In Brief:
- TOKEN2049 Singapore concluded its first day, revealing plans for a New York edition on June 16-17, 2027.
- The event sold out with 25,000 attendees from 160 countries and featured over 250 speakers.
- Discussions focused on AI and crypto intersections, with implications for in-game economies in web3 gaming.
TOKEN2049 heads to New York
TOKEN2049 Singapore opened on October 7 at Marina Bay Sands, wrapping the first day with significant announcements, including plans for a U.S. expansion. The inaugural TOKEN2049 New York is scheduled for June 16-17, 2027, anticipating about 15,000 attendees.
The expansion was highlighted during a panel featuring Eric Trump and Zach Witkoff from World Liberty Financial. Tickets for the New York event are priced at $599, and a TOKEN2049 Week will accompany side events across the city.
“Bringing TOKEN2049 to the U.S. has been a long time coming. Our attendees and partners have been asking us to make it happen,” said co-founder Alex Fiskum.
Singapore by the numbers
The Singapore conference has sold out all five floors of Marina Bay Sands, featuring over 500 exhibitors and a city pavilion dedicated to Dubai. Nearly 250 speakers are addressing various topics across six stages, with high-profile figures like the Winklevoss twins and Adena Friedman in attendance.
“We’ve fully sold out,” Fiskum said before the event. “It’s been a full year since our last TOKEN2049 experience.”
Day 1 highlights
Notable announcements emerged from the first day. Arthur Hayes, chief investment officer at Maelstrom, introduced FLOP, a network enabling AI agents to transact on blockchain infrastructure, targeting a testnet by late October and a mainnet launch in Q1 2027.
Tom Lee from BitMine confirmed the company will not exceed 5 percent of Ethereum’s supply, currently holding 6.02 million ETH. Discussions also included the potential for an on-chain asset tied to Polymarket’s platform economy, although no further details were available.
AI agents take center stage
AI agents emerged as a central theme, with discussions about their need for blockchain to facilitate transactions and payments autonomously. Other topics included decentralized finance, market structure, stablecoins, and institutions, with an invite-only track focusing on institutional adoption on October 8.
Hackathon, startups, and side events
Outside of the main venue, the TOKEN2049 Origins Hackathon attracted participants for a 36-hour competition, featuring a $150,000 prize pool. The NEXUS Startup Competition also runs through the conference, offering a $250,000 prize pool.
The week includes events like the Sui Basecamp and Solana Summit, culminating in the official closing party, After 2049, on October 9, coinciding with Singapore’s Grand Prix festivities.
What it means for web3 gaming
While gaming topics weren’t front and center on Day 1, discussions surrounding AI agents holding wallets and conducting transactions have implications for web3 games. These innovations could reshape in-game economies and interactions. The upcoming New York event offers game studios a new opportunity to engage with U.S. investors and audiences, a crucial market for the gaming sector.
