I've become more appreciative of crypto conference culture.

Its value add is: it gives the benefits of cross-org in-person person coordination, serendipitous connections, weak ties, etc, without everyone being gravitationally pulled into NYC and SF.

It's maybe the only institution to have successfully done this.

They’re unmatchable for developing a sense of the “Layer 0” behind the projects — the people building. 

~50% of who we compose w have been influenced by IRL confs. 

^This number is diminishing with the high signal connections developed on Farcaster — which I think of as a virtual, ongoing ETH conf.