ETHDenver, as the world's largest Ethereum ecosystem developer conference, attracts top developers, projects, and investors in the blockchain industry every year. However, the 2025 event sparked widespread controversy. From the perspectives of several friends, criticisms mainly centered on the fragmented themes of the event, excessive commercialization, changes in community atmosphere, and bottlenecks in technological innovation.

I. Declining Appeal of the Main Event: From 'Technical Core' to 'Commercial Show'
Fragmented Themes and Homogenized Content

The main stage of ETHDenver 2025 was criticized for 'lacking technical depth,' with many topics revolving around 'AI and blockchain integration,' 'data ownership,' and 'IP commercialization.' However, discussions of these themes often remained at the conceptual level, lacking concrete technical implementation paths. For example, @redphonecrypto pointed out that while 'AI+Crypto+IP' was this year's core narrative, most projects remained at the 'ChatGPT wrapper + on-chain certification' elementary stage, failing to showcase substantial breakthroughs.
Additionally, the proportion of sponsor activities at the main venue was excessively high, with some developers complaining that 'every few steps was a brand roadshow.' Even the speech by Donald Trump Jr. was seen as 'more about policy advocacy than technical discussion.' This tendency towards commercialization weakened the event's original technical purity.

Side Events Stealing the Spotlight
Users mentioned that meaningful exchanges occurred in 'hacker houses' (such as @sozuhaus) and independently organized hackathons (like @StoryProtocol’s Super Agent Hackathon). These side events gathered top developers, providing a freer atmosphere and more efficient collaboration. In contrast, the main stage's rigid scheduling led to insufficient interaction between speakers and the audience, causing core developers to gradually shift towards peripheral scenarios.
For instance, DoraHacks’ BUIDL Day attracted a large number of developers during the event, offering more practical resource matching opportunities through quadratic funding and project showcases. This phenomenon of 'reversed priorities' further diluted the value of the main stage.

II. Community Fragmentation: The Collision of Idealism and Pragmatism

'Builders' vs. 'Non-Builders'
Users observed that this year's attendees expressed a mainstream sentiment of 'brutal honesty' about the industry's current state. On one hand, developers urgently demanded 'real-world applications' and criticized current projects for overly relying on narratives; on the other hand, capital and marketing teams still tended to package short-term hot topics (like AI agents and data privacy tools). This contradiction sparked heated discussions on Twitter:
@ChainSight_Dev stated: 'ETHDenver 2025 is a funeral for idealists—everyone talks about 'solving problems,' but no one is willing to invest in long-term technology.'

Anonymous developer @buidler_anon countered: 'If we can't even solve user data ownership, how can we talk about implementation? This year's themes are precisely the foundational issues the industry must face.' This fragmentation reflects the industry's phased dilemma: underlying protocols (such as data rights confirmation and IP management) remain immature while the market is eager to seek commercialization outlets.

From 'Decentralized Utopia' to 'Compliance First'
Donald Trump Jr. emphasized 'regulatory clarity' in his speech, calling for businesses to remain in the U.S. rather than move to offshore jurisdictions. This statement sparked controversy within the community. Supporters believe compliance is a necessary path for the industry's growth, while critics argue it 'betrays the spirit of blockchain.' For instance, @CypherPunkMax tweeted: 'When ETHDenver's main stage starts discussing how to please regulators, it loses its soul.'
The rising focus on compliance issues also led to a change in the event's atmosphere—more lawyers and politicians in suits replaced hoodie-wearing developers, further exacerbating the community's sense of alienation.

III. Bottlenecks in Technological Innovation: AI Dependency and Reinventing the Wheel

The 'False Prosperity' of AI Agents
Although users mentioned that 'the capabilities of AI agents far exceed those of a year ago,' most projects were still criticized as 'ChatGPT wrappers + on-chain fine-tuning.' For example, an anonymous judge revealed: 'In this year's AI-related submissions, 70% of the codebases had similarity exceeding 80%, with only front-end interaction design adjustments.' This homogenization exposes the industry's blind pursuit of AI technology rather than addressing actual needs.

@AI_Crypto_Insider pointed out: 'The integration of AI and blockchain requires deeper protocol-level innovations, such as decentralized computing networks or incentive mechanism designs, rather than simply calling APIs.'

Slow Progress in Infrastructure
Despite 'data ownership' being repeatedly mentioned, breakthroughs in related infrastructures (such as decentralized storage and zero-knowledge proofs) have been limited. @PrivacyFirst summarized: 'We are still using five-year-old technology to address today's privacy needs.' For example, a popular data ownership project's white paper was found to have '90% of its content copied from a 2023 Filecoin proposal,' adding only an AI analysis module.

IV. Erosion of Event Experience: Scale Expansion vs. Quality Control

Surge in Attendance and Organizational Chaos
ETHDenver 2025 saw attendance surpassing 30,000, but venue management and agenda planning failed to upgrade accordingly. Many participants complained about 'waiting two hours for a five-minute experience' and 'Wi-Fi failures preventing demos.' This decline in experience has been likened to the 'crypto version of the Fyre Festival tragedy' (@EventHorizon_Tech).
Additionally, the geographical distribution of the main venue and side events was overly scattered, causing developers to be worn out. User @DEVCON_Memes joked: 'The ultimate challenge of ETHDenver 2025 is finding an unoccupied shared scooter.'

Dilution of Community Culture
Previous ETHDenvers were renowned for 'collaboration, open-source, and geek spirit,' but this year's excessive commercial competition and KOL marketing eroded this culture. For instance, a project was exposed for 'bribing developers to modify code to fit its chain,' while the sponsor booths' 'influencer check-in wall' occupied the technical discussion area. @TrueBuidler lamented: 'This is becoming more like CES (Consumer Electronics Show) than a hackathon.'

V. Reflection of the Industry Cycle: The Inevitable Shift from Frenzy to Calm

Capital Retreat and Narrative Fatigue
2025 marked a year-long stagnation in the crypto market, with capital's patience for 'grand narratives' gradually wearing thin. The topic setting of ETHDenver attempted to juggle 'AI, data, IP,' but ended up lacking focus. @CryptoEconPhD analyzed: 'The industry is shifting from 'narrative-driven' to 'utility-driven,' yet organizers still cling to old paradigms.'
Fragmentation of the Developer Ecosystem
With the maturation of Layer 2, modular blockchains, and other technologies, developers' attention has been diverted to specialized fields. For instance, developers in the Cosmos ecosystem are more inclined to attend exclusive conferences (like Cosmoverse) rather than the comprehensive ETHDenver. This fragmentation makes it difficult for the main stage to gather enough 'technical focus.'

Why 2025 Marked a Turning Point?

ETHDenver 2025 exposed deep-seated contradictions in the crypto industry: the conflict between technological ideals and commercial realities, the lag in infrastructure versus market expectations, and the incompatibility of community purity with scale expansion. Although the event still had its highlights (such as the innovative energy of side events), the main stage's disorientation reflects the industry's growing pains. As @redphonecrypto stated: 'This year's convergence is not a victory for technology, but a collective reflection the industry must confront—what exactly are we building? For whom are we building?'

If future ETHDenvers wish to regain their reputation, they may need to return to their 'builder-first' roots, control scale, focus on technological breakthroughs, and reconstruct community consensus—after all, the ultimate goal of blockchain is not to please capital or regulators, but to create permissionless value networks.

Why Was ETHDenver 2025 Considered 'Worse Than Previous Editions'?

ETHDenver, as the world's largest Ethereum ecosystem developer conference, has always attracted top builders, projects, and investors in blockchain. However, the 2025 edition sparked widespread criticism. Based on discussions from crypto KOLs on Twitter, the backlash focused on fragmented themes, excessive commercialization, shifts in community culture, and bottlenecks in innovation. This analysis explores the root causes through multiple lenses, incorporating user feedback and industry context.

I. Declining Appeal of the Main Event: From 'Technical Core' to 'Commercial Show'
Fragmented Themes and Homogenized Content
The 2025 main stage was criticized for 'lacking technical depth,' with excessive focus on conceptual discussions around 'AI-blockchain integration,' 'data ownership,' and 'IP commercialization' without concrete technical roadmaps. For instance, @redphonecrypto noted that while 'AI+Crypto+IP' dominated the narrative, most projects remained at the 'ChatGPT wrapper + on-chain certification' stage, failing to demonstrate breakthroughs.

Additionally, sponsor-driven sessions overcrowded the agenda. Even Donald Trump Jr.'s speech was seen as 'policy advocacy over technical discourse', alienating developers seeking substance.

Side Events Stealing the Spotlight
High-value interactions occurred in hacker houses (e.g., @sozuhaus) and independent hackathons (e.g., @StoryProtocol’s Super Agent Hackathon). These side events offered freedom and collaboration, contrasting with the main stage’s rigid schedule. For example, DoraHacks’ BUIDL Day attracted builders with quadratic funding and project showcases, highlighting the main event’s diminishing relevance.

II. Community Fragmentation: Idealism vs. Pragmatism
Builders vs. Non-Builders

Attendees’ 'brutal honesty' about the industry’s state revealed tensions. Developers demanded 'real-world applications,' while investors prioritized short-term trends (e.g., AI agents). KOL @ChainSight_Dev tweeted: 'ETHDenver 2025 is a funeral for idealists—everyone talks ‘solving problems,’ but no one funds long-term tech.' Conversely, @buidler_anon argued: 'Without solving data ownership, how can we build? This year’s themes are foundational.'

From 'Decentralized Utopia' to 'Compliance First'
Donald Trump Jr.’s emphasis on 'regulatory clarity' and keeping businesses onshore divided the community. Supporters viewed compliance as necessary; critics like @CypherPunkMax called it a 'betrayal of blockchain’s ethos.' The influx of lawyers and politicians further eroded the event’s grassroots vibe.

III. Innovation Bottlenecks: AI Dependency and Reinventing the Wheel

AI Agents’ 'False Prosperity'
Despite advancements, most AI projects were labeled 'ChatGPT wrappers.' An anonymous judge revealed: '70% of AI submissions had 80%+ code similarity.' KOL @AI_Crypto_Insider stressed: 'AI-blockchain fusion needs protocol-level innovation, not API calls.'

Stagnant Infrastructure
While 'data ownership' was a buzzword, decentralized storage and ZK-proofs saw limited progress. @PrivacyFirst noted: 'We’re using 5-year-old tech for today’s privacy needs.' One project’s whitepaper was accused of copying Filecoin’s 2023 proposal.

IV. Eroding Experience: Scale vs. Quality
Logistical Chaos
With attendance surpassing 30,000, poor planning led to hours-long queues and Wi-Fi failures. @EventHorizon_Tech compared it to the 'Fyre Festival of crypto.' Scattered venues forced developers to waste time commuting.

Diluted Community Culture
Commercial competition and KOL marketing overshadowed collaboration. A project allegedly bribed developers to tweak code, while sponsor booths replaced technical zones. @TrueBuidler lamented: 'This feels more like CES than a hackathon.'
V. Industry Cycle Reflection: From Hype to Sobriety

Capital Retreat and Narrative Fatigue
Amid a year-long crypto market slump, patience for 'grand narratives' waned. KOL @CryptoEconPhD argued: 'The industry is shifting from ‘narrative-driven’ to ‘utility-driven,’ but organizers cling to old paradigms.'

Developer Ecosystem Fragmentation
Specialized conferences (e.g., Cosmoverse) drew attention away from ETHDenver, fragmenting technical focus.

Why 2025 Marked a Turning Point

ETHDenver 2025 exposed crypto’s core conflicts: idealism vs. commercialization, infrastructure gaps vs. expectations, and community purity vs. scale. While side events showed promise, the main stage’s identity crisis mirrored the industry’s growing pains. As @redphonecrypto concluded: 'This year’s ‘convergence’ isn’t a win—it’s a reckoning. What are we building, and for whom?'

To regain its edge, ETHDenver must return to its 'builder-first' roots, prioritize technical breakthroughs, and rebuild community consensus. After all, blockchain’s goal isn’t to please regulators or investors—it’s to create permissionless value networks.