Hosted by Dr. Adaku Agwunobi, president of Oxford Blockchain Society (University of Oxford),postdoc at University of Oxford, alongside 1783DAO and Broadchain Finance, “Token2049 After Hours: Real Talk from Dubai” brought togETHer a dynamic panel of speakers for an unscripted, insightful discussion.
This wasn’t just a recap — it was a raw look at the moments and insights that shape Web3.
The panel was made up of vibrant and insightful leaders who each brought their unique perspectives to the table:
Dr. Adaku Agwunobi Founder of Vibes With Dr. Adaku, President of the Oxford Blockchain Society.
Jake Lee Founder of Magnet, Forbes Business Council member, Amazon bestselling author on crypto growth.
Anna Alunbaiva Founder of Rex Labs.
Felix G Senior Business Development Manager at Tapbit.
Oleksandra Kotsyrii Lead Event Manager at Daos Hub.
Tommy Deng Core Contributor at GigDAO, specializing in memecoins and DAO ecosystem development.
CryptoBuddhaCore Organizer at OffChain.
We asked our guests to sum up their Token2049 experience using just one emoji. The answers spoke volumes.
🏃 Jake Lee (Magnet): "If you had free time, you weren’t doing it right.” Always on the move, Jake picked the running emoji to reflect the relentless pace.
😴 Anna Alunbaiva (Rex Labs): "Every day was a marathon.” With 17 events and 5 hours of sleep a night, Anna survived on adrenaline and energy drinks.
☕ Oleksandra Kotsyrii (Daos Hub): "We ran on coffee. Literally.”
👋 Felix G (Tapbit): "It was all about reconnection.” Meeting old colleagues in person for the first time after years of working together virtually.
This was not a week of panels and passive listening — it was a sprint. It was social, strategic, and deeply human.
The most memorable moments? The ones you can’t plan.
Anna recalled a 3 a.m. desert DJ party: “No pitch decks, just vibes.” Crypto builders dune-bashing and laughing under the stars — the kind of moment where you realize you're already living in the future.
CryptoBuddha reflected: “I met young developers from Iran and Iraq — voices I would never encounter in Singapore or the U.S. These are the voices Web3 needs.”
Tommy Deng noted how Dubai facilitated conversations impossible elsewhere: “In one panel, Justin Sun and Eric Trump were sitting side by side. That doesn’t happen in Hong Kong or Singapore.”
Oleksandra Kotsyrii (Daos Hub) highlighted how, despite the overwhelming number of 17 events, it was the last Fireside Chat that resonated the most with her: “That was the conversation that made me rethink, ‘Why am I still in this industry?’” She emphasized how the discussion on culture, humanity, and the “why” behind Web3 became the most profound exchange of the week.
Jake Lee brought a sobering reality to the conversation — while the buzz in Dubai was electrifying, the industry still has a long road ahead.
“We’re heading toward a structural shakeup. Sure, there might be one more pump. But after that? We’ll need to rebuild everything.”
He pointed to liquidity fragmentation and unsustainable token models as core issues: “If your token has thin liquidity, a $2k trade can crash your price. That kills network effects before they even begin.”
Anna raised an important question: “Everyone’s building AI + RWA, but who’s actually using it? We’re not building for real people.”
Adaku echoed the need for clarity: “If a sentence has 9 acronyms, the user has already bounced. We need to simplify, not mystify.”
CryptoBuddha added: “Liquidity is also human. An empty booth is dead space. A crowded one attracts more energy. That’s your signal.”
Felix noted how this year felt “more grounded.” Less noise and more builders.
Tommy compared the demographics: “Singapore = East Asia. Dubai = the world.” He met founders from sanctioned countries, frontier markets, and crypto communities that are too often overlooked.
Oleksandra talked about how curated side events were becoming the new main stage: “People were applying to 20 events a day. We screened everyone to ensure quality.”
Our guests offered up their best advice for first-time Token2049 attendees — take notes!
Jake: “Treat follow-up like acquisition. If you don’t do it in 48 hours, you’re forgotten.”
Anna: “Say yes to randomness. Practice your pitch. Hydrate.”
Felix: “Activate your network before you land.”
Oleksandra: “Set KPIs. Know why you’re here — or you’ll drift.”
Tommy: “Use the metro. Don’t show up late. Even tickets won’t save you if there’s a line.”
As the conversation wrapped up, the panelists shared some of the most anticipated events to keep an eye on over the next few months:
Solana Accelerating in New York
Asia Circuit Blockchain Weeks starting in late July:
KL Blockchain Week in Malaysia
GN Vietnam (Hanoi, Vietnam)
WebX in Tokyo
Taipei Blockchain Week
Korea Blockchain Week
Token2049 Singapore
Solana Summit (in Vietnam)
Web3 Builder Summit (a smaller event focusing on the Solana ecosystem, including Jupiter, Drift, ETC.)
Consensus
🎤 Final Note: Purpose and People
As the conversation closed, the panelists reminded us of the deeper purpose behind Web3: making a difference and driving social change.
Token2049 Dubai was more than just a conference — it was a convergence of ideas, people, and purpose, highlighting the true potential of Web3 to impact the world.
Recap by Jamee, based on insights from Token2049 Twitter Space, 6th May
Space Link: https://x.com/i/spaces/1eaKbWRVzpdGX
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