Apillon’s Web3 February events, deals and jetlags

Paris, Hong Kong, Doha — Web3 and awesome business deals never sleep; and apparently, neither do we.

Apillon

Feb 28, 2025 • 5 min read

· 1. Paris, NFTs, and Apillon: Love at first mint
· 2. Hong Kong high stakes: where Web3 business gets real
· 3. Doha delivers big: Desert vibes, Web(3) tribes

February wasn’t just busy — it was a full-on Apillon takeover. From NFT Paris to Consensus Hong Kong and Web Summit Qatar, we jumped time zones, met incredible builders, and put Web3 infrastructure in the global spotlight.

And somewhere between the croissants, dim sum, celebrities and desert heat, we made some serious moves. Here’s a recap of our biggest moments, hottest takes, and new connections from our Web3 world tour.

1. Paris, NFTs, and Apillon: Love at first mint

February 13–14, NFT Paris, Grande Halle de la Villette

With 20,000+ attendees and 400+ speakers, the energy was electric — and we were right in the middle of it.

The venue at NFT Paris was packed with enthusiasts, ideas and Web3 promise of success.

A key takeaway? NFTs are now all about branding and visuals — the tech is there, but if it works, does it really matter it’s built on blockchain? We saw plenty of projects that felt like déjà vu from 2017, but thanks to evolving regulation, they’re now legit and legally operational. That’s a game-changer for adoption — users get guarantees on accumulated value, making NFTs far more appealing as long-term assets.

The Polkadot booth

Absolute magnet for attention, mostly thanks to Messi’s Inter Miami jersey on display — safe to say, the crowds couldn’t resist a photo op.

Shoutout to Adrian from Coin Reference, who organized the booth through Polkadot OpenGov, giving multiple Polkadot projects a platform to showcase their work and take the pulse on the current NFT landscape.

Other highlights (literally and figuratively)

Let’s mention our fellow Slovenians from Suncontract, one of the most impressive projects at the event. Their NFT-powered solar panel leasing is peak utility, no speculation.

You can buy an NFT, rent out a solar panel, and generate revenue from its electricity — all fully regulated — or use that revenue to cut down your electricity bill automatically.

And the best part? If you need liquidity, you can sell the NFT — unlike being stuck with panels on your roof.

Speaking of panels (but the discussion kind), we caught a talk from Bored Apes and Doodles, reinforcing what’s becoming one of the coolest NFT utilities to date — NFTs as brand franchise models.

Some projects now let holders monetize their NFT brand up to $100,000, turning them into personal brand-building tools rather than just collectibles.

And how about that — we wrote a little something on that topic, too 👇

NFTs? They’re evolving fast. And from what we saw in Paris, it’s just getting started.

2. Hong Kong high stakes: where Web3 business gets real

February 18–20, Consensus Hong Kong, HKCEC

The next stop was Hong Kong, where we swapped art galleries for high-rise boardrooms at Consensus Hong Kong 2025. And let’s just say — we made some noise.

Honored to be named one of 12 startups set to transform the crypto landscape, Apillon made it to the semi-finals at the Consensus PitchFest Finals. Our Co-founder and COO, Domen Uršič, took the stage and pitched Apillon to a packed crowd, proving that seamless Web3 infra isn’t a dream — it’s happening right now.

Domen Uršič, Co-founder and COO at Apillon, pitching at the Consensus PitchFest Finals.

But we weren’t just on stage — we were everywhere. Domen also joined a panel at the Polkadot side event, sitting alongside some of the biggest teams in the ecosystem to discuss the future of Web3 building on Polkadot, seamless developer experiences, and what’s next for blockchain adoption.

And don’t just take our word for it — everyone was tweeting about it. Seriously, it felt like every other Polkadot builder had something to say. And that’s a really good sign. 😉

3. Doha delivers big: Desert vibes, Web(3) tribes

February 23–26, Web Summit Qatar, DECC

After Europe and Asia, we touched down in Doha for Web Summit Qatar, where 7,500+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gathered to shape the next wave of digital innovation.

And while Web Summit isn’t strictly Web3, that’s precisely why Apillon was there.

Blockchain isn’t staying in its own bubble — it’s becoming part of the bigger tech stack. At Web Summit Qatar, we met with industry leaders who are weaving Web3 into sectors like AI, cloud computing, and enterprise tech.

Our mission? To make sure Web3 infrastructure isn’t just an option — it’s the obvious choice.

Apillon held it down at our booth, where we met developers, founders, and investors eager to explore Web3 without the headaches. Whether it was NFT storage, embedded wallets, or just a friendly debate over decentralization, we had conversations that mattered.

Nino Kutnjak, CPO at Apillon, networking at the booth.

And as if the Web3 discussions weren’t exciting enough… Will Smith was also in the building. Talking AI, the future of tech, and delivering insights for a change.

Did we pitch Apillon to him? No.

Should we have? Probably.

Would he be impressed? Absolutely. He’d call Apillon a slap in the face to complicated Web3 platforms.

With big discussions, bigger opportunities, and some serious cross-industry networking, Doha proved that the future of Web3 goes beyond crypto-native spaces. Apillon is already laying the groundwork and is more than ready to bridge that gap.

That’s all, folks

We came, we saw, we networked our SaaS off. New partnerships, fresh ideas, and a roadmap that’s even more ambitious than before.

If February was just the start, 2025 will be a wild ride. Stay tuned, and if you missed us on the road, don’t worry — we’re just getting started.

⧓ About Apillon

The Apillon platform serves as a unified gateway to the Web3 services provided by linked Polkadot parachains. Following the multi-chain vision, Apillon powers the transition of developers to Web3, simplifying its adoption in the real economy, and expanding its versatility as the ecosystem grows. With Apillon, Web3 services are within reach for every developer, regardless of their background and experience with blockchain technology.