Reflections from Rare Evo: A True Celebration of Innovation
What does it feel like when vision, technology, and community collide in all the right ways? Rare Evo gave us a pretty incredible answer.
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of joining the Midnight Foundation and Input Output team in Las Vegas for Rare Evo, which brought over 2,500 Web3 innovators together from core contributors in the Cardano ecosystem to trailblazers across the broader blockchain world.
Hosted at the iconic Caesar’s Palace, the event positively brimmed with innovation, community spirit, and forward momentum.
Here’s the key takeaways and milestones that made the show so memorable.
The Glacier Drop Breakthrough
One of the standout moments during Rare Evo was observing the Claim Phase of the Glacier Drop unfold in real time. Within days, Midnight surpassed a staggering milestone:
Over 1 billion $NIGHT tokens claimed in the first week
Participation from wallets across eight major ecosystems
Roughly 4.2% of the total supply distributed
This marks the largest token distribution in blockchain history. The speed and reach of adoption validated Midnight’s permissionless,multi-phase model.
It also shows how deeply the community is engaging in building resilient, decentralized infrastructure from day one.
Gaming Meets Metaverse Meets Mind: Quantum Hosky
In between panels and keynotes, I had a blast playing the Quantum Hosky demo, a surreal blend of tech, gaming, and metaverse creativity.
This isn’t just another blockchain game - it’s a bold experiment in blending EEG, AI, and quantum randomness to create dynamic gameplay environments.
Bold, weird, and wildly creative, it offered a glimpse into how the metaverse might evolve when powered by experimental tech and imagination.
One and only Charles Hoskinson on Vision and Unity
Hearing Charles Hoskinson speak is always energising, and his keynote at Rare Evo was no exception. Reflecting on Cardano’s growth and why this ecosystem continues to attract talent and innovation:
“We’re able to launch great projects like Midnight, for example, out of Cardano. That’s not going to stop. It’s only going to increase. Every time we do it, we gain people, and we keep our people, because they love the ecosystem.”
He also explained the ethos of collaboration:
“Everybody’s unified… We want this not just to be a Cardano conference… but one that showcases what’s happening across many ecosystems, we’re bringing people together.”
Later, in his fireside chat with Altcoin Daily, he further emphasized this strategic vision. During the talk, he highlighted Cardano’s positioning as a leader in DeFi, stablecoins, and governance innovation and how he believes that it can “become the next multi-trillion-dollar blockchain ecosystem.”
Community Connection: The Soul of this Industry
Tamara Haasen, President of IO, brilliantly captured what drew so many of us into this industry and keeps us committed:
“What got me into this space - I fell in love. I fell in love with philosophy, I fell in love with the people. I just started meeting… my friends.”
That sentiment perfectly captured Rare Evo. Yes, the tech is exciting but it’s the people, the shared vision, and the excitement of building something meaningful together.
It’s the collective belief in a better future that makes this industry so special. And a reason why I continue to support it. The community is inspiring and exciting to work with.
…
Rare Evo is a conference that reminds us that Web3 thrives when innovation, community, and governance intersect. From record-breaking token distributions and 4D metaverse gameplay experiments, to purpose-built governance and foundational philosophy, every moment of the show reinforced why being part of this space is both humbling and exhilarating.
I’m grateful to work alongside teams shaping the future and so excited to see what comes next.
