16th September 2026
The rebranded successor to Taipei Blockchain Week mixes AI and crypto work with workouts, local food, and an easygoing vibe that needs no branded hoodie to explain itself.
By Joe Pan
TAIPEI — The first clues that FutureMode was no standard tech conference were outside: farmers-market produce, pet-adoption stalls, and weekend shoppers. Then came the group workout, badminton court, F1 simulator, AI cocktail machine, and an ice bath.
To visitors at Taipei Expo Park’s EXPO Dome, it looked less like a summit for developers and founders than a weekend festival where tech happened to break out. That was precisely the point.
FutureMode, rebranded from Taipei Blockchain Week by Onboard, took place Sept. 4–6 with a scope beyond Web3. It paired AI and digital assets with lifestyle, culture, and wellness under a four-part model: Learn, Build, Experience, and Recharge.
The core content remained robust: over 100 speakers across three stages, 40+ panel discussions, and 30+ workshops. The BUILDMODE Hackathon, co-organized with SITCON, drew 600+ developers competing for over $90,000 in prizes backed by OpenAI, ElevenLabs, and Cathay Financial Holdings.
But FutureMode was determined not to leave participants staring at slides until their posture became a security vulnerability.
A very Taipei venue
Moving from Songshan Cultural and Creative Park to Taipei Expo Park shifted the mood without losing local flavor. Last year’s venue offered historic brick, boba, and taro ice cream; the new setting brought a vibrant community market into the mix.
The EXPO Dome sits beside the Yuanshan Farmers Market, where weekend crowds gather for fresh produce, regional foods, and local adoption groups showing off friendly dogs.
It made for an inviting entry to a high-tech event. While the market wasn’t a conference setup, its proximity rooted FutureMode in everyday Taipei life rather than an isolated ballroom.
Work out, then work
Inside, wellness took center stage. The Wellness Zone hosted F45 Training sessions, run clubs with Blackwater and NID, and Supercover ice baths—complete with functional circuit workouts and cold recovery.
An invitation-only “Proof of Work” session challenged ambassadors to a mini-HYROX fitness circuit, combining running intervals with functional training after their panel sessions.
Elsewhere, Deepcoin hosted a badminton court, Red Bull supplied DJ sets and an F1 simulator, CHAOZ offered an AI cocktail machine, and Savor’s “Unconventional Playground” combined food, music, and art.
Catering was distinctly local, featuring an opening breakfast from Fuhang Soy Milk, free bubble tea, snacks inspired by Jensen Huang’s favorites, and coffee served by MEXC.
The serious side remains serious
The lifestyle features complemented technical depth. Speakers from AMD, Google Cloud, and Mastercard covered AI infrastructure and digital finance, while OpenAI’s Derrick Choi delivered a keynote on AI engineering with Codex.
A FutureMode panel on AI and trust, supported by the Taiwan Association for Blockchain Ecosystem Innovation, addressed the less photogenic but essential questions behind AI systems that can access data, enterprise tools and wallets.
Association chairman Taka Kao emphasized authority and responsibility, noting builders must verify whether AI agents hold valid credentials and who bears accountability if an autonomous system misbehaves.
Jeffrey Wu of CertiK cautioned that agents accessing local files and enterprise tools need clear permissions and authorization trails, likening the requirement to food traceability records.
Owen Guo of FudiciaEdge Technologies added that security must reach hardware levels, pointing out that encrypted data remains vulnerable during processing if the execution environment lacks trust.
The Taiwan version of tech
Organizers positioned the festival as an accessible gateway where emerging technologies are lived and tested rather than merely displayed on screen.
Neihu Technology Park Association chairwoman Shu-fang Ou noted the goal of connecting enterprise needs, young talent, and global resources—an ambitious effort that comfortably coexisted with shuttlecocks and boba.
By blending tech with local markets and wellness, FutureMode delivered a uniquely Taiwanese outlook: the future will be powered by AI and digital assets, but it unfolds right alongside everyday city life.
About the Author
Joe Pan is an editor and producer at Blockwind News and an early adopter of blockchain technology. He has covered major crypto conferences globally since 2019 and moderated Web3 events across Asia. Joe is part of the founding team of Blockwind News and teaches Asia’s only accredited Master of Journalism class on “Covering Cryptocurrency and Blockchain” at Hong Kong Baptist University.
