LIST | Founders and Entrepreneurs Speaking at Consensus 2025 – Only One is an African Founder

Consensus is probably one of the largest global events for the Web3 and digital assets industry. The event brings together some of the leading founders, innovators, and companies together to discuss a variety of topics including DeFi, regulation, innovation, and other related topics.

Since 2015, Consensus has been more than an event–it’s the annual gathering of the tribes. It’s where the most influential voices in blockchain, Web3, and AI come together to drive innovation forward.

Consensus 2025 is no different and has attracted some of the leading minds in the industry most notably:

• Eric Trump – Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, American Bitcoin
• Robert Hines – Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, The White House
• Charles Hoskinson – CEO & Founder, Input Output (Cardano)
• Kevin O’Leary – Chairman, O’Leary Ventures
• Dan Morehead – Founder & CEO, Pantera Capital
• Sergey Nazarov – Co-Founder, Chainlink
• Chris Pavlovski – Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Rumble
• Anthony Scaramucci – Founder, SkyBridge Capital
• Paul Grewal – Chief Legal Officer, Coinbase
• Justin Sun – Founder, TRON
• Yat Siu – Co-Founder and Chairman, Animoca Brands
• Anthony Soohoo – Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, MoneyGram
• Nathan Allman, CEO, Ondo Finance
• Buchi Okoro – CEO, Quidax (Nigerian Exchange)
• Dr. Leemon Baird – Co-Founder, Hedera
• Michael Shaulov – Co-Founder & CEO, Fireblocks
• John Wu – President, Ava Labs (Avalanche)
• Roham Gharegozlou – CEO & Co-Founder, Dapper Labs
• Marta Belcher – President, Filecoin Foundation
• Sara Stratoberdha – CEO, CoinDesk
• Chris Maurice – CEO, YellowCard (Africa-focussed, non-African Founder)

The representation of African projects in global Web3 events has been growing, but it still remains disproportionately low compared to other regions like North America, Europe, and parts of Asia. Here’s a breakdown of the current landscape:

Current Representation of African Web3 Projects

1.) Presence at Major Conferences

• Underrepresented: At major Web3 events like ETHGlobal, DevCon, Consensus, Token2049, and NFT.NYC, African projects are often under-represented both in speaker lineups and project showcases.
• Improving visibility: Some events, such as ETHSafari (Kenya) and Africa Blockchain Week, are emerging with strong regional focus and are beginning to gain recognition in global circles.
• Panels vs. Projects: African participants are more frequently featured in diversity or inclusion panels than as leaders of high-profile projects or startups.

2.) Funding and Startups

• Africa receives less than 2% of global Web3 venture funding, though countries like Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Ghana are hotspots.
• Projects like Celo (active in mobile finance) and Kotani Pay have gained some international traction.

3.) Developer Representation

• According to Electric Capital’s Developer Report (2023), Africa accounts for only a small percentage of global open-source Web3 developers.
• However, developer communities like Web3Bridge (Nigeria) and Blockchain Developers DAO are growing fast.

Key Challenges

• Infrastructure: Limited access to high-speed internet, payment gateways, and consistent electricity.
• Funding gaps: Venture capital firms tend to overlook early-stage African projects due to perceived risk.
• Visa issues: Many African developers and founders face travel challenges that limit their participation in global events.

Positive Trends

• Local hubs: Cities like Lagos, Nairobi, and Cape Town are emerging as Web3 innovation hubs.
• Youth engagement: Africa has a young, mobile-first population highly receptive to crypto and blockchain.
• Diaspora support: African diaspora communities in the U.S. and Europe are helping bridge global networks and funding.

Outlook

African representation in global Web3 events is expected to increase over the next few years, especially as:

• Regional Web3 conferences scale up.
• More global partnerships form (e.g., Celo and Cardano)
• African-led solutions in DeFi, remittances, and digital identity gain traction globally.