Event report for "Student Web3 & Metaverse Super Conference in Kyoto," held as an official IVS side event

WeCreate3, a student group that aims to promote Web3.0 and the metaverse, held the "Student Web3 & Metaverse Super Conference in Kyoto" on the 30th of last month.

This event was held as an official side event of "IVS 2023," one of Japan's largest startup conferences, which took place from the 28th to the 30th of last month, and about 70 people flocked to the venue.

This was WeCreate3's first official event in the Kansai area, and student groups such as Nagoya Blockchain from Nagoya University, Ritsumeikan Web3 Study Group from Ritsumeikan University, and Kansai University's Mission Lounge participated as partners. Web3.0-related groups from the east and west of the country came together.

The event was divided into two parts. The first part was "Why did you jump into the Web3 industry?", and the second part was a completely off-the-record in-depth discussion by practitioners on which areas of momentum should you ride in: metaverse, crypto, and video. This report will focus on the first part.

The next topic was "The Fun and Appeal of Web3." Shigematsu called Web3.0 "mixed martial arts," and said that the theme is grand and full of meaning, and that he felt it was something he should be working on for the next 10 years or more.

Yagi also said that he found the environment interesting because "Web3.0 has no straightforward approach, so it's easy to realize what you want to do and get results."

Okayama cited two things that make it interesting. The first is the industry itself, where the situation changes almost every day. He said that it's interesting to be in an environment where things happen that wouldn't happen if you worked for a normal company, and you can see the top players fighting up close.

The second is that blockchain business is conducted globally on-chain. He said that when you work in the normal world, you only have vertical and horizontal relationships, but with Web3.0, you can also go diagonally, which is attractive.

Next, Ameyumi cited an example from when he worked in trade. He said that while emails and direct mail can be sent instantly, the time it takes to make a payment felt strange.

When he was searching for a solution, he came across cryptocurrencies and was drawn to them. He also said that after participating in a VR event, he felt that one of the attractions was the freedom to work in a virtual space.

Prior to the start of the event, WeCreate3 representative Amekaeru gave an explanation of the organization, saying, "I want people to enjoy the IVS experience." Afterwards, sponsor Hakuhodo Key3 CEO Toshinori Shigematsu introduced his company's business. The company will focus on wallets again while expanding its business with a focus on targeting.

The first talk session then began, with RainbowChain CEO Amekaeru, Questry director Yoshitaka Okayama, Shigematsu, and Iolite editor-in-chief Noriaki Yagi on stage.

The first topic was the main topic, "What made you get into the Web3 industry?"

Amekaeru said he entered the industry around 2017, saying, "I was playing with crypto assets and before I knew it, I was here." It seems that he spent a lot of time working at crypto exchanges and involved in blockchain-related businesses while working with crypto assets.

Okayama continued, "After joining a VC as a new graduate, he was involved in a number of projects, and in the process, he began to have relationships with founders of now-famous Web 3.0 companies. At the time, he was interested in new things, but he was still anxious, especially about the volatility of cryptocurrencies.

Still, he thought, "Whether it's Web 2.0 or Web 3.0, there's no denying that the company could go under someday," so he decided to take the plunge into an area that interested him, and that's where he is now.

Yagi said that the reason he entered the Web 3.0 industry was because "there was an area where I wanted to solve problems with blockchain."

Having gained a variety of experiences in the food and beverage and amusement industries, he focused on blockchain as a technology that could change parts that had become vested interests and specifications that had no prospect of improvement, and he decided to enter the industry in the closest environment to him.

Finally, Shigematsu stated that he had been paying attention to the metaverse, and that he had entered the Web 3.0 field because he felt that elements of DAO and crypto assets were also necessary.

The next topic was "The Fun and Appeal of Web3." Shigematsu called Web3.0 "mixed martial arts," and said that the theme is grand and full of meaning, and that he felt it was something he should be working on for the next 10 years or more.

Yagi also said that he found the environment interesting because "Web3.0 has no straightforward approach, so it's easy to realize what you want to do and get results."

Okayama cited two things that make it interesting. The first is the industry itself, where the situation changes almost every day. He said that it's interesting to be in an environment where things happen that wouldn't happen if you worked for a normal company, and you can see the top players fighting up close.

The second is that blockchain business is conducted globally on-chain. He said that when you work in the normal world, you only have vertical and horizontal relationships, but with Web3.0, you can also go diagonally, which is attractive.

Next, Amegumi cited an example from when he worked in trade. He said that while emails and direct mail can be sent instantly, the time it takes to make a payment felt strange.

When he was searching for a solution, he came across cryptocurrencies and was drawn to them. He also said that after participating in a VR event, he felt that one of the attractions was the freedom to work in a virtual space.

The networking event after the session was lively, especially among students. The time spent with the speakers and the businesspeople who came to the venue was a valuable experience.

Some students were already running Web 3.0 businesses, and some even asked for specific advice. The same could be said for students who are planning to start Web 3.0 businesses, and their enthusiasm was evident even during the actual conversations.

WeCreate3, which usually operates mainly in the Kanto region, held this event in Kyoto, but it was a huge success, with standing-room only attendees. In the second part, which was completely off the record, there were some useful talks that students would not normally get to hear. This was information that could only be obtained by attending a WeCreate3 event.

The WeCreate3 students also expressed their desire to continue to hold useful events and spread awareness of Web 3.0 and the metaverse. We look forward to seeing their continued energetic activities.

Images: Iolite, WeCreate3