Paris Blockchain Week Unveils Winners of 2025 Startup Competition, Distributing $10M+ in Prizes
Paris, France, April 18th, 2025, Chainwire
Paris Blockchain Week, Europe’s flagship blockchain event, announced the winners of this year’s Start in Block competition, dishing out an array of prizes to the 12 finalists and 3 winning startups, for over $10 million in the shape of funding, grants, accelerations, listings and more.
The Start in Block competition has emerged as a cornerstone event within the blockchain industry, and one of the most prestigious and highly-coveted awards for startups, entrepreneurs, and investors alike. A direct contest that pits some of the most promising Web3 projects against one another, the goal of the competition is to shine a spotlight on groundbreaking new initiatives with enormous potential to make a positive, real-world impact.
This year, over 1000 startups applied, with the top 100 gaining valuable exposure and direct feedback from numerous influential investors within the blockchain industry. Then the 12 preferred startups had the exclusive opportunity to pitch their projects on April 10th to more than 500 prospective investors, including venture capitalists, accelerators, angel investors, and DAO representatives. For investors, the competition offered unique opportunities to identify and invest in high-potential Web3 startups, generating qualified deal flow and fostering meaningful connections with talented entrepreneurs.
The 12 finalists competed across three distinct tracks: DeFi, AI, and Gaming & Consumer. The winners from each track, who had the exclusive opportunity to pitch on the Master Stage before prominent judges Jakub Rusiecki (1k(x)), Ashley Ouyang (Crypto.com), and Alix Musset (Aptos Labs), were:
1st: Glider – Brian Huang, Co-founder
2nd: Almanax – Francesco Piccoli, Co-founder and CEO
3rd: EarnOS – Phil George, Founder
“Paris Blockchain Week is an outstanding event, marked by exceptional attention to detail. Start in Block stood out as a particularly efficient startup competition, straightforward and designed for meaningful engagement with high-quality projects. Kudos to the team for setting a new benchmark in event experience and execution.” said Ashley Ouyang, Executive Director at Crypto.com Capital and one of this year’s judges.
The support of our partners was instrumental in making Paris Blockchain Week’s Start in Block competition one of the most anticipated and illustrious startup contests on the crypto calendar, contributing not only to the $10 million+ prize pool but also to the process of selecting the Top 12 contenders invited to showcase their innovations at this year’s event. The ongoing support of our partners is crucial in fostering innovation and growth within the blockchain ecosystem.
What else made this edition truly unforgettable? Among the highlights was the exclusive Investor Breakfast powered by iExec, offering a networking opportunity for founders, juries, and investors to connect and exchange insights in an intimate setting. The innovative collaboration with Myriad Market introduced an engaging prediction market around the Startup Competition, allowing participants to anticipate outcomes and experience firsthand the power of decentralized forecasting. Furthermore, PBW’s comprehensive Dune dashboard provided investors with precise, actionable insights through detailed, granular data, empowering strategic decision-making. Finally, the expert-led panel discussions during Investor Day delivered exceptional analysis on current market dynamics, future investment opportunities, and emerging trends within the Web3 ecosystem.
About Paris Blockchain Week
Paris Blockchain Week is a leading global event in blockchain and Web3, committed to fostering innovation, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. Each year, the event attracts thousands of attendees, including industry leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, regulators, and blockchain enthusiasts, to explore emerging technologies and their transformative potential.
The 6th edition took place from 8 to 10 April at Carrousel du Louvre and welcomed over 10,000 attendees and 420+ speakers, including prominent industry figures such as Charles Hoskinson, CEO and Founder of Input | Output, Adam Back, Co-Founder & CEO of Blockstream, David Ripley, Co-CEO of Kraken, Eric Anziani, President & COO of Crypto.com, Clara Chappaz, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence & Digital Affairs of Government of France.
For more information, please visit https://www.parisblockchainweek.com
