Two years ago, a data breach at a crowdfunding website exposed the identities of donors to a legal defense fund for a defendant who one side of the culture war had already found guilty without a trial. An international newspaper saw fit to amplify the names of several “public officials” who donated, including a police sergeant who gave a whole $25 and a fire department paramedic who kicked in all of $10. Not to be outdone, a local television reporter contacted the paramedic’s employer and reported, with a whiff of incredulous disappointment, that the city had not placed this obscure individual, who was not accused of breaking any laws, on administrative leave. (The defendant, for the record, was acquitted by a jury of his peers.)

At least, that is a recurrent theme throughout CoinDesk’s first-ever Consensus @ Consensus report, out today. Based primarily on intimate group discussions that took place at Consensus 2023, it covers a wide range of pressing issues challenging the digital assets industry. These include the newly urgent subject of regulation, the competing demands of privacy and law enforcement, the difficulty of bringing self-custody to the mainstream, the future of crypto media, and more. The discussion groups, which convened largely offstage in Austin, Texas, from April 26-28, 2023, represented a cross-section of interested parties – including developers, investors, government officials, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits.

For Consensus 2023 we at CoinDesk are adding something new and timely: Intimate group discussions, in which a cross-section of interested parties – including developers, investors, government officials, entrepreneurs, and non-profits – will seek solutions to the crypto industry’s thorniest challenges. Coinciding with CoinDesk’s 10-year anniversary, it reflects a commitment to use our convening and publishing clout to help the Consensus community move the industry forward in a collaborative and constructive way.