#Web3 is having a moment. President Donald Trump’s new administration that promises to elevate crypto as a national policy priority has spurred fresh enthusiasm into the sector and pushed prices on #Bitcoin and other #cryptocurrencies higher. At the same time, a new set of innovative companies are looking to find new use cases for on-chain activity.
Against this backdrop, Consensus, the world’s longest-serving event series for critical conversations on Web3, digital assets and blockchain organized by CoinDesk, will be taking place in Hong Kong between February 18 – 20. This will be the first large-scale Web3 event following President Trump’s inauguration, all the while Consensus celebrates its 10th anniversary.
Cognito is Consensus’ official PR partner. Here we speak with Karen Lee, Senior Account Manager at Cognito, about why she is excited about the event.
The highly anticipated Consensus is taking place in under a week. What are you most excited about?
Karen: I am most looking forward to the expert insights and unique conference culture Consensus is bringing to its Hong Kong debut! I was at a Consensus event in New York several years ago and the space it created for meaningful dialogue while bringing the city to life.
There will be more than 270 high profile speakers including the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong (@Paul Chan), @Binance, @Coinbase, @Robinhood and @Securities & Futures Commission. There is also a lot of chatter about 2025 being the year where #AI converges with blockchain, so am also keen to attend the panels at the “Decentralized AI Summit.”
In addition to an impressive speaker line-up, there will also be over 250 side events next week, including horse racing on Wednesday in Happy Valley. As a locally born and bred Hongkonger, I’m looking forward to seeing how attendees enjoy my home city!
Consensus has been mostly an event hosted in North America. Can you take us under the hood to help us understand the significance of bringing the event to Hong Kong?
Karen: Asia is a vital region in the development of Web3. A CoinDesk study reported cryptocurrency adoption in Asia at 22%, nearly three times higher than the global average of 7.8%. There’s been strong adoption in underbanked regions, especially Thailand (43%) and the Philippines (31%).
Regulatory clarity has bolstered Web3 adoption. Hong Kong, for example, issued the Policy Statement on Development of Virtual Assets in October 2022 and published the Stablecoins Bill in December. Regulation has a three-pronged impact: ensuring market stability, encouraging innovation and fostering institutional adoption.
How has the press been reacting to Consensus Hong Kong? What would most capture media attention?
Karen: Not to pile on the FOMO, but we are seeing a lot of media buzz and expect a good blend of international, regional and trade publications.
We currently have over 300 journalists registered. They are travelling from Taiwan, mainland China, Korea, the US and more. The big players are all going to have broadcast booths on site which means plenty of video interviews to document the hustle and bustle from the show floor.
To capture media attention, commentary, particularly contrarian commentary, around stablecoins and real-world assets will stand out. Macro thoughts on #Memecoins will also be trendy, especially with mainstream media. For trade publications that are more technical, use cases on the convergence of AI and blockchain will make for a very compelling story.
Shall you be interested in getting tips to ensure your media pitches stand out or you hit the right message at the event get in touch at [email protected]
