One year later, another avalanche of buzzwords, wide-eyed entrepreneurs, and venture capital dollars flooding through the halls of the Carrousel du Louvre. Wow, look at that attendance! As the lineup continued with legendary names such as Hoskinson and Long, the PSG alliance with Matchain rang in as a strong step into mainstream adoption. Beneath this optimistic surface, a disquieting truth lurks. Most attendees, dazzled by the prospect of gold in them hills, will conveniently close their eyes to this reality.
Pump and Dump Schemes In Disguise?
Let's be brutally honest. How many of those 1,000 startups vying for funding at "Start in Block" are actually building something of lasting value? How many of these schemes were really just pump-and-dump schemes in disguise? They take advantage of the FOMO of retail investors who are just trying to get in on the “next big thing.” We’re discussing the financial security of everyday Americans who stand to lose their hard-earned savings. The energy of the PBW format is all about the short and sweet pitch and the fast-paced meet and greet. This structure pretty much incentivizes this sort of activity.
I saw it firsthand. The shiny slideshows, the empty assurances of hitting-the-gas-style disruptive innovation, the urgency to start handing over checks before we miss the wave. It was almost like a casino in Vegas with those high stakes as opposed to just a normal conference. The fix was obviously in on the average gambler. This isn’t to rain on the parade of authentic founders, but the atmosphere is certainly conducive to charlatans.
To be sure, the fact that this represented a huge crowd – nearly 10,000 people – does not directly translate into legitimacy. Think of it this way: a packed stadium doesn't make the team playing on the field any better. It doesn’t even mean there are more players watching, just that there are more players to exploit.
Environmental Cost Ignored Entirely?
Despite all the hubbub around DeFi and tokenization, have we all missed the real elephant in the room? The environmental footprint of blockchain, especially those projects that are somehow still holding on to Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanisms, is mind-boggling. And although the move to Proof-of-Stake (PoS) is indeed moving ahead at full speed, PoW is still the current standard.
It is beyond hypocritical to champion a tech and data driven revolution that will make the world better while accelerating its climate destruction. We’re pretty much banking the future on an environmental junkyard pledge.
The irony is palpable. We’re in Paris, a city that has historically celebrated its leadership on sustainability. Here we are, putting on an event that actively goes against those principles. This is more than a mere question of carbon footprints. It’s the long-term ethical implications of our tech choices.
Consider this: what good is a decentralized financial system if the planet it operates on is uninhabitable? And how few attendees at PBW 2025 had the thought of answering this question! I suspect, very few.
Where's The Diversity And Inclusion?
Let's talk about the visuals. On the surface, the official numbers look pretty good. Do an honest audit of the speakers, panelists, and attendees to truly get a picture. It's overwhelmingly male. Overwhelmingly... the same.
This is not strictly an aesthetic issue, but rather a design flaw at the core of the platform that further upholds current power dynamics in the technology sector. When the voices around the table are diverse, however, the perspectives change, and the solutions reflect that diversity.
It’s a daunting prospect when the faces of these future creators don’t look like or include the world around us. This is unfortunate, because the lack of diversity at PBW gives the whole affair very bad optics. Secondly, perhaps more importantly, it amplifies the idea that the blockchain revolution reflects the same inequities inherent in the traditional financial system.
The promise of blockchain is to uplift the underprivileged, to level a previously unfair playing field. If the gatekeepers of this technology continue to be the privileged few, that promise is empty.
The reality that 67% of attendees are C-suite executives is still more of this imbalance on top. This is not our grassroots movement, it’s their coordinated, top-down industry controlled by the powerful and elite.
We need to demand better. We need to continue to hold these events’ rarefied talents accountable to have them do work that actually yields more diversity and inclusion. This goes beyond optics; it’s an ethical obligation.
Paris Blockchain Week 2025 was a tremendous success in terms of size and visibility. Let's not mistake hype for progress. Lest we ignore the risks and ethical issues that are lying in wait just under the water. Let’s urge them to pursue true transparency and accountability. Together, we can create a blockchain industry that is cutting-edge, accountable, environmentally friendly, and equitable. The future depends on it.
