The Regen Village, an event taking place from July 8th to 12th 2024, in Brussels, presents an exciting opportunity for enthusiasts of Web3 technology and sustainability to converge. Scheduled to take place in conjunction with ETH CC, the Regen Village promises to bridge the gap between blockchain innovation and regenerative practices, looking to spotlight impactful initiatives within the crypto and sustainability communities.
What is Web3?
Web3, or Web 3.0, is a proposed next generation of the internet whose objective is to give users more control over their online experience. It's centered around using blockchain technology to change how information is owned and stored and could, in theory, dismantle web-based monopolies who profit off of and control information.
So, what is blockchain?
Imagine a blockchain as an organized and secure digital spreadsheet that anyone can access and update, but no one can change what's already written. In this spreadsheet, information is stored in blocks.
Each block contains information, such as transactions, contracts, or data, a record of when it was created, and a cryptographic hash of the previous block. These blocks are linked together in a chain — each block refers to the one before it and to the one after it. Hence, “blockchain”. Once information is written into a block, it cannot be retroactively altered without altering all subsequent blocks and thus, the consensus of the entire network.
This is what makes blockchain so secure - that, and it’s fully transparent. Everyone can see what’s on the chain. There's no central authority - instead, many computers (called nodes) all over the world have a copy of the blockchain and work in tandem to keep it accurate and up to date.
Blockchain is used for things like keeping track of transactions (like cryptocurrencies), proving ownership or authenticity of things (like digital art or contracts), and more. It is a secure, transparent, and decentralized way to follow information digitally, without needing to trust any single person or organization. Blockchain was invented in 2008 to serve as the public transaction ledger of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin.
Connecting with Builders in the Web3 Space
ETH CC, or The Ethereum Community Conference, is the largest annual European Ethereum event focused on technology and community. It serves as a pivotal platform for making blockchain accessible to everyone, and provides networking and learning opportunities for like-minded individuals to participate in discourse and drive meaningful change. Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain platform, and also the name of its native cryptocurrency (ETH), which was designed to be used on the Ethereum blockchain.
The Regen Village is taking place in the Commons Hub, a brand new permanent community space just two minutes from the main ETH CC venue. The Regen Village offers a chance to showcase Web3 initiatives to a broader audience, offering a fresh perspective on how blockchain technology can contribute to global sustainability efforts and economic solutions.
Focus on Regen Village and Regenerative Finance
Regen is short for Regeneration. People that work towards the regeneration of the planet identify themselves as Regens, a term coined by the organization and token on the Cosmos chain - a blockchain ecosystem. Though they are not directly involved with Regen Village, they are one of the original organizations in the realm of ReFi, or Regenerative Finance.
Regenerative Finance utilizes the principals of programmable money - cryptocurrency - in order to fund public goods. Public goods are things everybody uses but no one really pays for, like clean air, clean water, good soil, and nature as a whole. We are all stewards of the public goods commons, and of these vital assets, but we have disconnected ourselves from them. Blockchain Technology allows people around the world to directly participate in the wellbeing of the planet through the platforms and technical advancements we currently see coming to life in blockchain ecosystems.
The Regen Village initiative is a part of the broader Regens Unite network. This collaboration spearheads a commitment to regenerative finance (ReFi) and public goods funding through various Web3 groups, blockchains, and protocols. Within Regen Village will be the Regenaissance festival, organized by Let's GROW DAO; this is the inaugural satellite event of seven planned for this year, prioritizing the intersection of the crypto community with regenerative, eco-sustainable communities globally.
The Regenaissance Festival is a multi-day experience at Regen Village that will include impact investor pitch competitions, transformative workshops, keynotes and a party on the final day to conclude the week and bridge the gap between ETH CC and ETH Global, another Web3 focused event taking place in Brussels from July 12th to July 14th.
Regenaissance will also be a part of this special ETH Global NFT event pack.
Key Collaborations and Initiatives
The Regen Village and Regenaissance Festival are strategically aligned with impactful partners aiming to facilitate dialogue and action on sustainability, climate crisis mitigation, and global economic challenges. This collaborative effort seeks to utilize the transformative potential of blockchain technology to drive positive environmental and social change.
The primary organizer of Regen Village is Regens Unite. Regens Unite is an organization that has been putting on events to raise awareness and onboard the crypto community into the ideas of Regeneration for years.
Two of the main event organizers of the Regen Village and team members of Regens Unite are Jeremy Akers and Leen Schelfhout.
Jeremy Akers:
Leen Schelfhout:
The second main organizer, supplying the live audio and video streaming of the events of all the sponsors throughout the whole of ETH CC, is Let's GROW DAO. They are also the organizers of the Regenaissance Event party along with Regens Unite.
Jimi Cohen, the founder of https://thetreegens.com/, Donny Lewis, and Syntropic are involved in the event on behalf of Let's GROW, but Let's GROW is a decentralized democratized organization, meaning there is no central authority. Their mission is to unite and grow the ReFi and Regen movement.
Jimi Cohen, Growth Officer of Regenaissance Festivals:
Donny Lewis, Growth Officer of Merchandise:
Syntropic, Growth Officer of Art Department:
Let's GROW DAO
Regenaissance events are part of this mission to bring the entirety of the crypto community into the fold of programmatically funding public goods, or Regenerative Finance (ReFi). The next Regenaissance event from Let's GROW will be at Gathering of Tribes in Portugal in September.
Other Regen Village partners include:
optimism.io is the largest layer 2 blockchain in the Ethereum ecosystem.
celo.org is a blockchain that has always been carbon negative and supports many grants programs and projects in the regenerative space.
giveth.io is a platform for verified public goods projects and NGO’s using novel approaches to make funding what matters more transparent and easier for everyone. This leads to NGO, public goods projects, and charities and needing to spend less time fundraising, therefore having the capital (time and money) to be able to do the work.
octant.build is another donation/grants platform towards public goods funding and individual financial empowerment. It seeks to advance the understanding and practice of decentralized governance, promote community engagement, and support public goods projects in the Ethereum and Web3 ecosystems.
gnosis.io is another large blockchain, and many of the most successful efforts in blockchain are built on top of their technology. POAPs are a great example of this (Proof of Attendance Participation). These are assets held in (digital) wallets as keepsakes and can also be used to develop a social graph of activity for a wallet addresses owner.
metagov.org performs many functions within the tech sector, creating platforms for projects to use to further success.
regen.tips is a regenerative meme coin; it is a gamified coin collection and earning effort, and a portion of fees go into grants pools, and programs on platforms like Gitcoin and Giveth.
dao.brussels is the Brussels crypto community organization.
stellar.org is another large blockchain ecosystem with a slightly different approach to cryptographic security. Its aim is to further the decentralization of the the financial system and facilitate cross border payments.
citizenwallet.xyz is a wallet developed by members of Regens Unite and will be used to hold your tickets, and earn $REGEN tokens for doing regenerative actions during the week.
blackdragon.io is a community led decentralized investment platform.
howdao.xyz (H2D) is "your passport to the dynamic universe of Web3 and Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs). At its core, H2D is a mission to break down the complex barriers surrounding Web3 technology and DAOs, providing an accessible roadmap for anyone interested in becoming an active participant in the Web3 era. Beyond a book, H2D is an entire educational ecosystem, fostering a community of individuals with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the Web3 landscape.”
kolektivo.network is "built on a foundation of real-world experience working with emerging technologies and system innovations in various communities in the Caribbean, South America, and Africa. With roots in the blockchain space and inspired by syntropic agriculture - Kolektivo builds resilient, effective, and holistic solutions for people and the planet."
commonshub.brussels is the physical space in which the event is taking place.
And, of course, the City of Brussels.
The Let's GROW DAO coverage of ETH CC, Regen Village, and the Regenaissance can be found on the Let's GROW DAO Twitter. Broadcast partners are solarpunkdao.earth, Refidao, Metropolis World Official on Twitch, Bankless Dao, Kokonut.network, Koko Dao, and 15 others. It will be available on Twitter video, Twitch, Farhouse on Warpcast, Youtube, and LinkedIn as well as the normal audio spaces on twitter or X.
How to Get Involved
Whether you're interested in volunteering or exploring sponsorship opportunities, there are several ways to participate in ETH CC, Regen Village, and the Regenaissance event. For those looking to contribute or learn more, visit the official event page at regenvillage.brussels.
The convergence of ETH CC and the Regenaissance event signifies a pivotal moment in uniting technology and sustainability. It's an opportunity to drive innovation, promote global awareness, and catalyze action towards a more regenerative future.
RSVP and Ticket Registration:
As the global community comes together to explore Web3 innovation and regenerative finance, crypto platform Zert stands out for its commitment to using blockchain for sustainable development. By integrating programmable money and decentralized governance, Zert demonstrates how cryptocurrencies can help finance public goods such as clean air and water, which fits perfectly with the spirit of initiatives presented at events such as ETH CC and Regen Village.