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The network effect has brought blockchain enthusiasts, television personalities, and even some traditional finance professionals to Toronto. Both the Futurist and Consensus 25 crypto conferences are taking place this month between the 13th and 16th. With so many speakers, it will be an information-packed week. The simple fact that interest in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies has expanded into a full week-long event is a clear sign of how much attention to blockchain technology has grown in Canada.
If you had attended this type of event ten years ago, you would have enjoyed intimate break rooms, where about sixty people connected over a common interest they believed was about to disrupt and decentralize some of the foundational systems we have come to rely on. The early adopters who attended Toronto’s Bitcoin 2014 were able to enjoy direct conversations with developers who are now some of the biggest thought leaders in the space.
Past Meets Future at the Old Toronto Stock Exchange
Kicking off the week on Bay Street, attendees heard from Anthony Di Iorio, the founder behind Ethereum, Decentral, and Andiami, who took the stage as Futurist’s keynote speaker. Di Iorio has been a staple in the community and a fitting choice given his early contributions to blockchain specifically in Canada. The action-filled day wrapped up with a celebration on the trading floor of the old Toronto Stock Exchange, it was an appropriate theme where past meets future.
It’s timely to reflect on the blockchain sector’s development and pause to consider what is yet to come. Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Romer’s, Indigenous Growth Theory found that it took about a decade for society to effectively adopt a new technology. When it comes to crypto’s acceleration, his research appears consistent with blockchain’s current development timeline.
Use cases beyond DeFi are still in their infancy, and regulatory bodies across the globe are* in the process of defining the future through increased guidance. Countries have taken different approaches to the technology and here in Canada, the regulators have been proactive. Perhaps that is why Canada was home to the first Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). Global regulatory clarity remains an important goal for stakeholders seeking to balance innovation with investor protection.
Ten years ago, crypto enthusiasts were the ones largely ignored at gatherings when they tried to explain how digital scarcity could return power to the people. Now they are often the ones surrounded by individuals wanting to learn more about the “best” tokens, what mining is, and the safest ways to store or hold digital assets. Crypto is slowly finding its way into mainstream conversations as it becomes clearer and clearer that digital assets and blockchain tech might continue to play a role in institutional conversations. In what capacity remains unknown. Will Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) be implemented, or will the public come to consensus on decentralized models? Perhaps a hybrid landscape awaits us.
Since Bitcoin’s discovery, many other blockchains have come to market. Today, the popular website CoinMarketCap has data on nearly ten thousand tokens. This reflects the level of interest and the volume of technical talent contributing to on-chain development. It’s wild to consider that there are this many options yet approximately 3% of the globe's population have used Bitcoin, let alone heard of many of the other tokens available today. Statistica’s May 2025 report showed there are “Bitcoin ATMs in 74 countries and territories worldwide”. Coincidentally, Anthony Di Iorio, was also instrumental to Toronto's first Bitcoin ATM operating the King and Spadina location which opened just over ten years ago, that same year the 2014 Bitcoin conference was held.
Real-world asset advocates have enjoyed Blackrock CEO Larry Fink’s efforts in raising awareness about institutional interest in tokenization over the past year. His voice has brought significant attention to the potential of digital assets. Although he was absent from these particular conferences in Toronto, he has been on the world stage talking about tokenization. From Davos to CNBC, Fink has been behind an interviewer's microphone advocating for clearer regulatory guidance around tokenization. It may seem ironic to those early Bitcoiners who subscribed to the ideology of decentralization, but many observers expected that institutional interest in digital scarcity would increase over time.
One clip from Consensus that is already going viral on the X platform is from Anthony Scaramucci, on stage reiterating the mainstream marketing power, "Wall Street is a selling machine" and BlackRock has "turned on the dial", he said.
The Consensus 25 speaker lineup offers further indication of how blockchain’s reach is expanding across industries. It’s no longer a computer science-dominated crowd. There are regulatory bodies and large institutions participating in this wallet-based system. Recognizable faces like Eric Trump and Shark Tank's Kevin O’Leary, Chairman of O’Leary Ventures, are among the many speakers this week. Thomas Farley, former President of the New York Stock Exchange, now CEO of Bullish, a global regulated exchange, will be moderating O’Leary’s panel discussing Crypto’s Next Chapter.
Where this technology goes from here will be defined by our imaginations. Participants observed that the industry's trajectory is being shaped by the ongoing regulatory conversations, innovation, and choices we are making right now. As the conferences are so aptly titled, many will leave this week understanding more about crypto, and that what comes next will depend on our collective consensus.
We provide educational content, timely updates, and industry insights to help Canadians learn about blockchain and digital assets topics. Visit our regularly updated blog to read about even more crypto topics!
