CRYPTO currencies may fluctuate depending on market demands, but Hong Kong’s unique attraction for event organisers from the finance industry is on the up following another international conference.
Regarded as the “Super Bowl of Blockchain” or “the World Cup of Web3”, CoinDesk Events – the organisers of Consensus – chose Hong Kong for the event’s debut in Asia and its first beyond North America.
A record of nearly 10,000 attendees from more than 100 countries and gathered at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for the February 18-20 conference. Consensus Hong Kong 2025 also saw 350-plus side events giving the topic of digital assets a festival-style spin.
“The tremendous success of Consensus’s Hong Kong debut marked the city as one of the most conducive destinations to expand the global footprint of proven events,” said Phoebe Shing, who led the business development team for MICE at Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB).
“More than a world’s meeting place, Hong Kong is also a super-connector in the world of finance, innovation and technology and global cultures,” Shing said. “This mega crypto event also puts Hong Kong at the forefront of accelerating the region’s advancement, while generating high-yield tourism spending and business activities to fuel Hong Kong’s economy.”
The scale of the inaugural Hong Kong event has surpassed our expectations, with nearly 10,000 attendees. What truly surprised us is that the community and industry were eager to participate and the fact that we ended up hosting over 350 side events is a strong testament to Hong Kong as a leading global FinTech hub where we have a vibrant ecosystem, entrepreneurial spirits, innovative cultures that nowhere else can replicate. I am also appreciative of the support from the HKTB in securing the event for the city I call home.”
– Michael Lau, Chairman of Consensus Hong Kong
Top financial policymakers from across Asia crypto-currency experts and investors shared the main stage with their counterparts from mainland China and world pioneers in blockchain, digital assets and web3 fields.
Speakers included Richard Teng, CEO of Binance, the largest crypto exchange by trading volume; Adam Back, CEO and co-founder of Blockstream, a global leader in Bitcoin and blockchain technologies; Yat Siu, Co-Founder & Chairman of Animoca Brands, a global leader in blockchain and gaming; Hong Fang, President of OKX, a leading Web3 technology company and a leading crypto exchange.
Sara Stratoberdha, CEO of CoinDesk said, “Consensus has been running for over 10 years and is one of the longest-running and comprehensive digital assets events in the world. Hong Kong, a Fintech hub in Asia serves as a global centre for crypto and web3 technologies, with favourable policies and a large pool of talent for blockchain, digital assets and web3 to thrive. We are thrilled to see that over 75 per cent of attendees are coming from outside Hong Kong – truly international event. The city has proven the ideal choice for expanding Consensus beyond North America.”
Consensus Hong Kong 2025’s opening party was held at Cloud 39, an “ultra-luxury ballroom” in Central at The Henderson with social events that included the horse-racing evening festival at Happy Valley a closing party at the Lan Kwai Fong bar precinct.
Brad Spies, Vice President of Consensus, said: “Hong Kong has a long legacy of finance, banking and some of the deepest capital markets in the world; but it’s also such a vibrant and diverse city with the best restaurants, fantastic venues and unique experiences. The city simply fulfilled the promises of delivering the best of business and fun. Hong Kong is such a world-class city for people to come and transform business events into mega festivals.”
