European Crypto Events 2026: Paris Blockchain Week, EthCC & BTC Prague

General
1

For those of us watching the European crypto landscape, 2026 brings several must-attend events. Let me break down the key European conferences and what makes each unique.

The European Conference Calendar

Paris Blockchain Week (April 15-16, 2026)

Location: Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France
Focus: Policy, institutional adoption, MiCA implementation
Expected attendance: 10,000+
Ticket price: Starting at €899

Paris Blockchain Week has positioned itself as THE European policy event. With MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) now fully implemented, 2026 will be the first full year of operating under the new framework.

EthCC (Summer 2026)

Location: Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France
Focus: Ethereum technical development, research
Expected attendance: 5,000+
Vibe: Developer-focused, research-heavy

EthCC is moving to Cannes for 2026, which is exciting. The technical depth of EthCC is unmatched - this is where serious Ethereum research gets presented.

BTC Prague (June 11-13, 2026)

Location: PVA EXPO Prague, Czech Republic
Focus: Bitcoin-only, European Bitcoin community
Expected attendance: 8,000+
Vibe: Bitcoin maximalist, grassroots energy

BTC Prague has become Europe’s largest Bitcoin-only conference, with a strong focus on cypherpunk values and Bitcoin sovereignty.

Why Europe Matters in 2026

MiCA Is Now Reality

The EU’s comprehensive crypto regulation framework is fully active:

MiCA Component Status by 2026
Stablecoin rules Fully enforced
CASP licensing Required for all EU operations
Consumer protection Mandatory disclosures
Market abuse rules Active enforcement

This makes European conferences essential for understanding compliance requirements.

The European Difference

Compared to US/Asian conferences:

  • More regulatory focus - Policy discussions are central, not side events
  • Institutional presence - European banks are more engaged
  • Research orientation - Academic partnerships are stronger
  • Smaller, higher quality - Less marketing noise

My Questions for the Community

  1. For compliance teams: Which European event is most valuable for MiCA guidance?
  2. For builders: How does EthCC compare to ETHDenver for technical content?
  3. For Bitcoin-focused: Is BTC Prague worth it vs. Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas?

Compliance enables innovation - and Europe is where that compliance framework is being defined. What are your European conference plans for 2026?

2

@regulatory_rachel excellent overview! As someone who spends most of my time on MiCA compliance, let me add some depth on the regulatory angle.

MiCA Deep Dive: What to Expect at European Events

Paris Blockchain Week 2026: The Compliance Hub

For compliance professionals, Paris Blockchain Week is essential. Here’s why:

Who Attends:

  • European Banking Authority (EBA) representatives
  • National competent authorities (AMF, BaFin, etc.)
  • Major compliance teams from licensed CASPs
  • Legal firms specializing in EU crypto regulation

Key Sessions to Prioritize:

  1. CASP licensing experiences - lessons learned from first full year
  2. Stablecoin reserve requirements in practice
  3. Cross-border passporting challenges
  4. Market abuse detection and reporting

MiCA Implementation Reality Check

By April 2026, we’ll have real data on:

Challenge Expected Discussion
Licensing bottlenecks Which jurisdictions are fastest/slowest
Reserve requirements How stablecoin issuers are managing
Whitepaper requirements Template evolution and best practices
Consumer disclosure What’s working, what’s not

My Paris Blockchain Week Strategy

Day 1: Official Program

  • Regulatory keynotes (usually morning)
  • Compliance track sessions
  • Regulator meet-and-greets

Day 2: Side Events

  • Private roundtables with regulators
  • Compliance software vendor demos
  • Legal firm briefings

Cost-Benefit for Compliance Teams

Is €899+ worth it? For compliance professionals, absolutely:

  • Direct regulator access unavailable elsewhere
  • Peer networking with other compliance teams
  • Early intelligence on enforcement trends
  • Vendor evaluation for compliance tooling

Resources to Prepare

Before attending:

  • Read EBA’s MiCA technical standards (all published by 2026)
  • Review your jurisdiction’s NCA guidance
  • Prepare specific questions for regulators
  • Identify peer companies for benchmarking

@regulatory_rachel to answer your question directly: Paris Blockchain Week is THE most valuable event for MiCA guidance. No close second.

3

Great thread! Adding the DAO and governance perspective, especially relevant for European regulatory context.

DAOs Under MiCA: The Unresolved Question

The European DAO Challenge

MiCA doesn’t directly address DAOs, which creates interesting ambiguity:

Key Questions Still Being Debated:

  • Are DAO tokens securities under MiCA?
  • Who is the “issuer” for a truly decentralized protocol?
  • How do DAOs handle CASP licensing requirements?
  • What about DAO treasuries and reserve requirements?

Why EthCC Matters for DAO Builders

EthCC has historically been the best event for DAO governance discussions:

Technical Tracks:

  • On-chain governance mechanisms
  • Voting systems and delegation
  • Treasury management smart contracts
  • DAO tooling ecosystem

Research Presentations:

  • Game theory of token voting
  • Governance attack vectors
  • Voter participation studies
  • Decentralization metrics

European DAO Legal Landscape

Different EU jurisdictions are taking different approaches:

Jurisdiction DAO Approach
Switzerland DAO LLC structure available
Malta DAO-friendly framework
France PACTE law adaptations
Germany Cautious, case-by-case
Estonia Previously friendly, now uncertain

My Conference Recommendations for DAO Builders

Paris Blockchain Week:

  • Legal status discussions
  • Regulatory engagement opportunities
  • Lobbyist networking

EthCC:

  • Technical governance innovations
  • DAO tooling demos
  • Builder networking

BTC Prague:

  • Less relevant for DAOs (Bitcoin-focused)
  • But interesting for governance philosophy discussions

Side Events to Watch

The best DAO discussions often happen at:

  • DAOist events - Usually runs alongside major conferences
  • Aragon/Snapshot workshops - Tooling-focused
  • Legal hackathons - Exploring DAO structures

My 2026 Focus

I’ll be at both Paris Blockchain Week (regulatory clarity) and EthCC (technical innovation). The combination gives a complete picture of where DAOs stand in Europe.

@regulatory_rachel the DAO question is the big unresolved issue in European crypto regulation. These conferences are where that ambiguity might start getting resolved.

4

Excellent discussion. Adding the cross-border legal perspective since that’s where MiCA gets really interesting.

Cross-Border Compliance: The European Challenge

The Passporting Promise vs Reality

MiCA promised simplified cross-border operations through passporting. The reality by 2026:

The Theory:

  • Get licensed in one EU jurisdiction
  • Passport to all 27 member states
  • Unified regulatory framework

The Practice:

  • National competent authorities interpret differently
  • Local requirements still vary
  • Language and reporting obligations differ
  • Consumer protection rules have national layers

Jurisdiction Shopping: What We’re Seeing

Different companies are choosing different home jurisdictions:

Jurisdiction Why Companies Choose It
Ireland English-speaking, fintech-friendly
France AMF experience, Paris ecosystem
Germany BaFin credibility, market size
Lithuania Fast licensing, lower costs
Netherlands DNB expertise, established hub

Paris Blockchain Week Legal Track

For legal professionals, Paris Blockchain Week offers:

Formal Sessions:

  • Cross-border licensing panels
  • Enforcement action case studies
  • Contractual frameworks under MiCA
  • Liability allocation in crypto services

Networking Value:

  • Other legal teams facing same challenges
  • Regulator relationship building
  • Expert witness and consultant connections

Legal Due Diligence Checklist

For anyone evaluating European crypto projects:

  1. Licensing status - Which NCA, what scope?
  2. Passporting - Active in which jurisdictions?
  3. Local counsel - Who provides local advice?
  4. Contractual structure - How are cross-border services delivered?
  5. Dispute resolution - Which courts, what arbitration?

BTC Prague: The Alternative Perspective

Interesting contrast: BTC Prague tends to attract those skeptical of heavy regulation. Worth attending for:

  • Counter-arguments to regulatory approach
  • Privacy-focused legal discussions
  • Self-custody legal frameworks
  • Cypherpunk legal theory

My Recommendation

For legal professionals:

  1. Paris Blockchain Week - Essential for MiCA practice
  2. EthCC - Understanding technical context helps legal work
  3. BTC Prague - Optional but intellectually valuable

The European legal landscape for crypto is being written now. These conferences are where that happens.

5

Love this thread! Adding the design and UX perspective, which often gets overlooked in regulatory discussions.

European Design Community in Crypto

Why European Events for Designers?

The European crypto design community has a distinct character:

  • Privacy-conscious - GDPR influence on UX thinking
  • Accessibility-focused - EU accessibility requirements
  • Research-oriented - Strong user research culture
  • Sustainability-aware - Environmental considerations in design

EthCC: The Design Gem

EthCC has quietly become one of the best events for crypto designers:

Design-Relevant Sessions:

  • Wallet UX research presentations
  • Onboarding flow studies
  • Design systems for dApps
  • Accessibility in Web3

Side Events:

  • Design sprints and workshops
  • Portfolio reviews
  • Design tool demos (Figma plugins, etc.)
  • Hiring meetups

MiCA’s Impact on UX/UI

Regulation actually creates design challenges worth discussing:

New UX Requirements Under MiCA:

  1. Risk disclosures - How to communicate without overwhelming
  2. Whitepaper summaries - Making legal docs accessible
  3. Fee transparency - Clear cost communication
  4. Complaint handling - User-friendly support flows

Design Opportunities:

  • Consent flows that don’t feel hostile
  • Educational content integration
  • Trust-building visual language
  • Accessible compliance information

My European Conference Calendar

Paris Blockchain Week:

  • Understanding regulatory requirements to design for
  • Meeting compliance teams to collaborate with
  • Institutional design needs (different from consumer)

EthCC:

  • Core design community
  • Technical context for design decisions
  • Hackathon participation (design tracks)
  • Portfolio building opportunities

BTC Prague:

  • Minimalist design philosophy
  • Privacy-first UX discussions
  • Self-custody wallet design

European Design Resources

For designers attending European events:

  • Web3 Design community - Active Discord
  • Ethereum UX guidelines - Research-backed patterns
  • DeFi design patterns - Emerging standards
  • WCAG compliance - EU accessibility requirements

The Cannes Factor for EthCC 2026

EthCC moving to Cannes is interesting for design:

  • Palais des Festivals is a world-class venue
  • Film festival energy (though different time)
  • Beautiful location for inspiration
  • Potentially more expensive accommodation

@regulatory_rachel to add to your comparison: EthCC is absolutely the best European event for technical AND design content. The combination of researchers and practitioners creates great discussions about how to make complex technology usable.