GWDC 2026 KOREA Seoul successfully concluded: Hong Kong and South Korea jointly build a policy and technology dual engine, developers focus on AI intelligent entities, stablecoins, and RWA innovation

Hosted by Web3Labs and co-hosted by Techub News, HypaiLabs, and TokenPost, the Global Developer Conference GWDC 2026 KOREA (Global Web3 Dev Con 2026 Korea) was successfully held from September 29 to 30 at the aT Center in Seoul, South Korea.

As one of Asia's most influential technology events, this year's GWDC continued with the theme "For Builders, By Builders," attracting significant attention from the global Web3 and AI communities. Official data from the conference indicated that the total number of registrations through the Luma and Fnny dual platforms reached 12,706. Over the two-day schedule, the event attracted more than 2,000 global attendees, over 100 prominent speakers, and hundreds of cutting-edge companies.

1. Deepening Policy and Industry Collaboration between Hong Kong and Korea: AWPA Alliance Officially Established

On the first day of the conference, guests from government, business, and academia gathered to witness a new milestone in East Asia's Web3 and AI industry collaboration.

Messages from the government and industry foresight. South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol expressed via video that South Korea has top-tier semiconductor and digital data infrastructure, which is expected to become a global testing platform for AI applications. Dr. Wu Jietzhuang, a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, emphasized that the combination of AI and blockchain is giving rise to a new paradigm of life, and Hong Kong's advantages in tax rates and financial freedom will provide strong support for global entrepreneurs. South Korean lawmaker and initiator of the "Digital Asset Basic Law" Min Byung-deok stated that establishing a sound market to protect innovation and investors requires Asian countries to work together.

The "Hong Kong-Korea Web3 Policy Promotion Alliance" (AWPA) was launched. Initiated by lawmakers Wu Jietzhuang and Min Byung-deok, the AWPA was officially established at the conference, aiming to deepen policy collaboration in areas such as asset compliance, stablecoin mechanisms, and cross-border data flow.

Dual-engine positioning. Web3Labs CEO Caspar Wong stated that following the successful first GWDC held in Hong Kong in February this year, the Korean edition further builds a bridge between the two regions' technology and economy, aiming to make Hong Kong and Korea the dual engines of the global Web3 revolution.

2. Four Core Consensus in the Industry: Shifting from Technology-Driven to "Scenarios, Distribution, and Implementation"

After two days of over ten keynote speeches, multiple roundtable forums, and fireside chats, attendees reached four core consensus points regarding the future integration of Web3 and AI:

1. AI Agents become the new main entity of the on-chain economy. Guests including Yat Siu, co-founder of Animoca Brands, and Justin Sun, founder of TRON, unanimously agreed that blockchain infrastructure naturally aligns with AI agents. An agent with a crypto wallet essentially gains access to open financial services and value transfer channels.

2. Stablecoins are transforming from "trading pairs" to "AI and borderless payment infrastructure." Nick See Tong, head of Base in the Asia-Pacific region, stated that Base holds a major share in the micro-payment protocol x402 aimed at AI agents. Institutions like Coinbase Institutional and VERY LABS also pointed out that stablecoins are rapidly expanding from trading tools to everyday cross-border transfers, merchant payments, and small settlements between agents.

3. RWA (Real World Asset Tokenization): The focus shifts from "issuance" to "liquidity and distribution." Representatives from Ondo Finance, Hashgraph, Canton Foundation, and Paxos Labs noted that tokenization is no longer a technical bottleneck; the real challenge lies in cross-chain interconnectivity, liquidity guidance, and compliant distribution channels after assets are on-chain.

4. Product validation standards transformation: Distribution capability and real retention rates outweigh pure technology. Investors from Cointelegraph Accelerator, HB Ventures, and other institutions reminded entrepreneurs that AI tools have significantly lowered the barriers to product development, and future core competitiveness will depend on real user retention, clear profit models, and strong distribution and promotion capabilities.

3. Geek Craze: 120+ Hackathon Teams Compete, University Alliance Builds Long-term Incubation Bridge

The 48-hour Geek Hackathon held simultaneously at the venue became the innovation highlight of this conference. This hackathon attracted over 120 Builder teams (more than 150 developers) from more than 8 countries and regions, including China, Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan, participating both on-site and online. The conference expressed special thanks to 39 media partners, 31 communities, and 30 university alliances for their strong support!

At the closing ceremony, the Top 3 winning teams from the two hackathon tracks were officially announced:

TRON Track: Champion (1st Place): Protocol Alpha Finder (Project: Protocol Alpha Finder) | Tsinghua University Team; Runner-up (2nd Place): b.p (Project: faat) | Joint Team from Seoul National University / Chung-Ang University / Sogang University; Third Place (3rd Place): Team J (Project: SettleMap) | Independent Developer Team

FuriosaAI × Bricksum (FxB) Track: Champion (1st Place): 404 Found (Project: CFO Agent) | Joint Team from Gyeonggi University / Gyeongsang National University; Runner-up (2nd Place): Make the world better (Project: Accord lock) | Independent Developer Team; Third Place (3rd Place): ; (Project: Agent Accord) | Gyeonggi University Team

In addition, Alex Chung-hyun, head of Bitrise Korea, stated that the team visited over 100 universities in Korea and set up a total prize of $100,000 to support young developers. The conference officially established a permanent organization, the University Alliance, which will continue to connect universities, enterprises, and global accelerators to provide long-term incubation and funding support for outstanding student teams.

About GWDC 2026 KOREA

GWDC (Global Web3 Dev Con) is a premier global event for Web3 and AI developers, aimed at gathering global Builders, investment institutions, and policymakers to jointly promote the cross-border implementation and commercialization of cutting-edge technologies.

Conference official website: https://www.gwdc.net/