EthCC, Europe’s largest annual Ethereum conference, returns to Cannes from 30th March to 2nd April for its ninth edition — and this year, the traditional developer community will be joined by a significant new presence: the institutions.
The headline addition to EthCC[9] is The Agora, a dedicated forum created in partnership with data provider Kaiko, designed to give institutional players a structured space to explore the future of onchain finance. It arrives at a moment when the gap between traditional finance and the crypto ecosystem is narrowing faster than many expected.
Jerome de Tychey, Founder and President of Ethereum France, framed the timing plainly. “2026 is the year of professionalisation of Ethereum and the wider crypto ecosystem. We are witnessing remarkable momentum across the board. Ethereum’s scalability improvements through Fusaka, an uptick in daily active addresses, adoption by banks such as JP Morgan and more, all point to a time of rapid convergence of TradFi and DeFi,” he said. “2025 put Ethereum at the centre of this transformation, and as we only grow in 2026, we are thrilled to bring our community together at this pivotal moment.”
The regulatory backdrop adds further weight to the conversation. MiCA’s comprehensive framework for digital assets is due to be fully established across Europe by mid-2026, while new crypto tax reporting rules are providing clarity for exchanges, stablecoins and institutional participants across the continent. In the United States, the CLARITY Act continues to shape how blockchain intersects with traditional finance. Together, these developments are creating the conditions for a more structured and regulated digital asset market — and EthCC[9] will be one of the first major gatherings to address what that means in practice.
Bettina Boon Falleur, Head of EthCC, pointed to last year’s edition as evidence of the conference’s growing influence. “The fact that Robinhood and Vitalik Buterin chose EthCC as their venue for flagship announcements last year shows that this conference, and the community we represent, are the leaders in blockchain finance. We’re welcoming more institutional partners this year and will help them see that the future of finance will be built on Ethereum.”
More than 400 speakers will take part across four days of talks, workshops and community-led side events. Confirmed names include Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, Jean-Marc Stenger, CEO of Societe Generale-Forge, and Stani Kulechov, CEO of Aave.
EthCC[9] takes place at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes from 30th March to 2nd April 2026.
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