The usefulness of Web3 conferencing was once indisputable. However, things have changed in recent years. High ticket prices, poorly curated venues, and less-than-inspiring panels have left many unsatisfied.
The consensus is that things have to changeand Consensus has answered the call (apologies for the pun).
Curated by CoinDesk, Consensus is one of the largest annual events in cryptography and Web3. And it looks like the events team is evolving considerably for the 2023 iteration. Today, CoinDesk announced a series of partnerships aimed at creating a token-based experience for the event. It centers around Microcosms, a collection of NFTs that will give holders three years of career access to Consensus and a multi-tiered reward system that runs from 2023 to 2025.
Microcosm explained
For quite some time, NFT ticketing has remained the underdog of the NFT market. While some of the world’s biggest music festivals have begun to experiment with this type of ticketing, Web3-focused events outside of the mainstream music scene have remained relatively untapped. With Microcosms, CoinDesk hopes to change this.
Each holder will receive a unique piece of generative art created by a Brooklyn-based artist. Fahad Karim. Speaking to nft now, Sam Ewen, head of CoinDesk Studios, noted that the art was conceived and created alongside the utility. “The art itself is developed over a three-year arc to match the three-year access rewards which are complementary airdrops,” he explained.
The project was created in collaboration with Art Blocks Engine, TokenProof and Passage Protocol. Through this partnership, the team says their goal is to bring real value to those who are “invested in the future of blockchain and Web3.”
The collection has 1000 pieces, which will cost 1.5E each.
Interested in collecting a Microcosms NFT? You’ll have a Pro Pass automatically in your wallet for Consensus 2023, 2024, and 2025. On top of that, you’ll gain access to different incentives that correspond to different levels of rarity. “Other than the annual show ticket, which everyone gets, the access rewards have their own rarities and are randomized and removed every year for the next three years,” Ewen explained.
In 2023, rewards include things like a Consensus speaking slot, a booth on the show floor (a $19,500 value), a complimentary hotel stay, 25 infinite items, and a lot further.
Go beyond the ordinary
Microcosms offers Consensus attendees much more to enjoy and experience than what can normally be found at the event. However, the effort is more notable because it speaks to the company’s increased commitment to Web3.
Instead of running a standard ticketed event, they are experimenting with Web3-based technologies that can be used to increase utility and value and deepen their relationship with their community. Having released the social profile $DESK in 2021 to foster similar levels of usefulness and engagement with its readers, this latest move is perhaps just the next logical step.
To learn more about the vision behind CoinDesk’s blockchain-powered conference and to mint an NFT from the Microcosms collection, visit the official mint site here.
