Europe’s biggest Ethereum conference is back again in Cannes, France. This time with an emphasis on institutional participation. The 9th edition of this conference is scheduled to be held this spring, from March 30. EthCC is Europe’s largest and longest-running Ethereum event, spanning four intense days combined with conferences, workshops, and networking events that are entirely focused on Ethereum technology and community. The emphasis on financial institutions this time will encourage banks, investment firms, and big companies to utilize Ethereum for serious tasks rather than small tech experiments. Palais des Festivals is the venue where the event will be hosted, with over 6,500 attendees expected. 

Highlights of EthCC (9)

The event will cover everything from protocol improvement and scaling solutions to DeFi applications and developer tooling. The EthVC track connects startups with the leading venture capitalists, thereby making it valuable for both builders and investors who are seeking the next breakthrough in the Ethereum ecosystem. With the crypto industry and mainstream finance drawing closer, the conference can bring together experts from around the world to explore the industry’s further moves.

Jerome de Tychey, the founder and President of Ethereum Finance, reported that 2026 was a year of professionalization for Ethereum and the crypto ecosystem as a whole. He added that they are witnessing a remarkable momentum across the board, which led to scalability improvement through Fusaka, an uptick in daily active addresses, and adoption by banks like JP Morgan, all aiding in the rapid convergence of TradFi and DeFi. To further catalyze this momentum, this year’s EthCC will aid in the new premier institutional launch of The Agora in partnership with Kaiko. This will be a support for institutional players to explore the future of on-chain finance. Jerome noted that 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.  

An Event Powering the Future

In the backdrop of the new crypto tax reporting rules providing clarity across Europe and MiCA’s framework, establishing comprehensive standards by mid-2026 will catalyze the EU in creating a robust framework for digital asset growth. These developments will set clear guidelines for exchanges, stablecoins, and institutions to position European markets as global leaders in the digital innovation space. The focus of EthCC (9) on institutions will thus provide insights into how to merge blockchain with traditional finance, thus attracting industry leaders to discuss the future of on-chain finance. This will simultaneously enhance compliance, scalability and credibility of the wider crypto ecosystem. 

The union of EthCC (9) and The Agora will gather more than 400 speakers from around the globe, providing insights, workshops, and community-led side events. The key speakers of the event include Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, CEO of Societe-Forge, Jean-Marc Stenger and Stani Kulechov, CEO of Aave. Bettina Boon Falleur is the director of the event. The goal of the conference remains clear, with the surge of interest in financial institutions, that is, to champion those building a positive, open, and abundant Ethereum ecosystem.