FW3: The Future Is Here. What Do We Think About It?
We’ll dive into the fundamentals of Web3 and revisit why so many early crypto believers entered the space in the first place: cypherpunk ideals of self sovereignty, privacy, security and an open, decentralized financial system. Fast forward to today, and some of crypto’s biggest companies are focused on institutional adoption, working with Wall Street and integrating with the very financial system the industry once set out to disrupt.
How did we get here? What have we gained? What have we lost? And is today’s Web3 still the future we originally set out to build?
SPEAKERS
Brian Russ, Chief Investment Officer, 1971 Capital — Speaker
Brian is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of 1971 Capital, where he leads investment strategy, portfolio construction, and risk management. An early web3 adopter with 13 years in the space, he brings experience across digital assets, traditional finance, and global markets. Previously, he was Managing Director and Market Executive at BMO, where he built and led the bank’s Colorado market, managing more than $1 billion in committed capital. He also traded the Leonidas Macro Fund at Typhon Capital Management, an unconstrained global macro hedge fund.
Taylor Kendal, Chief Trust & Community Officer, Learning Economy Foundation — Speaker
Taylor Kendal has co-convened The Future of Web3 in Denver since 2023, from crypto happy hours to salons on data sovereignty and cooperative economics. He's Chief Trust and Community Officer at Learning Economy Foundation, co-producer of The Human Layer, Advisor at Factland, and a speaker and network partner liaison for the Transformative Impact Summit. Education, myth, culture, travel, trust — quarterly at tayken.beehiiv.com.
Valeria Kholostenko, Senior Operator, Digital Assets × Capital Markets, ex-ConsenSys & Parity, 1st US Hire at a $100M VC Fund, Founder of FW3 — Moderator and Host
Valeria is a senior web3 operator and founder of The Future of Web3, which launched in Denver in 2023 to bring together leaders across crypto, technology, and emerging industries. Over the past decade, she has led growth, partnerships, and market expansion across the Ethereum, Polkadot, and Filecoin ecosystems, with leadership roles at ConsenSys, Parity, Astar, and LBank Labs. Her work focuses on developing systems and turning emerging technologies into real-world ecosystems through community, partnerships, and commercialization. Over the last year, Valeria has advised companies on go-to-market, business operations, and strategy.
SCHEDULE
6:00 PM · Mingle
7:00 PM · Panel Talk
8:00 PM · Mingle
ARTWORK
Art by Nissim Ben Aderet