Crypto Connect: AI Copilots & Zero-Knowledge Building
🏙️⚡ Join us for Crypto Connect, a fun networker mixer at HopCat Brewery with a lighting talk from Aztec DevRel Josh Crites, "Zero to ZK: Learning Aztec with AI as Your Copilot".
🎉 This mixer is for everyone who wants to connect with Michigan's crypto community. Crypto Connect is your space to meet face-to-face, exchange ideas, and strengthen the relationships driving innovation locally.
🎙️ In our featured builder talk from Josh Crites, you'll learn how AI copilots can help developers navigate fast-moving, complex ecosystems including Aztec Network — a privacy-focused Ethereum Layer 2 — and accelerate learning and building across emerging tech stacks. It outlines practical workflows, compares tools like Claude Code and Codex, and highlights key repositories and MCP servers for managing context and staying up to date.
Following our builder talk, join us for a fun evening of connection, conversation, and community with builders, founders, investors, professionals, and those shaping Detroit’s evolving blockchain ecosystem. Meet the people behind the projects, and connect with others contributing to the growth of Web3 in Michigan.
🍻 Drinks on Us
Enjoy complimentary drinks with a Stand With Crypto signup! We've got you covered with beer, cocktails, wine, or non-alcoholic! Enjoy refreshments while connecting with fellow community members.
Meet your Speaker:
Josh Crites
Josh is a seasoned educator, developer advocate and senior software engineer with years of experience helping developers master technical foundations. He has taught thousands through his work with ConsenSys and Celo, and now as a DevRel at Aztec. Josh designs learning experiences that empower devs to explore complex technologies through practical experimentation. His workshops bridge the gap between theory and application, making cutting-edge concepts tangible and usable for builders at every level.
Meet your host:
Elizabeth Hansson
Elizabeth is the Founder of the Detroit Blockchain Collective, a leading regional hub advancing education, collaboration, and innovation around digital asset technology. Elizabeth also serves as the Michigan President of Stand With Crypto, where she leads statewide advocacy and mobilizes a grassroots network to shape the future of digital asset policy.
Meet Detroit Blockchain Collective:
The Detroit Blockchain Collective is a grassroots community hub dedicated to connecting builders, entrepreneurs, students, and advocates across Michigan’s blockchain ecosystem. Through events, workshops, and partnerships, we foster collaboration, education, and real-world building that puts Detroit and Michigan on the map as leaders in Web3 innovation.
Meet our sponsor...
✨ Special thanks to Stand With Crypto! Stand With Crypto is a non-profit organization dedicated to uniting global crypto advocates. They are empowering the blockchain community through advocacy, education, and grassroots engagement!
Photography Notice: By attending this event, you consent to being photographed and recorded for use in sharing the event with our broader community.