Consensus 2025 has assembled a powerhouse lineup of speakers focused on advancing the adoption of Web3 technology on both sides of the US-Canada border.
“Many people don’t realize the outsized role Canadians have played in the history and development of blockchain and crypto.”
As tariffs and trade wars continue to dominate the headlines, Consensus has announced a second wave of speakers focused on decentralized technologies that defy traditional market thinking.
The who’s-who of crypto leaders, advocates, and thinkers, and a record-breaking concentration of Canadian founders will attend the event in Toronto this May.
Team Canada
“Many people don’t realize the outsized role Canadians have played in the history and development of blockchain and crypto,” said Michael Lau, Chairman of Consensus.
Consensus is bringing together Canadian Web3 leaders from across the country and around the world, and has assembled the highest ever concentration of Canadian founders to fly the Canadian Web3 flag, including Lau himself, a Canadian based in Hong Kong.
This group includes EtherFi founder Mike Silagadze, Lorien Gabriel of Figment, Henri Arslanian of Nine Blocks Capital Management, Michael Ashby of Algoquant, Anthony Di Iorio of Decentral, Roham Gharegozlou of Dapper Labs, Pascal St-Jean of 3iQ, Dean Skurka of WonderFi, and Adam Cai of Virgo CX.
These founders will be joined by Wealthsimple’s Canadian digital asset lead, as well as Web3 advocates Don Tapscott of the Blockchain Research Institute.
They will be joined by operators focused on infrastructure, policy, and the systems that support long-term growth. Jelena Djuric, CEO of Noble, is solving asset issuance in the Cosmos ecosystem, a critical infrastructure challenge focused on interoperability and compliance.
Morva Rohani, Executive Director of the Canadian Web3 Council, has spent the past two years engaging policymakers, drafting recommendations, and advocating for frameworks that support innovation while addressing systemic risk.
And Lucas Matheson, CEO Coinbase Canada, will appear at Consensus after launching a “Stand with Crypto” campaign to ensure Canada remains a global leader in the technology.
Kevin O’Leary, investor and TV personality known for his role on Shark Tank and Dragon’s Den, will also be on hand, and has said that Toronto is the “perfect setting to push the digital asset conversation forward.”
These speakers will also be joined by Raine Maida, lead vocalist of Our Lady Peace, who is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Fandrop, a fan acquisition platform for live events.
Team USA
The US speaker roster has big crypto energy.
Eric Trump is slated to speak at Consensus 2025, following the launch of American Bitcoin in late March. The company aims to become the world’s largest pure-play bitcoin miner.
Trump will appear alongside Robert Hines, Executive Director of the President’s Council of the White House, and Anthony Scaramucci, Founder of SkyBridge Capital and former White House Director of Communications.
One speaker who has not been immune to recent economic shocks is Dave Portnoy, Founder and Chief of Content at Barstool Sports. Portnoy, who has built a massive media empire, has publicly commented that he lost in excess of $7 million USD as a result of market reactions to US tariffs.
Portnoy questioned blockchain’s resilience to traditional market forces recently, with a post on X with more than 5.5 million views.
Portnoy will have the chance to press his questions on stage.
Also speaking is Sergey Nazarov, Co-Founder of Chainlink, appearing fresh on the heels of commentary predicting that US tariffs and market uncertainty will push institutions toward DeFi and blockchain adoption.
Nazarov, who attended the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, has said that market reaction to tariffs highlights the fragility of centralized financial institutions, and touted blockchain as immune to geopolitical upheavals.
The US contingent also brings considerable fire power in regulatory expertise.
As Superintendent of the New York Department of Financial Services, speaker Adrienne Harris leads one of the most powerful crypto regulators in the world. Her office recently fined Block, Inc. $40 million USD for anti-money laundering failures.
Harris has scaled her crypto team, clarified licensing requirements, and made it clear that enforcement is part of the path forward. Her work has shaped how stablecoins, exchanges, and custody platforms operate.
Consensus is also expected to host speakers from around the world, including Premier of Bermuda David Burt, Yat Siu of Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands, Alessio Quaglini of Hex Trust, and Laszlo Szabo of French tech firm Kiln.
Consensus 2025 is less than one month away. If you’re planning to be there, now’s the time to lock it in. Use code BETAKIT for 20 percent off your pass.
Feature image by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.