SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – September 30, 2026
GWDC 2026 KOREA (Global Web3 Dev Con 2026 Korea), hosted by Web3Labs and co-hosted by Techub News, HypaiLabs, and TokenPost, successfully concluded at the aT Center in Seoul, running from September 29 to 30.
As one of Asia’s most influential tech events, GWDC continued under the theme "For Builders, By Builders," capturing global attention across the Web3 and AI communities. Official data indicates that total registrations reached 12,706 across both the Luma and Fnny platforms. The two-day event drew over 2,000 on-site global participants, featured over 100 prominent speakers, and brought together more than 100 leading Web3 and tech enterprises.
I. Deep HK-Korea Policy & Industry Synergy: Inauguration of AWPA Alliance
On the opening day, distinguished guests from government, business, and academia gathered to mark a new milestone in East Asian Web3 and AI collaboration.
Government Greetings & Industry Outlook: In a video address, Koo Yun-cheol, South Korea's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, stated that South Korea boasts top-tier semiconductor and digital data infrastructure, positioning it to become a global testbed for AI applications. Dr. Johnny Ng, Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, emphasized that integrating AI with blockchain creates a new lifestyle paradigm, with Hong Kong’s competitive tax rates and financial freedom offering robust support for global entrepreneurs. Min Byung-deok, Member of the National Assembly of South Korea and sponsor of the Basic Law on Digital Assets, highlighted that building a sound market to protect innovation and investors requires collective action across Asian nations.
Launch of AWPA: The "Hong Kong–Korea Web3 Policy Advocacy Alliance" (AWPA), jointly initiated by Dr. Johnny Ng and Min Byung-deok, was officially inaugurated at the conference. AWPA will deepen cross-border policy coordination in asset compliance, stablecoin mechanisms, and cross-border data flows.
The Dual-Engine Vision: Caspar Wong, CEO of Web3Labs, noted that following the inaugural GWDC in Hong Kong this February, the Seoul conference further strengthened the technological and economic bridge between the two regions, empowering Hong Kong and South Korea to serve as dual engines driving the global Web3 revolution.
II. Four Core Industry Consensus: Shifting from Technical Issuance to Application, Distribution, and Adoption
Through more than ten keynote speeches, panel discussions, and fireside chats, global leaders established four core industry consensus regarding the convergence of Web3 and AI:
AI Agents Become New On-Chain Economic Entities: Yat Siu, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Animoca Brands, along with Justin Sun, Founder of TRON, agreed that blockchain infrastructure is uniquely suited for AI agents. Granting an AI agent a crypto wallet gives it direct access to open financial services and value transfer channels.
Stablecoins Evolve from Trading Pairs to AI & Cross-Border Payment Infrastructure: Nick See Tong, Head of APAC at Base, highlighted that Base holds a major share in x402, an agent-focused micropayment protocol. Leaders from Coinbase Institutional and VERY LABS noted that stablecoins are rapidly expanding beyond exchange trading into daily cross-border transfers, merchant payments, and agent-to-agent micro-settlements.
RWA (Real-World Assets): Focus Shifts from "Issuance" to "Liquidity and Distribution": Executives from Ondo Finance, Hashgraph, Canton Foundation, and Paxos Labs pointed out that tokenization itself is no longer a technical bottleneck. The real challenge lies in cross-chain interoperability, liquidity bootstrapping, and compliant distribution channels once assets are on-chain.
Shift in Product Traction Metrics: Distribution and Real Retention Outweigh Pure Tech: Investors from Cointelegraph Accelerator and HB Ventures reminded builders that AI tools have significantly lowered development barriers. Moving forward, competitive advantage will stem from real user retention, clear monetization models, and strong distribution capabilities.
III. Hacker Mania: 120+ Teams Compete in Hackathon Supported by University Alliance
The 48-hour Hackathon held on-site emerged as the conference’s innovation highlight, attracting over 120 builder teams (150+ developers) both in-person and online from over 8 countries/regions, including China, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan. Special gratitude goes to 39 media partners, 31 communities, and 30 university alliances for their generous support!
TRON Track:
- 1st Place: Protocol Alpha Finder (Project: Protocol Alpha Finder)
- 2nd Place: b.p (Project: faat)
- 3rd Place: Team J (Project: SettleMap)
FuriosaAI × Bricksum (FxB) Track:
- 1st Place: 404 Found (Project: CFO Agent)
- 2nd Place: Make the world better (Project: Accord lock)
- 3rd Place: ; (Project: Agent Accord)
Alex Chung-hyun, Head of Bitrise Korea, shared that his team visited over 100 universities across South Korea and established a $100,000 prize pool to empower young developers. The event also officially inaugurated the University Alliance, a permanent organization dedicated to connecting universities, enterprises, and global accelerators to provide long-term incubation and funding for student talent.
About GWDC 2026 KOREA
GWDC (Global Web3 Dev Con) is a premier global gathering for Web3 and AI developers, designed to connect builders, investment institutions, and policymakers to accelerate the international deployment and commercialization of frontier technologies.
- Official Website: https://www.gwdc.net/
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