The Token2049 event in the United Arab Emirates presented numerous challenges for members of the crypto community who made the journey. Despite these difficulties, the number of attendees who persevered and made it to the event surprised community leaders.
On April 18, the attendees were faced with blocked roads and other challenges that would have deterred many people from continuing their journey. Community leaders, who had interviews scheduled with Cointelegraph, found themselves stuck in different airports and forced to turn back due to the situation.
Paolo Ardoino, the CEO of Tether, experienced a delay of two hours in the air as the plane was unable to land because of a storm. He considered himself fortunate to have spent only two extra hours in the sky. Ardoino expressed gratitude for the determination shown by the crypto community members who made it to the event, highlighting their resilience.
Emin Gün Sirer, the founder of Ava Labs, also shared the challenges faced by his team on their way to the event. They had to navigate through the biggest storm ever and spent five hours on a landing that should have taken only 20 minutes. Despite the difficulties, Sirer believed that attending the event was the right choice and deemed it worthwhile.
Many attendees encountered their own obstacles, yet the demand for the event was so high that the Token2049 team had to stop accepting new registrations on the first day due to all tickets being sold out. The crypto community members engaged in various activities at the event, including informative talks, project booths, and networking opportunities.
In the face of a historic storm that made attending the event challenging, the crypto community demonstrated resilience and determination.