Inside ETH Sofia 2025: The Balkan Blend of Builders, Academics, and Innovators

The second edition of ETH Sofia positioned the Balkans as one of Europe’s most dynamic intersections of academic research and blockchain innovation. As Sofia once again turned into a meeting point for builders, thinkers, and innovators, ETH Sofia 2025 confirmed why the Balkans are becoming one of Europe’s most promising Web3 regions. From founders, academics, and regulators to sponsors and developers, the event reflected a shared ambition: to educate, connect, and drive the next wave of blockchain progress. Having hosted both the first and second editions of ETH Sofia, I’ve had the chance to watch the event rise from a bold local experiment into a regional benchmark for collaboration between the blockchain industry, academia, and public institutions. What once felt like an emerging scene now feels like a structured movement with knowledge exchange at its core.Over two days, ETH Sofia welcomed more than 550 participants from over 20 countries, featuring 80 speakers, 26 main stage sessions, and 12 side events across the city. The program extended beyond panels with workshops, open-stage talks, and academic presentations that connected students, researchers, and founders in meaningful discussions about the future of blockchain. “By the community, for the community” For founder Vlad Dramaliev, ETH Sofia has always been more than a conference. He said: “The vision has always been twofold: to bring the Bulgarian crypto community together and to educate newcomers about permissionless blockchain technology and themes like DeFi, privacy, Web3 security, trading automation, and regulation.” Dramaliev emphasized the importance of showcasing Balkan innovation: “Conferences like ETH Sofia are reflections of the ecosystem and should serve as amplifiers of the success of represented projects.” He also noted the growing regional collaboration: “ETH Belgrade was an inspiration. We even discussed synchronizing Balkan crypto events so they occur one after another. That’s harder in practice, but the idea remains strong.” The human side of moderation Moderator Alexandra from Thrilld Labs shared how she prepared to guide conversations on stage. “I’m not a natural public speaker. As a kid, I was very shy. But once I started bartending and later became a founder, it changed.” Her approach is built on preparation: “I research every speaker, practice names, and pay attention to what’s covered on stage so I can make smooth transitions or add a small joke.” She credited the event team for creating an exceptional experience. “The front-end of the stage is what people see, but the real full-stack experience is built by the team working for months behind the scenes. ETH Sofia’s team was epic.” Her favorite sessions included Nicolas Bacca’s talk from Ledger and ZKNox, and Khashim Arziyev’s insights from Binance. “Both were smart, engaging, and accessible, which isn’t always an easy balance.” Uniting a fragmented region Tina Petkova, Event Manager of ETH Sofia, described ETH Sofia’s mission as bridging gaps within the Balkan Web3 ecosystem. She said: “Our goal was to unite developers, entrepreneurs, and researchers under one roof and make ETH Sofia feel like their event: by the community, for the community.” “The biggest challenge was the fragmentation of the community. The region is full of talent, but it’s scattered. Balancing newcomers with global protocol veterans turned into one of the event’s greatest strengths.” She added that building continuity is key: “If we can help the Balkan crypto community grow and make ETH Sofia their annual networking and knowledge-sharing event, then our mission is complete.” Bitget’s commitment to the region Among ETH Sofia’s main partners was Bitget, whose COO Vugar Usi Zade emphasized why supporting such events matters. He explained: “We chose to sponsor ETH Sofia because it’s an important gathering for the Web3 community in Eastern Europe. Being present at these events is crucial for Bitget.” Education, he added, is at the heart of Bitget’s mission. “Providing top-tier services is only half the effort; the other half is education. Events like ETH Sofia create a platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange.” He described the Balkans as “a genuine untapped powerhouse of Web3 talent and innovation, ready to become a major European hub.” Building the next generation of fintech During his talk titled Building the Next-Gen One-Stop Fintech Ecosystem, Usi Zade spoke about the need for simplicity in a fragmented financial landscape: “Users are forced to jump between multiple platforms. The market is ripe for a truly integrated solution: a unified, seamless platform consolidating all essential financial services.” He added that this shift is inevitable: “Fragmented, specialized platforms are becoming obsolete. A next-gen unified exchange like Bitget UEX eliminates unnecessary complexity.” Comparing ETH Sofia to other Ethereum community events, he pointed to the region’s energy. “ETH Sofia stood out for its exceptionally engaged local community. The enthusiasm reflected the growing crypto adoption in Eastern Europe, making it a particularly vibrant and practical gathering.” A reflection of the region’s growth What made this year’s edition stand out was its balance between theory and practice. ETH Sofia 2025 blurred the lines between academia and industry; a space where professors discussed blockchain economics alongside founders building next-generation protocols. That mix of academic depth and entrepreneurial execution might just be what defines the next chapter of Web3 in the Balkans. It’s no longer about whether the region can keep up with global innovation. It’s about how far it can lead it. 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