Beeple turns ETHDenver into a post-apocalyptic wasteland
The latest ETHDenver conference, which got underway earlier this week, has been depicted as a post-apocalyptic wasteland of crumbling booths and discarded conference swag in a new painting by renowned NFT artist Beeple.
Ethereum has declined 29% over the past 12 months, costing investors over $90 billion in market capitalization.
In an effort to convey the sheer scale of the collapse, Beeple, who’s one of the highest-earning NFT creators in history, has created a nightmarish scene that imagines a decrepit venue stacked with trash, pigeons, stray dogs, and destitute attendees.
Tattered signs hang from the ceiling and trash boxes are filled with worthless merchandise from prior campaigns like DeFi Summer, NFTs, and memecoins.
The image immediately resonated on Crypto Twitter and spurred users to post their own wasteland jokes. One likened ETHDenver to Skid Row, a famous homeless area of downtown Los Angeles.
Read more: Beeple NFT tops almost every ‘Old World Masters’ ever auctioned
ETHDenver stats crater
Attendance at the flagship Ethereum conference, which once rivaled the largest Bitcoin conference from 2023-2024, has collapsed this year. Indeed, ticket sales have dipped below 10,000 from a previous 25,000 high.
The number of side events planned a month in advance, such as mixers, afterparties, and workshops, also fell 85% from last year’s 668.
“I have to say that this was the internal monologue of most of the attendees at ETHDenver,” agreed one attendee.
“The show was about 1/10th the size of last year’s. Probably a lot more reminiscent of ETHDenver 2019 and not what we would have expected for ETHDenver 2026.”
“Hilarious Trump even said no ETHDenver and threw a crypto event at Mar a Lago,” noted another observer.
The Trump family’s crypto forum in Palm Beach, Florida and a White House stablecoin meeting directly conflicted with the dates of ETHDenver 2026.
Others disagreed entirely. Indeed, Jesse Pollack posted a stream of positive updates, as did other Ethereum permabulls like David Hoffman.
Several users posted photos and videos from the conference floor under Beeple’s art to contest his characterization.
Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin ignored the social drama entirely, quietly posting technical updates. The Ethereum Foundation posted its 2026 roadmap to minimal media attention.
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