Recap: Mina x ETHDenver 2023

In February 2023, members of the Mina ecosystem traveled to Colorado to collaborate at one of the biggest Ethereum events on the calendar, ETHDenver. More than 20,000 hackers, developers, designers, and crypto enthusiasts came together for the Year of the Spork BUIDLathon and conference, with various side events hosted throughout the city. The Mina community was represented throughout the festival, showcasing the latest in zero knowledge innovation and collaboration opportunities in a series of workshops, keynotes, and social events.

Day One

Mina Foundation CEO Evan Shapiro kicked off Mina’s presence at ETHDenver with a keynote speech to a packed audience at the BUIDL Week mainstage. Evan’s talk, Why ZKPs Will Be Key to Web3 User Experience, gave hackathon attendees a deeper insight into the practical applications of zero knowledge and how Mina’s zkApps can be utilized for novel solutions as well as privacy and scaling.

 Watch Evan’s full talk below

Day Two

Mina ecosystem contributor Jack Servia gave hackers a crash course in zkApps with his Learn ZK in 90 min hands-on workshop. Developers were guided step-by-step on how to build a zkWordle game in this o1js (formerly SnarkyJS) deep-dive, with many deploying their first zero knowledge smart contracts as a result of this popular event. Many attendees stayed afterwards to delve deeper into zkApp development with Mina.

Learn more about getting started with zkApps here

There was even more zkApp building at H.E.R. DAO’s Hacker House, an inclusive space hosted by the women-led developer collective. O(1) Labs Developer Relations Engineer, Regina Wong, hosted an insightful Mina zkApp workshop at ZK Day, a collaborative event attracting speakers from StarkWare, zkSync and attendees with a deep interest in zero knowledge. The workshop covered a range of topics, from o1js (formerly SnarkyJS) basics to deploying a zkApp on Mina’s Berkeley testnet, followed by a Q&A session and networking hour.

Later that evening, more than 350 people joined the Mina x H.E.R DAO Off The Chain Happy Hour at Bigsby’s Folly Craft Winery, for light refreshments and time to connect with the community. The event was open to all and had a diverse mix of attendees, including developers, investors, artists, ZK enthusiasts, and more. Highlights included custom cocktails, exclusive swag, and our popular motion photo booth. You can check out all the photos here.

Day Three

The Mina x H.E.R. DAO co-working space was the perfect place to relax and get some work done ahead of the main conference. The Zero Stress event was full to capacity and sported a custom chill playlist (listen here) as the soundtrack for a productive day, with guests enjoying the breakfast, Mina swag, and strong WiFi.

Just deployed my first zkApp with @MinaProtocol at @_HerDAO X @MinaProtocol calm space !! The day is set! pic.twitter.com/dcsPlVDmdn

— Krati Jain (@kratijain) February 28, 2023

Day Four

zkDeFi was the topic of the day at Dystopia Lab’s side event on March 1st. O(1) Lab’s Jack Servia gave attendees an overview of Mina’s zero knowledge smart contracts at DeFi Denver, covering a wide range of topics including zkOracles, bridging, and a closer look at Proof of Alpha – a zkApp which can verify profit percentages on cryptocurrency or stock trades.

Listen to Jack’s full presentation here

Day Five

It was a Mina Spectrum takeover on the opening day of ETHDenver’s Spork Castle. The Mina Foundation team and members of the Mina ecosystem donned their spectrum hoodies to meet community members and other ZK enthusiasts, as well as raffling a limited edition Mina-branded Ledger Nano X.

Day Six

We closed out the week with a Twitter Space on Mina’s upcoming zkBridge to Ethereum, hosted by Evan and =nil; foundation’s Mikhail Komarov (listen here). Despite a slight hiccup with the audio connection, lots of insightful information was shared with the community about the exciting developments in bridging to Ethereum and zkEVM compatible chains. Learn more about the zkBridge here.

What’s Next?

We’d like to thank the hundreds of attendees who joined us at Mina’s community events; whether it was engaging in a workshop, deploying your first zkApp, or just hanging out at our social spaces, your support and enthusiasm is appreciated and we welcome you to share your experiences in our event feedback forms.

We have a packed schedule of events in 2023 and we’d love to see as many community members as possible in person. Our next Mina ecosystem events will be in April at ETHTokyo in Japan and Consensus in Austin, Texas – full details coming soon. 

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