Mission Moment: Avalanche Summit II Report

The second edition of the Avalanche conference, also known as Avalanche Summit II, a conference for researchers, creators, and developers building on Avalanche, was held in Barcelona, Spain, from May 3-5, 2023. The event brought together over 4,000 blockchain experts, developers, entrepreneurs, and investors worldwide to discuss the trends and innovations in blockchain technology, with a particular focus on the Avalanche network. 

One of the main highlights of Avalanche Summit II was the welcome remarks by Emin Gün Sirer, the CEO and co-founder of Ava Labs, an Andresseen Horowitz-backed technology company building the next-generation blockchain platform: Avalanche and a prominent figure in the blockchain industry. Sirer discussed the importance of decentralisation and how the Avalanche network achieves it. He also highlighted the potential of Avalanche in enabling faster and more secure transactions and the platform's potential for building decentralized applications. Furthermore, he introduced the concept of Coin-Operated Agents (COAs), AI-operated agents on a blockchain that can process transactions written in a native human language. Also welcoming participants was John Wu, president of Ava Labs. Inc. 

Avalanche Summit II provided a platform for developers to showcase their work on the Avalanche network and for entrepreneurs to explore new opportunities in the blockchain industry. Several developers presented their decentralised applications, including a decentralised social network and prediction market. Workshops and hackathons allowed developers to learn more about Avalanche and build decentralised applications. 

Another central theme of the conference was investors' and entrepreneurs' growing interest in the Avalanche network. Several companies presented products and services utilising Avalanche technology, such as a decentralised exchange and a cross-chain asset transfer platform. There were discussions about the potential for Avalanche to attract institutional investors, given the platform's scalability and security features. 

Avalanche Summit II was a successful conference that highlighted the potential of the Avalanche network in enabling faster and more secure transactions, building decentralised applications, and attracting institutional investors. I am grateful for the opportunity Women Who Code granted me to participate in Avalanche Summit II and the invaluable exposure I had. The international cuisine, side gigs, music, and games were fantastic. In particular, I enjoyed Catalan cuisine with delicious food and desserts like mandonguilles amb sípia, tapas, Catalan creme, escalivada, seafood patatas, and paella. Those barbecues were unforgettable, too! With the growing interest in Avalanche, it is clear that the platform aims for further growth and innovation in the coming years.