MERGE Tech Summit | Powered by IE University
MERGE Tech Summit is a full-day event dedicated to the developer and technology ecosystem of Web3, blockchain, and digital innovation.
Expect keynotes, live workshops, product demos, AI x Web3 tracks, and sessions to connect with those building the on-chain future.
Key topics include: interoperability, Account Abstraction, MEV, privacy, and vibecoding.
The event will take place at IE Tower — one of the most advanced campuses in Europe — thanks to an exclusive partnership with IE University, home to over 8,000 students from more than 140 countries.
Please bring your physical ID for accreditation.
AGENDA
MAIN TRACK – Kickstart Blockchain Programming
Track for students or developers with basic knowledge of Blockchain
Morning – Main Hall, 4th Floor
09:00 – 09:30 | Registration + Welcome
09:30 – 10:15 | Introduction to Blockchain: architecture, nodes, consensus, and use cases
→ Roberto Garcia, Global Head of Technology – Santander (Crypto Domain)
🔗 LinkedIn
10:15 – 11:00 | Blockchain Development Tools: SDKs, frameworks, and most used languages (Solidity, Rust, Python, JS)
→ Daniel Ortega, Blockchain Engineer – Vottun
🔗 LinkedIn
11:00 – 12:00 | Anatomy of a Smart Contract: concepts, basic structure, examples on EVM and non-EVM
Hands-on: deploying your first Smart Contract (guided)
→ Isaac González, PhD, Head of Innovation – Metlabs
🔗 LinkedIn
12:00 – 12:30 | Ecosystems and Blockchain Typologies: Bitcoin-based (BSV), Solana, and Ethereum-like
→ Head of DevRel – BSV Association
🔗 LinkedIn
12:30 – 13:15 | Introductory Panel with Sponsors:
“Building on Different Chains: BSV vs Solana and the Future of Blockchain Development”
→ Marcin Rzetecki, Head of Developer Relationships – BSV Association
🔗 LinkedIn
→ Andriu Barreto, Co-founder – La Familia (Solana)
🔗 LinkedIn
13:15 – 14:15 | Lunch Break
Afternoon – Specific Classrooms
Classroom 1 (T.04.01): Road to Hackathon (BSV)
15:00 – 17:30 | Training Workshop
Technical introduction to BSV
Basic concepts for developers
Presentation of the November hackathon
Q&A and practical guidance to start building
Classroom 2 (T.05.02): Solana Demo Day
15:00 – 17:30 | Project Showcase on Solana
Brief introduction to Solana + ecosystem vision
Demo Day: Solana project pitches
Jury / mentor feedback
Networking with teams
BLOCKCHAIN ADVANCED SERIES (For Experienced Developers)
Location: Main Hall, 4th Floor
Duration: 15:00 – 18:30 (max)
Format: 20–30 minute keynotes, increasing in technical complexity
Focus: From infrastructure challenges to advanced paradigms and future perspectives
15:00 – 15:30 | Scalability and Layer-2
Rollups (Optimistic and ZK), validiums, practical examples (Arbitrum, Optimism, Starknet).
→ Manuel Echanove, Payments, Stablecoins & RWAs – Polygon
🔗 LinkedIn
15:30 – 16:00 | Cross-chain Interoperability
Messaging protocols and bridges: Wormhole, Axelar, LayerZero. Security challenges.
→ David Alonso, Crypto Program Manager – Banco Santander
🔗 LinkedIn
16:00 – 16:25 | Account Abstraction
How it changes user experience, security, and custody.
→ Nicolás Arnedo, Developer Relations Engineer – Ava Labs
🔗 LinkedIn
16:25 – 16:50 | ZK Proofs
From fundamentals to real-world use cases (zk-SNARKs, zk-STARKs, zkEVMs).
→ Carlos de la Figuera, Dev Ambassador Lead – Starknet
🔗 LinkedIn
16:50 – 17:15 | Privacy and Applied Cryptography
Mixnets, MPC, FHE, and regulatory challenges in blockchains.
→ Przemysław Siemion, Research Lead – Blockchain Center of Excellence, Santander Group
🔗 LinkedIn
17:15 – 17:35 | Oracles and Off-chain Connectivity
How smart contracts access external data.
→ Cesare Valitutto, Senior Solutions Architect – Chainlink
🔗 LinkedIn
17:35 – 18:00 | Smart Contract Security
Common vulnerabilities and auditing best practices.
→ Pablo Misirov, Solutions Engineer & Founding Employee – Cantina
🔗 LinkedIn
18:00 – 18:20 | The Impact of Quantum Computing on Blockchain
Risks to current cryptography, possible timelines, and mitigations.
→ Miguel Ángel Calero, Lead Emerging Technologies – Izertis
🔗 LinkedIn
18:20 – 18:40 | AI × Blockchain
Convergence use cases: data provenance, AI agents, and smart contracts.
→ Jorge Ordovás, Cofounder & CEO – (Kairos) QUBIC
🔗LinkedIn