Devconnect in Buenos Aires was massive. Over 20,000 people showed up despite bleeding markets, and the energy was electric. But here’s what actually mattered: privacy tech finally had its moment, and the Ethereum community proved its commitment is real. Fewer price watchers, more builders grinding on ZK proofs, verifiable compute, and infrastructure that will matter for years.
What actually happened
Day 2 (Nov 16): Panel on AI agents and DeFi risk featured sharp conversations on verifiable compute, agent slashing, and AI funds vs traditional pools. Privacy emerged as the dominant narrative... if OpenAI gets hacked, it’s a systemic risk to humanity, and privacy chains are the answer.
Day 3 (Nov 17): Took a day to decompress.
Day 4 (Nov 18): Morning run in Palermo, then hit Sovereign Day (Cosmos-focused). Quieter than expected, so pivoted to the main venue. Scale was overwhelming, tons of developers in work zones, few BD people. Best conversations happened at side events.
Day 5 (Nov 19): High-intensity day between side events. Maintained relationships with critical infrastructure partners and leadership teams across Cosmos and Solana.
Day 6 (Nov 20): Conference had amazing energy despite bleeding token prices. The Ethereum and broader crypto community showing up was inspirational. Buenos Aires delivered: Palermo and Soho provided a beautiful backdrop, food was incredible, side events well-positioned. One of Riverstone’s clients (
) sponsored an event with strong energy, we connected with serious LATAM and global founders.
Day 7 (Nov 23): Privacy tech builders are finally having their moment. Timing, not price action, is driving it. Great to see purists who’ve built for years getting the spotlight.
The read on privacy and Ethereum right now
Privacy was everywhere. Zero-knowledge proofs, verifiable compute -privacy is now infrastructure, not a nice-to-have. Giza (building ML on-chain since 2022) talked about ZK finally reaching real use cases. After volatility spikes, demand for verifiable compute increases, proving systems work without revealing everything.
Ethereum community energy is undeniable. Coming from Cosmoverse in Split (quieter, around 40% capacity), Devconnect felt like validation. Over 20,000 people showed up. The commitment level was real, not performative.
The vibe around Vitalik and the Ethereum ecosystem is intense, maybe cult-like, but inspiring. Builders and users still showing up even during a down market sends a signal.
SEO is dying, LLM-optimized search is taking over - discoverability and trust models are shifting fast. A long-standing VC highlighted privacy chains as a major thesis. Enterprises will adopt blockchain with privacy and stablecoins abstracted in the background.
Patterns to watch
Privacy infrastructure is ready for prime time: ZK proofs, verifiable compute, and privacy-preserving infrastructure moved from R&D to production-grade tooling. Teams that have been grinding on privacy tech for years are finally getting their spotlight.
Side events > main stage: Best conversations and connections happened in smaller, curated settings. One-on-one with infrastructure partners beats conference floor crowds.
Buenos Aires as a venue: Immersive nature, delicious food, friendly people, perfect weather, easy to navigate. Side events concentrated in Palermo and Soho made logistics manageable. The city delivered.
Cross-ecosystem conversations: Strong presence from Cosmos and Solana leadership, not just Ethereum maximalists. Real collaboration is happening at the infrastructure layer.
If you build or invest, focus here
Privacy infrastructure and verifiable compute ZK isn’t a buzzword anymore. Pay attention to teams building privacy-preserving infrastructure, verifiable compute, and privacy chains. These are now critical infrastructure, not experimental tech.
Relationship maintenance and long-term compounding Showing up, staying in touch, and connecting with the right people compounds over time. The best deals don’t happen on the conference floor, they happen in follow-ups weeks and months later.
Ethereum’s community strength Despite price bleeding, over 20,000 people showed up and engaged. Ethereum’s community commitment is real. For builders and investors, that signal matters more than short-term price action.
