Consensus, the longest-running and most influential event in the crypto and blockchain space, has announced that two major business figures, Kevin O’Leary, Chairman of O’Leary Ventures, and Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, will join the lineup for the 2025 event in Toronto. The highly anticipated event, hosted by CoinDesk, will take place from May 14 to May 16, 2025, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. This marks the first time the conference will be held in Canada, bringing together the most influential leaders from finance, crypto, blockchain, and Web3.
Speaking about his involvement in Consensus Toronto, investor and entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary said: “Consensus has long been the go-to gathering for the digital asset industry — a place where serious conversations happen and real decisions are made. I’m excited to join its world-class lineup of speakers in Toronto, a city with a vibrant tech ecosystem and a fast-growing community of crypto, AI, and Web3 innovators. It’s the perfect setting to push the digital asset conversation forward and help shape what’s next for this rapidly evolving sector.”
Consensus is set to welcome 20,000+ attendees from over 100 countries across the digital assets space, 400+ startups, 200+ sponsors, and 6,800+ companies. O’Leary and Portnoy join a distinguished roster of 500+ speakers across crypto, Web3 and blockchain. This year’s flagship event will also feature six dynamic stages, CoinDesk PitchFest (a live competition showcasing the most promising early-stage Web3 startups) and North America’s largest in-person blockchain hackathon, along with hundreds of curated side events and unrivaled networking opportunities.
Other speakers announced for Toronto 2025 include:
- Robert Hines – Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, The White House
- Adrienne Harris – Superintendent, New York Department of Financial Services
- Sergey Nazarov – Co-Founder, Chainlink
- Anthony Scaramucci – Founder, SkyBridge Capital
- Charles Hoskinson – CEO & Founder, Input Output
- Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer, Bitwise Asset Management
- Dan Morehead – Founder & CEO, Pantera Capital
- Lindsey Einhaus – Crypto Strategy and Operations, Stripe
- Ryan Rugg – Global Head of Digital Assets, Treasury and Trade Solutions, Citi
- Smokey Bera – Co-Founder, Berachain
- Keone Hon – Co-Founder, Monad
Toronto was pinpointed as host country for the world-leading conference due to its position as North America’s third-largest tech ecosystem and second-largest financial hub. Adding to its appeal is its rich crypto heritage. Toronto is the birthplace of Ethereum and home to the world’s first Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.
“Consensus has long been the definitive stage for the most influential voices in digital assets, and Toronto will be no exception. We’re thrilled to welcome Kevin O’Leary and Dave Portnoy to this year’s lineup, bringing fresh perspectives at a time when mainstream adoption is accelerating like never before,” said Michael Lau, Chairman of Consensus. “With an unmatched roster of speakers, leading sponsors, and a global audience of decision-makers, Consensus continues to be one of the most important events for those shaping the future of this industry.”
Executives from leading Canadian firms, including Dean Skurka, President & CEO of WonderFi, Danish Ajmeri, Director of Product for Crypto at Wealthsimple and Lucas Matheson, CEO of Coinbase Canada, will be joining the conversation at Consensus to explore Canada’s expanding role in the industry.
