principal researcher at Ethereum and now at Etherealize, spoke about the evolution of consensus mechanisms; while Nader Dabit of EigenLabs and Jarrad Hope of Logos Network highlighted the growing intersections between Ethereum and emerging technologies.

Devconnect undoubtedly plays a fundamental role in the Ethereum ecosystem. Next stop: Mumbai!