Barcelona, mid-October 2025 — two days, two stages, over 5,000 participants. What began as a niche gathering has become Europe’s leading digital asset event — the European Blockchain Convention (EBC).
Amid the city’s fast pace and the bright halls of the CCIB, bankers, founders, developers, regulators, and investors debated a sector that no longer experiments — it builds.
An Ecosystem in Its Growth Phase
This year’s EBC signaled a maturing industry. The event opened on October 15 with a networking night at CDLC (Carpe Diem Lounge Club), before the main conference unfolded on October 16–17 with more than 40 panels, fireside chats, and keynotes.
Discussions reflected Europe’s balance between regulation and innovation, between financial architecture and digital infrastructure.
Tokenization, stablecoins, custody, MiCA, DeFi, AI, and institutional capital dominated the agenda, alongside new themes like blockchain for energy, data management, and digital identity.
Over 400 speakers joined from OKX, Bitpanda, Ripple, Standard Chartered, Morgan Stanley, Société Générale, ION Group, Galaxy Digital, Chainlink, Polygon, Fireblocks, Bitget, Animoca Brands, The Sandbox, and FC Barcelona.
The mix of regulators, bankers, and fund managers underscored blockchain’s shift from niche topic to part of Europe’s economic dialogue.
From Vision to Implementation
Barcelona served as a checkpoint for progress rather than speculation. Speaking to BeInCrypto, EBC Co-founder Victoria Gago said:
“Stablecoins absolutely dominated the conversation this year — not just for crypto trading, but for payments across Europe.”
The planned launch of MiCA-compliant euro stablecoins by nine European banks emerged as a major focus, signaling the start of a regulation-based yet innovation-driven payment infrastructure.
Tokenization of real-world assets was another recurring theme. Laurent Marochini of Société Générale said:
“What we’re building is not a product — it’s a new business architecture.”
Alongside Andrea Pignataro of ION Group, he stressed that Europe is moving beyond proofs of concept toward real integration of digital assets into financial systems.
MiCA has brought regulatory clarity — now the focus turns to execution and business models.
Institutional Adoption Gains Pace
Institutional participation was a standout theme. One of the most attended panels discussed corporate Bitcoin treasuries as companies integrate digital assets into balance sheets.
Sander Anderson, Co-founder and CEO of H100 Group, said:
“You now get Bitcoin exposure with all the future yield for free — that’s very attractive for large allocators.”
Joaquin Sastre Ibañez from Börse Stuttgart Digital described Europe’s stance as:
“Bitcoin first, maybe ETH second” — cautious but committed.
Family offices and fund managers described crypto as a diversification strategy, not a speculative bet. The conversation has shifted from ideology to operational readiness and regulatory confidence.
Web3 Becomes Cultural Infrastructure
EBC also highlighted blockchain’s cultural convergence. In a panel featuring Sebastien Borget (The Sandbox), Robbie Young (Animoca Brands), Diego Borgo, and Jordi Mompart (FC Barcelona), speakers discussed how Web3 enables direct engagement between brands and fans.
“Web2 is us telling you what it is. Web3 is you raising your hand and becoming part of it,” said Borgo.
Mompart added:
“We have five times more fans in Indonesia than in Spain — we must speak to them in their own language.”
Across industries, blockchain is redefining ownership, engagement, and community — replacing traditional marketing models with participation-driven ecosystems.
Business, Networking, and Momentum
Beyond the main stages, the event’s organization reflected its maturity. The Buy-Side Breakfast united institutional investors to discuss stablecoin markets and tokenization.
The Beach Run Networking and multiple side events along Barcelona’s coast created opportunities for collaboration.
EBC 2025 proved it is no longer just a networking event — it has evolved into a functioning business platform where partnerships take shape.
Building Europe’s Bridge
For Co-CEO and Co-founder Victoria Gago, the transformation is symbolic:
“People aren’t just learning anymore — they’re negotiating deals, forming partnerships, and building real infrastructure.”
From 500 participants in 2018 to over 5,000 in 2025, EBC has become a bridge between traditional finance and innovation, between Europe and the global stage.
“Europe might be slower, but we’re building the foundation that will last a decade,” Gago said.
With the Digital Assets Forum expanding to London and Abu Dhabi in 2026, EBC’s influence continues to grow while keeping its European roots.
A Confident European Moment
After two packed days, the message was clear: Europe has found its stride. EBC 2025 showed a region charting its own path — prioritizing regulation, trust, and long-term architecture over hype or speed.
As Gago reflected:
“This industry has given me so much — being part of its evolution is an honor beyond words.”
The European Blockchain Convention 2025 was more than an event — it was a reflection of Europe’s progress: structured, pragmatic, and confident in its future. Europe no longer debates blockchain’s potential. It is already building it.
