It's not an April joke, but it happened 23 years ago. It was an economics-mathematics olympics for high-school kids at Moscow State University. It was my first-ever event—around 1,500 kids with parents, students, professors. The day before, I got a call: “...bla-bla-bla… because of Putin, we have to cancel the event due to terrorist threats.” So there I was, standing in front of the building, informing the kids that the event was canceled and would be held next Sunday.

…and a McDonald's was blown up instead that day. It's always a McDonald's—during my Duke MBA residency in St. Petersburg in 2013, another McDonald's was blown up. Somehow it’s more terrifying; a lot more people go to McDonald's than to the university.

Since then, I've organized more than 1,000 events—online and offline—to engage people throughout various stages of my career, from SAP & Microsoft to startups and Ga^3in Ventures. Nothing can surprise me now, but crypto & AI events remain the most unpredictable and addictive. Why? The speed of innovation and change is so fast that you never feel like you know everything. Presidential candidates, top CEOs, public figures—we've hosted them all, changing and shaping us with each experience.

As I write this aboard an Emirates flight from NYC to Dubai, I'm preparing for our exciting lineup at Token2049. I'm thinking about all the great people I'll meet and reconnect with.

Here's what we've got planned in Dubai:

🚤 Crypto & AI VCs Yacht – April 29th
Exclusive VC networking on the water. Limited spots available—DM me @husnetdinov or register here: Join us onboard →

🎤 Web3 & AI Pitch Competition – April 30th at 1 PM
Innovation on full display—startups meet VCs: Pitch & Connect →

🥂 Investor Soirée – Token2049 Edition
An evening even more competitive than Harvard and Duke combined: Secure your invite →

We hope this year avoids any floods or rockets—events that previously challenged us. Yet even disruptions accelerate adoption in our ever-evolving financial system.

On a personal note—as if the above wasn't personal enough—I recently moved from North Carolina to New York, immersing myself deeper into the crypto universe. NC was home for a long time, a source of new friends and experiences. It will always smell like home the moment I step out at RDU Terminal 2.

New York City is already rewarding: Ripple recently approached me for a Managing Director role leading their stablecoins practice. A fixed salary of $400k plus bonuses—not too shabby. To match that income as a VC, I'd need to raise a $280M fund. Possible, but worth it? Either way, the message is clear: a massive leap in our industry is imminent, and I’m excited to be at its core—whether leading a team or advising key players.

Stay connected, stay curious, and I hope to see many of you in Dubai!

Warm regards,
Sergey