April 25th marked a significant milestone in Latin America's crypto journey as it hosted its first Staking Meetup, a collaborative effort between Meta Pool and Sensei Node, with backing from Staking Rewards. The event was made possible thanks to the support of Cryptologic, Internet Computer Protocol, NEAR Protocol, and Picasso Network.<img src="https://tidy-ball-c49dc59f59.media.strapiapp.com/2024_05_16_10_14_51_89c8f505e1.jpg" alt="2024-05-16 10.14.51.jpg" width="1280" height="960">The event served as a testament to the growing interest and involvement in blockchain technology, decentralized and traditional finance across the Latin America region. One of the highlights of the meetup was the discussion surrounding Proof of Stake protocols and the staking rewards generated by validators, which was emphasized as a crucial aspect of blockchain networks' sustainability. Notably, NEAR Protocol and Aptos involvement in providing support to launch enterprise grade proof of stake validators served as a tangible demonstration of the growing interest from the blockchain industry in the region.&nbsp;Pablo Larguia, the CEO from Sensei Node, opened the event sharing some insightful information in regards to blockchain adoption across many protocols with it's State of Staking in Latin America.&nbsp;<blockquote>“Currently we have more than 1 billion USD in staked assets in our infrastructure through partnerships with Aptos, Lido, NEAR and Polkadot, which marks a milestone for the Latin America blockchain industry”- Pablo Larguia, Co-Founder of Sensei Node</blockquote>&nbsp;After the keynote, there were conversations in different panels covering topics such as L1s &amp; Interoperability, Fintech, and crypto on-ramp provided attendees with valuable insights into the current landscape and future trends of the industry.<img src="https://tidy-ball-c49dc59f59.media.strapiapp.com/2024_05_16_10_14_42_03323e27e8.jpg" alt="2024-05-16 10.14.42.jpg" width="1280" height="591">The event also featured a panel of key leaders from the ecosystem, moderated by Claudio Cossio, co-founder of Meta Pool; including Nixo from ETH Stakers, Mariano Stoll from ICP Argentina, and Blas Rodriguez from Picasso Network, who shared their perspectives on the importance of staking and its role in shaping the future of decentralized finance.&nbsp;<blockquote>“Interoperability is crucial for Proof of Stake protocols; increasing crypto mass adoption in Latin America will also include liquid staking tokens as part of the options to support delegation by stakers”- Claudio Cossio, Co-founder of Meta Pool</blockquote>&nbsp;An important message from the Fintech panel led by Mariano Biocca from the Camara Fintech of Argentina - adoption of crypto will come from a need being solved by digital currencies such as USD pegged stablecoins - with key players such as Ripio, Bitso, Lemon and Belo; who are incorporating crypto in their financial platforms, solving the problem of easy access to digital dollars.&nbsp;<blockquote>“We use crypto in the background, the issue is that not everyone is ready to manage their own private keys. The solution will come sooner rather than later as users become more crypto savvy”- Manu Beaudroit - Co-founder Belo App</blockquote>&nbsp;The Staking Meetup also provided a platform to discuss relevant topics such as interoperability between various protocol layers, the integration of traditional financial services with blockchain technology, and the importance of education and inclusion in the crypto ecosystem.The presence of prominent leaders from the ecosystem, both local and international, emphasized the global relevance of this event and provided an invaluable opportunity for idea exchange and collaboration networking.As a pioneer event Staking Meetup Buenos Aires has played a fundamental role in uniting diverse ecosystem actors and providing a space for getting current market insights, knowledge transfer through peer conversations and future skill development in blockchain technology by those that are new to the proof of stake blockchain industry.&nbsp;Buenos Aires has been an emerging hub of crypto innovation in the region and laid the groundwork for future collaborations and projects that drive economic and social development in Latin America.That's why we believe events like this are essential for accelerating the growth and adoption of blockchain technology in Latin America by providing a space for collaboration, learning, and network building that are crucial for the long-term success of the crypto industry in the region.<img src="https://tidy-ball-c49dc59f59.media.strapiapp.com/Staking_Meet_Up_24_of_26_b5913793e2.jpeg" alt="StakingMeetUp - 24 of 26.jpeg" width="4000" height="2252">Be ready for 2025, we will be preparing a bigger event that will allow everyone from the blockchain community to come together and experience why Argentina is a great location to understand crypto mass adoption in Latin America. &nbsp;

The First Staking Meetup in Buenos Aires

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