Hack Seasons Conference Cannes Announces Speakers: From S&P Global And EY To Arbitrum And 21Shares, The Industry’s Brightest Minds Are Coming
In Brief
Hack Seasons Conference Cannes brings together world-class leaders from S&P Global, EY, Arbitrum, 21Shares, Franklin Templeton, and beyond to define the future of institutional crypto, tokenization, and Web3 innovation.
The upcoming Hack Seasons Conference in Cannes is set to feature an impressive lineup of speakers, each contributing their unique perspectives and expertise to the event.
Among the notable figures are Sébastien Borget, Co-Founder & COO of The Sandbox, a pioneer in blockchain gaming and the decentralized metaverse, and Ed Felten, Chief Scientist & Co-Founder of Offchain Labs, who has deep expertise in optimizing smart contract execution. Also joining is Arthur Breitman, Co-Founder of Tezos, one of the most prominent figures in layer-1 blockchain development.
Joining this esteemed group are industry leaders such as Patrick Hansen, Senior Director of EU Strategy & Policy at Circle, a key figure in European crypto regulation and stablecoin policy, and Jason Lau, CIO at OKX, representing one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges by volume.
Other distinguished speakers sharing their insights include Ophelia Snyder, Co-Founder of 21Shares, who pioneered the world’s first physically-backed crypto ETP, and Paul Brody, Global Blockchain Leader at EY and Author of Ethereum for Business, who is driving enterprise blockchain adoption at a global scale. Also speaking are Zach Pandl, Head of Research at Grayscale Investments, Andrew O’Neill, Managing Director & Digital Assets Analytical Lead at S&P Global Ratings, and Rafael Mastroberardino of Franklin Templeton, all of whom are shaping the future of institutional digital asset markets.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the conference’s top speakers.
Andrew O’Neill, Managing Director & Digital Assets Analytical Lead, S&P Global Ratings
With over 15 years in the financial sector, Andrew O’Neill leads S&P Global Ratings’ digital assets work, reshaping traditional risk frameworks to accommodate blockchain data, smart contracts, and on-chain portfolios. He is Co-Chair of S&P’s Digital Assets Research Lab and one of the most authoritative TradFi voices on crypto risk. He recently steered S&P Global’s participation in the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Project Guardian, developing analytic frameworks for tokenized capital markets. In early 2026, he appeared on CNBC to discuss potential triggers for the next inflection point in crypto adoption. His presence signals the full arrival of Wall Street’s rating establishment in the digital asset space.
Ed Felten, Co-Founder & Chief Scientist, Offchain Labs (Arbitrum)
Developer of the Arbitrum technology, and Professor Emeritus of Computer Science and Public Affairs at Princeton University. He previously served at the White House as Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer. He co-founded Offchain Labs in 2018 alongside two doctoral students, having first developed Arbitrum as a Princeton research project. Today, Arbitrum One is the industry’s leading scaling solution for Ethereum, with a vast ecosystem of blockchain applications. Felten’s rare blend of government policy experience, academic rigor, and hands-on blockchain building makes him one of the most compelling speakers in the Web3 world.
Matthew Dawson, Enterprise Lead, Ethereum Foundation
As part of the Ethereum Foundation’s Ecosystem Development team, Matthew is focusing on Enterprise Acceleration, with a background in financial services consulting and blockchain advisory and investments. He works directly with corporations, financial institutions, and regulators to drive real-world Ethereum adoption at scale. He has presented on enterprise Ethereum adoption at major summits across Europe, becoming one of the Foundation’s most active voices in bridging institutional finance and the Ethereum ecosystem. As enterprise blockchain moves from pilot to production, Dawson is shaping the playbook.
Ophelia Snyder, Co-Founder, 21Shares
A Forbes 30 Under 30 alumna began her career in venture capital and investment banking before entering crypto. She attended Stanford University. She co-founded 21Shares in 2018, listing the world’s first physically-backed crypto ETP on the SIX Swiss Exchange just months later. In October 2025, 21Shares was acquired by FalconX — marking the largest exit by a female founder in crypto history. Having built 21Shares from a scrappy Zurich startup into a $10B+ AUM global platform, Snyder is one of the most consequential figures in institutional crypto investing.
Paul Brody, Global Blockchain Leader, EY | Author, Ethereum for Business
Paul Brody drives blockchain initiatives across consulting, audit, and tax, and serves as Chairman of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA), the leading global community for enterprise blockchain. He has led EY to develop the Nightfall privacy-enabled Ethereum Layer 2 network and the Starlight zero-knowledge compiler, both contributed to the public domain. His book Ethereum for Business earned a personal endorsement from Vitalik Buterin and was hailed as one of Fortune’s top three crypto books of 2023. Brody is the single most credible bridge between the Fortune 500 boardroom and the Ethereum ecosystem.
Beyond The Headline Speakers: A Deep Bench Of Industry Leaders
Among other speakers are Zach Pandl, Head of Research at Grayscale Investments, known for his Wall Street macro expertise now applied to digital assets, and Patrick Hansen, Senior Director of EU Strategy & Policy at Circle, who is shaping the regulatory future of stablecoins across Europe. Also speaking is Charles Guillemet, CTO of Ledger, a pioneer in crypto security infrastructure and self-custody innovation.
Attendees will gain insights from Jason Lau, CIO of OKX, and Clarisse Hagege, Founder & CEO of Dfns, whose work in wallet infrastructure is redefining how financial institutions interact with blockchain at scale. Joining them is Bhaji Illuminati, CEO of Centrifuge, a trailblazer in real-world asset tokenization, and Rafael Mastroberardino, Digital Assets Partnership Lead at Franklin Templeton, who brings the weight of one of the world’s largest asset managers to the conversation.
Other distinguished speakers include Theo Golden, Tokenisation Lead at Baillie Gifford; Liam Karwan, Head of Tokenization Business at Chainlink Labs; and David Durouchoux, Deputy CEO of SG-Forge, all of whom are driving the convergence of traditional finance and on-chain capital markets.
The conference will also feature Andrej Bencic, Co-Founder & CEO of Tenderly, Martin Bruncko, Founder & CEO of Schuman Financial, Mykolas Majauskas, Global Head of Policy at Bybit, and Ciara Sun, Founder & GP of C² Ventures. Rounding out the lineup are Dorian Vincileoni, Head of Regional Growth at Kraken, and Rafael Mastroberardino of Franklin Templeton, both contributing their forward-thinking visions for the future of institutional crypto and decentralized finance.
That’s not all! Expect even more founders, investors, developers, and industry pioneers to join us for an unforgettable day of insights and networking.
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About The Author
Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
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Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
