«There are Ethereum seeds scattered throughout Argentina»

Devconnect Argentina, held in November 2025 in Buenos Aires, brought together more than 14,000 attendees from more than 130 countries at the La Rural site, becoming the largest event organized by the Ethereum Foundation to date and the first edition presented as «Ethereum World’s Fair.»

Now there are “Ethereum seeds scattered throughout the country,” said Candela Fazzano, one of the members of the Argentine organizing team, in an exclusive interview with NoticiasVE about the months of preparation behind the scenes.

This edition was historic as it became the first Ethereum world faira format that demanded demanding dynamics and levels of execution for the region.

According to Fazzano, the organization moved away from conventional models to prioritize the user experience through a multidisciplinary team in charge of critical areas such as audiovisual production, ticketing systems and the development of an exclusive application designed to guide attendees in this new immersive environment.

Unlike other big tech events, Devconnect maintained a non-commercial model. «It is not a for-profit event [con fines de lucro]»But it maintains quality over quantity,» explained the organizer. In this framework, community participation acquired a central role, integrating local projects from Argentina and Latin America with global actors.

When you walk through an event like Devconnect, you feel the vibe and wave that exists internally in the community and in the hallways, in the discussion corners. [rincones de discusión]in the community hubs [centros comunitarios]in these spaces of exchange that exist around this entire event.

Candela Fazzano, leader of the Devconnect ecosystem.

An Argentine spark ignited the Ethereum ecosystem

One of the main motivations of the organizing team was accessibility. By bringing Devconnect to Buenos Aires, the economic barrier that local students and developers often face in attending international events on other continents was eliminated. «I wanted as many people as possible to take advantage of this gateway to a world that opens your mind,» explained Fazzano, who highlighted that cultural exchange and conference content are usually inaccessible outside of these global meetings.

For the impact to be profound, the organization designed a structure that went far beyond traditional presentations. The nerve center for local talent was ETH Day Argentina, a day where theory met massive practice.

Fazzano described a double challenge in the organization, which is to convince international leaders to make a trip of more than 30 hours to the southern tip of the continent and, at the same time, persuade local participants of the relevance of the meeting. «It is more than an event; «It is an experience and a meeting point where knowledge is shared,» explained the organizer, who added that the magnitude of a Devconnect is difficult to appreciate for those who have not previously attended a similar edition.

I think the little seeds were planted everywhere, they were sown and we are going to see them grow in the coming months. Yes, it was a year in which many issues that were already being worked on were accelerated… And yes, a more solid industry was left, with many doubts cleared up and several prejudices defeated. They were prejudices that we had been dealing with for several years.

Candela Fazzano, leader of the Devconnect ecosystem.

According to team records, more than 3,000 high school students attended to receive direct training on the digitalization of the economy. «People came who wanted to learn, others came to listen to talks because they were already involved,» Fazzano explained. This methodology allowed knowledge about Ethereum will stop being a privilege of programmers and will reach young people who are just deciding their professional future.

However, behind the figures and the speeches of figures like Vitalik Buterin, there was a logistical challenge that tested Argentina’s response capacity. During the fourth day, torrential rain threatened to dismantle the event’s exterior structures.

«The kids stayed up all night putting things together and rearranging things because our world was falling apart,» Fazzano said. For her, this episode revealed the human face of the Argentine community behind which there is a team that worked tirelessly for months to ensure that the experience was impeccable. This tenacity is often the factor that stands out internationally for talent in the country.

From curiosity to one’s own professional career

The impact of Devconnect 2025 is also reflected in the diversity of profiles that now make up the sector. Candela Fazzano’s own career is evidence of this change. She went from volunteering in 2022 out of pure curiosity to coordinating one of the Ethereum Foundation’s most complex events.

«My profile is not technical or finance. “I realized that there are a lot of opportunities for women in technology with different profiles,” she said. This opening has allowed the Argentine ecosystem to be nourished by specialists in communication, marketing and education, creating a much more robust and organic network.

The opening day, marked by the traditional chaos of large events, exceeded even the organization’s most optimistic forecasts. Although it is common for the main stage to fill up to hear Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, The behavior of the local public broke previous patterns.

«Even three hours after Vitalik spoke, the place was still extremely exploited, with people standing or sitting on the floor,» says Fazzano. For the team, seeing the auditorium operating above its official capacity long after the main event was the most satisfying moment: “It was very exciting because we felt like, finally, we had done it.”

The effort culminated in a closing ceremony of high symbolic content as was the transfer of the post to the next headquarters in India. After previous arrangements at the Indian Embassy in Buenos Aires, the ambassador himself provided his country’s flag for next year’s organizers. For Fazzano, seeing that fluid connection between international diplomacy and the technological community was the finishing touch to a week where, despite the inclement weather, «everything flowed.»

Candela Fazzano’s career illustrates how the cryptocurrency ecosystem in Argentina is no longer an exclusive area for programmers. With a professional background in communications and marketing, Fazzano began her journey motivated by the need to “research”—a local idiom for economic resilience—and found her gateway through a group of women in the cryptocurrency industry. Her transition from a volunteer at local events in 2022 to a key player in the Ethereum Foundation’s global organization underscores a shift in the industry about the growing relevance of non-technical profiles in community building.

Their conclusion is one of absolute satisfaction for the social impact generated. For the organizer, the success of the event lies in the Argentine culture of collaboration and the local talent that was demonstrated before the eyes of the world. «It was totally worth it; «This event is going to leave its mark and I hope it has opened new paths for a lot of people,» he reflects, emphasizing that the greatest reward is seeing how these meetings translate into jobs and new professional networks for attendees.