I'm really glad to be speaking in Madera because I'm originally from here—this is the first time since I created Wallet Connect that I've spoken in Madera. As mentioned, I'm the founder and director of the Wallet Connect Foundation. I created Wallet Connect in 2018, and it's been a huge journey. Many people know the name but not what it means. I want to walk through the evolution and share updates. Wallet Connect is widely known for the QR code, which solved the problem of connecting desktop wallets to mobile apps. I wrote the first version while abroad, but the version that went live I coded in Madera during Christmas vacation, sitting in a café near the Cristiano Ronaldo museum. It started with two apps and two wallets, then in 2019 I traveled to conferences and got Trust Wallet, Safe Wallet, and MetaMask on board. The EIP-193 standard emerged from community work, and I created the web3modal SDK, which became the biggest SDK on Ethereum. That's why Wallet Connect succeeded—it provided a solution for developers. By 2020 the prototype needed scaling, so I built Wallet Connect 2.0, supporting multiple chains. In 2021 we did our seed round, built a team of 10, and accelerated. In 2022 we raised Series A and launched the first version of the decentralized network. In 2023 we hosted our own conference in Denver. In 2024 we announced the decentralized network going live with more features. Wallet Connect focuses on fixing the user experience for Web3, specifically how you control wallets and interoperability. It's not a wallet but a network of wallets. We split into two companies in September: Reown (software) and the Wallet Connect Foundation. Reown builds developer tools like AppKit (the new web3modal), WalletKit, and supports email/social login and on-ramps. We author industry standards like CIP-25 and CIP-222. We have over 600 wallet partners, 30 million users in the last 18 months, and 187 million connections. The foundation's role is to steward the network and community. Our first directors include myself, Yen (former CFO of Ethereum Foundation, Polkadot Foundation, Near Foundation), and Jakob (from Revolut and Kraken). We are launching the Wallet Connect token (WCT) to incentivize network security and participation. Season 1 airdrop had 2 million registrations; eligible users can claim and stake starting November 26. Staking secures the network and rewards node operators and wallet partners. We're also launching Wallet Connect Profile, where you can manage wallets, customize, and stake. Next year we'll add voting. Another initiative is Wallet Connect Certified, where 20 wallets received a badge after meeting UX criteria, and they earn more rewards for bringing users. This is like our Visa moment. We'll expand certification rounds with higher requirements, supporting more chains and features like one-click authentication. The roadmap includes: foundation and token announced, Season 1 airdrop through 2026, profile management and staking live in November, 16 node operators, certified wallets. Coming soon: more profile customization, node and wallet rewards, Season 2 airdrop, transferability of tokens (currently non-transferable), and further decentralization with permissionless mainnet and NFT-based app/wallet registration. The journey continues—we'll never stop working to improve wallet experience.
