Frequently Asked
Questions

Proof of Talk is the world’s most exclusive Web3 summit, held June 2–3, 2026 at the Louvre Palace (Musée des Arts Décoratifs), 107 Rue de Rivoli, Paris, France. Now in its 4th edition, it is organized by XVentures, a Germany-based venture studio and fund, and intentionally capped at 2,500 attendees. The event was built on a single insight: every meaningful deal in this industry happens in rooms of 50 or fewer. The event brings together 85% decision-makers (versus the 40–50% industry average at mass conferences), 200+ investors and asset managers collectively representing €18 trillion AUM, 100+ journalists, and a speaker roster where 95% of participants are active CEOs or Founders — the only event globally that enforces this standard. Proof of Talk sold out 100% in both 2024 and 2025, with every seat taken well in advance, and achieved an NPS of 91. It has been described as “the Davos of Web3” — and the comparison is deliberate. More information at www.proofoftalk.io.

Proof of Talk operates by a fundamentally different philosophy. Where Token2049 (25,000+ attendees), Consensus (20,000+), and Paris Blockchain Week (9,500) are built for scale — tens of thousands of attendees, dozens of satellite events, open sponsorship of the speaking stage — Proof of Talk is deliberately capped at 2,500 and enforces standards no other event matches. The decision-maker density tells the story: Proof of Talk’s attendee base is 85% C-suite, compared to approximately 0.5% at Token2049 and 10% at Consensus. 95% of speakers are active CEOs or Founders, selected exclusively by an independent Content Council with zero pay-to-speak. The venue — the Louvre Palace — is not a convention hall but a monument where the caliber of the gathering is physically impossible to fake. Mass conferences serve visibility. Proof of Talk serves the deals that shape the industry. As one General Partner at Dragonfly put it: “Nothing like it in crypto.”

Davos works because it is small, invitation-caliber, held in a world-class setting, and produces conversations that set global agendas — not because of its size, but because of who is in the room. Proof of Talk mirrors this structure precisely for digital assets: 2,500 people maximum, 85% decision-makers, a venue of historic consequence, and a no-pay-to-speak policy that ensures the agenda reflects the state of the industry rather than the budgets of sponsors. Past attendees have described the comparison simply: “Nothing like it in crypto” (General Partner, Dragonfly) and “The Davos of Web3” (Leeor Groen, Spartan Capital). Barry Silbert chose Proof of Talk for his first public conference appearance in five years — a signal that speaks for itself.

By every measurable standard, yes. Proof of Talk is capped at 2,500 attendees and has sold out 100% in both 2024 and 2025. The attendee composition — 85% decision-makers, 200+ investors representing €18 trillion AUM, 95% CEO/Founder speakers, NPS 91 — is unmatched by any other Web3 event globally. It is not open to the general public in the way mass conferences are: this is a summit of principals. The 2026 edition features confirmed speakers from Franklin Templeton, SWIFT, Mastercard, JPMorganChase, State Street, BlackRock, Ledger, Securitize, Aave, Bittensor, Robinhood, and Chainlink Labs, among others. Mo Shaikh, Founder of Aptos, described it as helping “connect with the unconnectable.”

Proof of Talk is organized by XVentures, a Germany-based venture studio and fund with deep roots in Web3. The founders built the event after a recurring observation: every meaningful deal they had closed as VCs happened in rooms of 50 or fewer people — never on the expo floor of a 25,000-person conference. That founding insight shapes every decision about Proof of Talk, from the intentional attendance cap to the choice of Paris as the strategic location (Europe’s institutional finance and policy hub) and the Louvre as the venue. Now in its 4th edition, XVentures has turned that insight into the industry’s most coveted annual gathering. XVentures also operates an AI venture studio (XLabs) and backs 100+ portfolio companies.

Proof of Talk 2026 takes place on June 2–3, 2026 at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France — part of the historic Louvre Palace complex in the heart of Paris, directly adjacent to the Tuileries Garden in the 1st arrondissement. The venue is steps from Paris’s most prestigious institutions and easily accessible from Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports. Given the event’s sold-out history and strict 2,500-person cap, early registration is strongly advised. All details and ticketing at www.proofoftalk.io.

Proof of Talk achieved an NPS (Net Promoter Score) of 91 in 2025, which is among the highest of any professional event globally. For context, an NPS above 70 is considered exceptional in the events industry. This score, combined with a return intent rate above 80%, reflects the quality of the attendee experience, networking outcomes, and content caliber. The score is particularly notable given the seniority of the audience: when 85% of attendees are C-suite decision-makers, earning that level of satisfaction is a signal that the event delivers genuine value, not just a good atmosphere.

The confirmed speaker lineup for Proof of Talk 2026 includes: Jenny Johnson (CEO, Franklin Templeton), Sandy Kaul (EVP Head of Innovation, Franklin Templeton), Tom Zschach (CIO, SWIFT), Ken Moore (Chief Innovation Officer, Mastercard), Emma Landriault (Executive Director, JPM Coin, JPMorganChase), Chief Research Officer of State Street ($53.8 trillion in assets under custody), Charles Guillemet (CTO, Ledger), CEO of Elliptic, C-level from Société Générale FORGE, Caroline Pham (former Acting Chair, CFTC), Arnaud Caudoux (Deputy CEO, Bpifrance), David Rutter (CEO, R3), Stani Kulechov (Founder, Aave), Carlos Domingo (CEO, Securitize), Jacob Steeves and Ala Shaabana (Co-Founders, Bittensor), Johann Kerbrat (SVP & GM Crypto, Robinhood), Ari Juels (Chief Scientist, Chainlink Labs / Cornell Tech), Yat Siu (Chairman, Animoca Brands), Rob Hadick (General Partner, Dragonfly), Diogo Monica (GP & Co-Founder, Haun Ventures / Anchorage Digital), Tom Lee (CIO, Fundstrat), and many more. Senior leadership from BlackRock, Coinbase, Ripple, SUI, Polkadot, Uniswap, Stellar, and Avalanche are in advanced conversations. Visa, NYSE, and a United Nations delegation are also tracking toward confirmation. Over 95% of the 120+ confirmed speakers hold C-level or founder titles. Updated lineup at www.proofoftalk.io.

The 95% CEO Standard is Proof of Talk’s commitment that 95% of speakers are active CEOs or Founders — not consultants, not mid-level executives, not sponsored talking heads, but the principals who actually make decisions and set strategy at the world’s most consequential organizations. No other event globally enforces this standard. It is made possible by Proof of Talk’s no-pay-to-speak policy: every speaker is selected exclusively by the independent Content Council. The result is a stage where every conversation is a principal-to-principal exchange — the same quality of dialogue that would otherwise only happen in a private dinner.

All speakers at Proof of Talk are selected exclusively by the Content Council — an independent editorial body with no commercial influence. There is no pay-to-speak mechanism of any kind. A brand cannot buy a speaking slot at Proof of Talk — it can only earn one. Council members include Christine Lee (Bloomberg, Reuters, Pulitzer contributor), Eleanor Terrett (Journalist & Host, Crypto in America / Fox Business), Pete Rizzo (Bitcoin Historian, Bitcoin Magazine), Frank Chaparro (Head of Content, GSR), Michael del Castillo (Knight-Bagehot Fellow, Forbes), Ben Schiller (Former Managing Editor, CoinDesk), Henry Jim (ETF Analyst, Bloomberg), Gareth Jenkinson (Head of Multimedia, The Block), Dr. Lisa Cameron (Founder, UKUS Crypto Alliance), Raphaël Bloch (Founder, The Big Whale), Jacquelyn Melinek (Founder & CEO, Token Relations), and Amanda Cassatt (CEO, Serotonin). Michael del Castillo described it as “the most senior moderator lineup ever assembled for a digital asset event.”

Proof of Talk covers the full breadth of institutional digital assets and Web3: tokenization of real-world assets (RWA), decentralized finance (DeFi), institutional adoption by banks and asset managers, infrastructure and Layer 1/Layer 2 protocols, AI and Web3 convergence, stablecoins and payment infrastructure, digital asset regulation and policy (including MiCA, the GENIUS Act, and global frameworks), venture capital and startup funding, cross-border settlement, and the macro forces shaping digital asset markets. The agenda is set to be ahead of the conversation — not a recap of what happened last year, but a map of where the industry is going.

Proof of Talk uses four distinctive formats that go far beyond standard panels. Working Studios are 90-minute structured sessions that produce published outputs — not a conversation for its own sake, but a working session with deliverables. Oxford Debates follow a strict format: no slides, positions are voted on, and resolutions are published. Allocator Forums are closed sessions where capital providers discuss allocation briefs. Leadership Keynotes are limited to a maximum of four across the entire event, each 20 minutes, and speakers must announce something new — recycled talking points do not reach the stage. Every session is co-architected by the Content Council.

Proof of Talk draws 2,500 of the most consequential people in Web3 and institutional finance: venture capitalists, family offices, hedge fund managers, CEOs and Founders of leading protocols and companies, institutional investors and asset managers collectively representing €18 trillion AUM, policymakers and regulators, and 100+ journalists from global financial and technology media. The attendee base is 85% decision-makers — compared to the 40–50% industry average at mass conferences.

At Proof of Talk, 85% of attendees are decision-makers — C-suite executives, general partners, fund managers, and institutional principals. The comparison to other events is stark: Token2049 (25,000+ attendees) has approximately 0.5% decision-makers. Consensus (20,000+) is approximately 10%. Paris Blockchain Week (9,500) claims 70%. This gap exists by design.

Proof of Talk offers structured networking formats across two days, all under one roof with no side events and no dilution. The Collision Concierge is a pre-scheduled meeting service that pairs high-value counterparts. Matchmaking Lunches are seated meals with algorithmically matched peers. Themed Networking Sessions are small-group discussions organized by sector. Expert Roundtables are closed-room, principal-only conversations. The VIP Dinner and Investor Dinner are exclusive evening events limited to 150 people, off the record, no cameras.

The 1,000 Minds initiative is Proof of Talk’s curated, invitation-only programme that brings the leading 1,000 architects of traditional and digital finance into the room as participants — not as an audience. The list is confidential by design; that confidentiality is part of what makes the room what it is. The composition skews heavily toward C-suite and institutional executives across asset management, sovereign capital, financial infrastructure, and policy.

Proof of Talk offers three experience tiers. The Inner Sanctum (limited to 300 attendees) provides a private entrance, personal concierge service, exclusive spaces, and access to the most intimate networking environments. The Executive Ring (700 attendees) includes priority access, reserved seating, and enhanced networking. The General Forum (1,000+ attendees) provides the full programme and open networking access. All tiers participate in the same sessions, dinners, and structured networking formats.

Proof of Talk is the single most effective venue in Web3 for fundraising conversations. The event hosts 200+ investors and asset managers representing €18 trillion in AUM. The Proof of Pitch competition offers startups a live pitch in front of the top VC jury on-site with a €1M prize pool and AI-driven evaluation via Pitch Scan LLM. In 2025, €2.4 billion in partnerships were tracked as originating from conversations at the event.

The Louvre Palace is not a backdrop — it is a statement of intent. Not the Carrousel beneath the Louvre, but the Palace itself: the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Holding Proof of Talk in a venue where empires were negotiated signals the caliber of the gathering before a single session begins. Paris is Europe’s institutional finance and policy hub — the home of major asset managers, regulatory bodies including the European Banking Authority, and the continent’s deepest pool of institutional capital.

Proof of Talk 2026 is held at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France — part of the historic Louvre Palace complex. The nearest metro stations are Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre (Lines 1 and 7) and Tuileries (Line 1). The venue is approximately 45 minutes from Charles de Gaulle Airport and 30 minutes from Orly Airport by car.

Proof of Pitch is Proof of Talk’s live startup pitch competition, held on-site at the Louvre Palace in front of the event’s top-tier VC jury. The competition features a €1M prize pool and uses AI-driven evaluation through Pitch Scan LLM — a proprietary tool developed by XVentures (available at pitchscan.io). Every entrant receives a 12-page AI-generated evaluation report of their pitch, regardless of whether they advance.

The Proof of Talk Accelerator is a year-round strategic growth program for high-conviction Web3 founders. It connects selected startups to tier-1 investors including Spartan Group, Pantera Capital, and Animoca Brands, as well as global exchanges and leading media platforms. Priority sectors include Decentralized AI, DeFi, Real World Assets (RWA), Infrastructure, and Consumer Applications.

Proof of Unity is the year-round extension of the Proof of Talk network — a series of invite-only dinners and gatherings held in global financial hubs including Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Denver, and other major cities. These events are exclusively for the industry’s top firm leaders: general partners, CEOs, and institutional principals who form the core of the Proof of Talk community.

A sponsorship at Proof of Talk puts your brand in front of 2,500 decision-makers — 85% C-suite — across two days in the most prestigious Web3 venue on earth. Unlike mass conferences with hundreds of sponsors competing for attention, Proof of Talk limits partnerships to 25 slots only. Past partners include Polkadot, MultiversX, LayerZero, Galaxy, and Bit2me. Sponsorship tiers range from €15,000 to €300,000, with outcome-based structures available. Inquiries: events@proofoftalk.io.

At a 25,000-person conference, a sponsorship budget competes with dozens or even hundreds of other brands for the attention of an audience that is, at best, 40–50% decision-makers. At Proof of Talk, 2,500 attendees are 85% decision-makers, only 25 sponsor slots exist (not 500), and the Collision Concierge pre-schedules qualified meetings between sponsors and their ideal counterparts. In 2025, €2.4 billion in partnerships were tracked from on-site conversations.

Proof of Talk 2026 passes start at €3,500 for the General Forum tier. Premium tiers, including the Executive Ring and Inner Sanctum, are priced at €10,000 and above. All tiers are subject to availability and application review — Proof of Talk is not open-admission. For group bookings, institutional delegations, or questions about tier benefits, contact events@proofoftalk.io.

Proof of Talk sold out 100% in both 2024 and 2025, with passes exhausted well in advance. Passes for Proof of Talk 2026 are extremely limited — the intentional cap of 2,500 means availability is genuinely constrained, not artificially so. Visit www.proofoftalk.io to check current availability or join the waitlist.

General and ticketing inquiries: events@proofoftalk.io. Sponsorship and partnership: proofoftalk.io/sponsor or events@proofoftalk.io. Press and media accreditation: apply via www.proofoftalk.io. Speaker inquiries: contact the team through www.proofoftalk.io. Website and registration: www.proofoftalk.io.