CoinDesk kicked off its first-ever Consensus crypto event in Toronto this morning by announcing it won’t be coming back.
The conference team announced it was coming to Toronto last May, due to the city of Austin, Texas embarking on a significant renovation of the convention center that hosted the event for three straight years. At the same time, CoinDesk announced it was adding a second showing in Hong Kong, which took place this past February.
This morning, Consensus re-upped its commitment to return to Hong Kong in February 2026, but Toronto wasn’t part of the plans for next year. Instead, the next mid-year Consensus will be held in Miami from May 5 to 7, 2026.
The overwhelmingly favourable Web3 environment in the United States may be drawing the conference back south.
In a statement, CoinDesk described the new location as “one of the world’s leading tech and crypto hubs” and a gateway to Latin America, which positions the event “at the strategic crossroads of global capital, talent, and innovation.”
“This expansion marks a significant milestone for the conference as it continues to grow its global footprint,” CoinDesk said.
The conference organizers made similar comments when they picked Toronto for 2025 festivities, calling Toronto’s tech ecosystem “among the fastest-growing in North America,” driven by a thriving community of startups, tech giants, and a strong talent pool. Consensus chairman Michael Lau also said that “many people don’t realize the outsized role Canadians have played in the history and development of blockchain and crypto.”
While Canada has a crypto regulation framework that “you can work with,” as Robinhood Crypto SVP Johann Kerbrat told BetaKit this week, the overwhelmingly favourable Web3 environment in the United States under President Donald Trump may be drawing the conference back south. Trump’s promises to overhaul cryptocurrency regulations and start a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” (of questionable utility) have led to major gains for cryptocurrency companies.
RELATED: A US-Canada crypto summit is shaping up at Consensus 2025
In a statement to BetaKit, CoinDesk senior vice-president of growth strategy Keith Wallace said that “Toronto is proving an exceptional host for Consensus,” but confirmed that US crypto policy did play a role in the decision to migrate the conference.
“Consensus always positions itself where the most urgent conversations are happening,” Wallace said. “With U.S. regulation evolving quickly, Washington’s policies carry major implications for our attendees and the wider digital‑asset sector.”
Wallace added that Toronto remains a “key chapter” in Consensus’ story, and that the company looks forward to strengthening its ties with Canada’s crypto community.
Founded in 2015 and produced by crypto publication CoinDesk, Consensus is claimed to be the longest-running crypto and Web3 event in the world, with more than 15,000 attendees at this year’s conference in Toronto. The event brings together industry players to talk about digital assets, blockchain, Web3, and artificial intelligence (AI).
This year’s conference attracted some big names from, and to, Canada to discuss all things crypto from May 14 to 16. Some Canadian leaders at the conference include Lucas Matheson of Coinbase Canada, Dean Skurka of the recently acquired WonderFi, and TV personality Kevin O’Leary.
UPDATE (05/14/2025): This story has been updated with comment from CoinDesk senior vice-president of growth strategy Keith Wallace.
Feature image courtesy Consensus.