The Don’t Look Up festival is set to be the largest gathering of crypto-minded experts, amateurs and enthusiasts in Africa, aimed at exploring both the technology’s impact on Web3 and emerging opportunities for investors.
To help crypto enthusiasts harness opportunities in Africa, Bitcoin Events returns with its fourth edition of Crypto Fest — the largest gathering of crypto industry leaders, entrepreneurs and experts and taking place both virtually and in person at the Grand Africa Cafe and Beach on Sept. 30, 2022.
Crypto Fest 2022 will be a one-of-a-kind experience for crypto crusaders. Under the theme of “Don’t look up,” entrepreneurs, traders, investors, developers and enthusiasts will engage in hard-hitting conversations, sparking critical debates on the impact that crypto, nonfungible tokens (NFTs), decentralized finance (DeFi), Web3 and the Metaverse will have on the worlds of finance, investment, art, music, sport, gaming, entertainment, marketing, governance and more.
Sonya Kuhnel, co-founder and director of Bitcoin Events and organizer of this year’s festival, said: “Change is inevitable, and the world is — slowly but surely — realizing the impact that crypto and crypto-related technologies are having on the future of industry. Yes, the world of crypto has had its fair share of ups and downs, but the proof of concept is there, and it’s only a matter of time before the sector bounces back. Now’s the time to look up and explore where opportunities lie. Now is the time to learn as we prepare to leap into a new era.”
Attendees can look forward to a jam-packed day of keynotes, presentations, competitions, product exhibitions and performances from more than 30 global innovators and thought leaders in the cryptocurrency, NFT, DeFi, Web3 and Metaverse space.
The event includes a keynote address by Polygon’s South African business development lead Michael Jordan, an exploration into crypto innovation and regulation by Mazars partner and digital assets lead Wiehann Olivier, routes towards mass crypto education and adoption across Africa with FTX Africa business development manager Nolu Mashologu, a panel discussion hosted by Bakari’s Daniel Kimber, who will lead a conversation outlining how to best manage risk with DeFi investments, and a discussion presented by sportsmen Kyle Brown and Sean Roberts defining crypto and the role it’s going to play in South African sport.
Crypto Fest 2022 will debut an NFT gallery and a Metaverse gaming zone featuring NFTs from various local artists. The NFT gallery, showcased by Libex, a South African-owned NFT marketplace, will host “Lightning Talks,” where attendees can interact, network, win prizes and experience the world of virtual reality in the Metaverse gaming zone.
South African musician and fine artist Arno Carstens will be hosting a 15-minute “Lightning Talk” discussing his latest collection of minted artworks.
“I’m excited to be part of something that is still developing and being able to connect with people who are as excited as I am. The human mind is drawn to the possibilities of what can be, and it’s the potential of this that I am excited about,” Carsons shared. “NFTs and the Metaverse are technology in their infancy. Crypto Fest 2022 is a place where developers, artists and collectors can come together on this voyage of discovery. The idea of being self-sovereign is such a light at the end of the tunnel for a lot of people.”
Commenting on this year’s program, Jordan from Polygon said: “The world of cryptocurrencies can be a complex one to navigate — more so for those with limited exposure to the ecosystem and understanding of the technology’s impact potential. For this reason, we’re excited to be partnering with Crypto Fest 2022 to provide a platform for more people to learn, explore and understand how they can get involved with one of the most disruptive developments in finance and industry since the abandonment of the gold standard 50 years ago.”
About Bitcoin Events
Bitcoin Events was established in 2014 by Sonya Kuhnel and Theo Sauls to address the lack of education and information available to individuals and organizations in Africa on the opportunities and challenges that blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies offer. Over the past eight years, Bitcoin Events has hosted events, workshops and educational meetups, successfully hosting over 15,000 attendees from 165 countries.
About Crypto Fest
The fourth edition of the Crypto Fest, under the satirical theme “Don’t Look Up,” can be defined as people’s inability to deal effectively with climate change. It uses the metaphor of a comet threatening to destroy planet earth, and instead of looking up and responding to the imminent danger, people prefer to be distracted by pop culture and goofy memes. Change is coming to the crypto-DeFi-NFT-Web3 space too, and now is the time to “look up” and see the changes — and also the opportunities.
