# ngl Eth Denver was kinda weird this year

Source: https://x.com/stableshaman/status/1896300626445045766?s=19&t=3AGliIlr2BzAjEMW6DTbEg

## Summary

This satirical post says Eth Denver felt dominated by non-Ethereum projects, with Ethereum nowhere visible on the conference floor. The author describes corporate booths from Polkadot, Avalanche, Binance, Polygon and Hedera, a Vitalik sighting surrounded by Near Protocol developers, and panels on Celestia and Cosmos. The piece is written as a humorous run of events ending with an ambulance sponsored by Chainlink.

## Article

ngl Eth Denver was kinda weird this year

> be me
> Excited to finally attend Eth Denver, the holy land of decentralization and open-source innovation
> Walk into conference hall, greeted by an avalanche of corporate booths
> First booth: Polkadot giving away free socks
> Second booth: Avalanche handing out Red Bull
> Third booth: Binance offering “exclusive networking” behind velvet rope
> No sign of Ethereum anywhere
> Finally spot Vitalik, but he’s surrounded by Near Protocol devs trying to convince him sharding is obsolete
> Try to find an Ethereum panel
> Only options are “Scaling with Celestia" and “Why Cosmos Is Actually More Ethereum Than Ethereum”
> Step outside to clear my head
> Immediately handed a Polygon swag bag and a business card for a Hedera happy hour
> My wristband scans into an Abstract Global Wallet automatically
> Start hyperventilating
> Security approaches me
> Not to help, just to remind me that the medical tent is sponsored by Arbitrum and requires a LayerZero cross-chain transaction to enter
> Try to use an ETH burner wallet at a food truck
> “Sorry anon, only accepting USDC on Solana”
> Collapse on the sidewalk, defeated
> Ambulance finally arrives
> Sirens blare: “Brought to you by Chainlink”
> die
> Respawn as a Sui validator

can't wait for Eth Denver 2026

## Comments

**ccarella.eth**: It was a little weird but not for the reasons in this tweet. It was weird because many people felt paralyzed about what was happening in the market when they promised each other we were in a runaway bull market. There was a tangible uneasiness and anxiety and it was my first ETH Denver where people even discussed token price. 

That said I was still able to find my decentralized, permissionless maxi tribe and still had fun dreaming of 2050.