Blockworks Launches Permissionless, the World’s Largest DeFi Conference

Electric Capital, Dragonfly Capital, Multicoin Capital, Delphi Digital, Bitwise and Bankless are partnering with Blockworks to bring DeFi education to the world.

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key takeaways

  • More than 3,000 registrants are expected to attend Permissionless in Spring 2022
  • Today, more than $50 billion in assets are stored on DeFi platforms — a number that is expected to increase to more than $1 trillion in assets by 2025.

key takeaways

Blockworks is excited to announce the launch of Permissionless, the world’s largest DeFi conference, set to take place in Spring 2022. The conference and expo will be in-person at a U.S. based location to be announced soon.

We’re proud to partner with Electric Capital, Dragonfly Capital, Multicoin Capital, Delphi Digital, Bitwise and Bankless on Permissionless with the shared goal of bringing DeFi to the world. 

What is DeFi?

Decentralized Finance, or DeFi for short, is a global alternative to legacy financial services. With DeFi platforms, anyone with a smartphone and internet connection can access transparent financial services such as savings, loans, trading, insurance and more.

Today, more than $50 billion in assets are stored on DeFi platforms — a number that is expected to increase by more than 10 times by 2025.

“DeFi is the single most exciting sector of the crypto market, with huge potential, incredible innovation, and of course, significant risks,” said Matt Hougan, chief investment officer, Bitwise. “We’re seeing huge demand from institutional and professional investors to learn about the space, and many are investing. The world needs a conference like Permissionless and needs it now.”

“DeFi is going to disrupt traditional finance in the same way that Amazon disrupted Sears. The writing is on the wall. It’s finance, but faster, cheaper, better,” said Hougan.

Introducing Permissionless

Permissionless is the one place where professional investors can learn what DeFi is, what it isn’t and what it could become.

The two-day conference and exhibition includes networking, expert panels, hands-on sessions, debates and roundtable discussions that explore the big-picture potential of DeFi, and provide deep dives into DeFi protocols like Aave, Uniswap, Compound and Maker to help guests generate alpha for their portfolio.

Topics include:

  • The rise of DAOs 
  • How to successfully yield farm
  • An update on EIP-1559 
  • DeFi from the eyes of an institutional investor
  • Ethereum competitors and the potential of a multichain future
  • How to govern a DeFi-led world

Buy your ticket today. The first 100 Permissionless tickets are $15.59.

On September 1st, ticket prices increase to $99. Prices go up on an ongoing basis as the event nears.

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Upcoming Events

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Brooklyn, NY

SUN - MON, JUN. 22 - 23, 2025

Blockworks and Cracked Labs are teaming up for the third installment of the Permissionless Hackathon, happening June 22–23, 2025 in Brooklyn, NY. This is a 36-hour IRL builder sprint where developers, designers, and creatives ship real projects solving real problems across […]

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