Explore the 2025 Conference Agenda

In an industry obsessed with tokenomics, technology, and trading charts, it’s easy to forget that the most powerful currency in Web3 is still the story you tell. The stories founders share — about who they are, why they’re building, and how they earn trust — often outlast their token price or latest funding round. But here’s the catch: unlike the glossy narratives of Web2, Web3 doesn’t tolerate spin. Communities here demand transparency, proof, and honesty in ways that can make or break a project overnight. Take Bybit: faced with intense market turbulence and regulatory scrutiny, the exchange turned a potential crisis into a communications win by doubling down on transparency and direct dialogue with its users. That authenticity became a reputational moat. Contrast this with the alleged “Libra” token episode in Argentina, where Milei’s government floated a national stablecoin that collapsed under its own narrative flaws — lack of credibility, community buy-in, and trust. One was a masterclass in crisis storytelling; the other, a reminder that even bold ideas fall flat without the right story. This talk will explore why storytelling in Web3 requires a different playbook: how Web2 companies attempting a pivot must shed their “shareholder-first” voice to embrace openness and co-creation, while Web3-native startups — born in the chaos of Telegram groups, Discord servers, and community DAOs — naturally live by those rules. For founders, the lesson is clear: you can’t just tell a good story, you have to prove it, live it, and let your community co-author it.