Messari Mainnet 2022: A Conference of Mainly Men

Recently, I had the opportunity to represent the Violet Verse at Messari Mainnet 2022 in NYC. I thought I was walking into a treasure trove of Web3 content shaping the future, but the future didn’t look like what I expected. 

In September 2022, Messari hosted the international tech conference Mainnet 2022 in Manhattan, New York. Pier 36 welcomed people from all over the world to listen to executives speak on various panels and visit tech company booths. Typical stuff. 

Big players in the non-fungible tokens, decentralized finance, and blockchain sphere like Solana, Ripple, and Mantra were present. Amongst these prominent companies was a sea of men, free socks, stickers, and mediocre t-shirts but hardly any women. Let alone female leadership. I will admit, there was one robot that was designed as a woman. 

Don’t get me wrong, these companies at Mainnet 2022 are building the future.

But it didn’t look nearly like the ideal tech future I was expecting. Most of the executives were predominantly cisgender men. All leading companies with brilliant goals and achievable milestones. Some of the projects these organizations were promoting are some of the most innovative ideas I’ve come across. Such as implementing healthcare services on the blockchain or smart contract development. Yet, these projects appeared to be stuck in an echo chamber of masculinity.

Female executives did speak at the event. There was Kristin Smith, executive director of the Blockchain Association, who is currently working on public policy and legislation surrounding cryptocurrency and the blockchain. Then there was Lauren Halstead, who is leading business development for the sports, media, and entertainment sector at Chainlink Labs who spoke on the panel, “Can NFTs Eat More Than Art?” Additionally, various women tech reporters like Tracy Wang, managing editor at CoinDesk and senior crypto and fintech reporter at TechCrunch Anita Ramaswamy were at Mainnet 2022. 

I got the impression there was very little feminine influence on these tech projects in contrast to the masculine influence because not many of the projects were specifically made for women. Sure, health services on the blockchain sounds appealing but can it help with reproductive rights? Even the line for the men’s bathroom was longer than the women’s (which is a rare sight [if ya know, ya know.]). 

So, why is this the case? There are plenty of issues the female demographic needs solved on the blockchain. There is an abundance of educated and qualified women to recruit. Then in the Web2 world, the community has already identified the gender-gap, a foundational issue of the current tech infrastructure. 

READ: The Rights Paradox and Roe vs. Wade

In 2022, within the 121 top crypto companies around the world, the Firm Crypto Head reports only five are led by women: that’s less than five percent. Unfortunately, the likelihood of that number increasing over the years is very little.To make an actual pivot would take much longer than the tech industry would like to wait. 

The world of crypto, blockchain, and Web3 should be way more advanced. At Mainnet 2022, Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, said, “One of the biggest things holding back crypto at large is tribalism.” Respectfully, no. The biggest thing holding back crypto is the fact that it’s a tech bros’ club. 

So, what’s the future look like?

Currently, at least at Mainnet 2022, it looks like Patagonia vest wearing cisgender patriarchal tech bros. LOL. But really, while the technology is evolving the cultural infrastructure is not. Qualified women are available in Web2 but the problem is the tech bros leading these companies are not inviting or inspiring the feminine community. Forget considering their wants and needs and integrating them into web3 development. 

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s because the gender-pay gap prevented women from affording to purchase a $1,200 Mainnet Ticket. Or maybe it’s the fact that only nine percent of 1,023 female consumers understand what cryptocurrency is. I’m not sure. 

But here’s hoping that trans/non-binary folks pull an underdog move; and develop Web3 into the queer queendom it deserves to be. 

Where do you think the future of women in Web3 is heading? Tweet us your answer @thevioletverse to have your answer shared with our community.

*This is not financial advice. Do your own research.