EthCC 2026's Agora Forum Unites Banks and Blockchain—But Will It Deliver?
The EthCC 2026 conference in Cannes introduced a new forum for institutional players in crypto and digital assets. Called The Agora by Kaiko, the event gathered over 600 participants from traditional finance and Web3. It aimed to bridge the gap between banks, asset managers, and blockchain projects.
The forum took place on March 31 at the JW Marriott in Cannes. More than 60 speakers joined, including Jean-Marc Stenger of SG Forge, Aave founder Stani Kulechov, and representatives from Euroclear, Bloomberg, and BNP Paribas. Discussions centred on tokenisation, perpetual futures, ETPs, and the movement of collateral between traditional and decentralised markets.
Panellists highlighted the need for institutional infrastructure to drive Ethereum's liquidity. They argued that future market depth would rely less on retail-driven DeFi and more on regulated frameworks. Topics also covered the EU's MiCA regulation and new tax-reporting rules affecting Ethereum's market structure. Despite the high-profile attendance, no public projects or pilot initiatives involving Ethereum have emerged since the event. As of April 2026, BNP Paribas, Euroclear, and Bloomberg have not announced any concrete developments from their participation.
The Agora forum marked a step toward closer collaboration between traditional finance and blockchain. While discussions explored key regulatory and technical themes, no immediate follow-up projects have been confirmed. The event's impact remains tied to future institutional engagement with Ethereum.
