Common S3nse gathers privacy engineers, security researchers, cryptographers, and cypherpunks at De Hallen Studio in Amsterdam on September 4-5, 2026, for a two-day conference-and-hackathon anchoring the city's Cypherpunk Week.
From ETHDam to Common S3nse
Amsterdam's CryptoCanal built its reputation on ETHDam, the privacy-focused Ethereum event it ran in 2023, 2024, and 2025. For this year the team retired the old name and launched Common S3nse, keeping the two-day conference-plus-hackathon format and the early September slot while widening the aperture to privacy, security, and digital freedom as a whole. The continuity matters more than the branding: same organizers, same city, and a program that treats privacy engineering as serious technical work rather than a niche.
The timing is deliberate. Common S3nse sits at the center of Cypherpunk Week in Amsterdam, a stretch of days when adjacent events cluster around the same themes and audience. DashCon, the week's companion conference, runs on September 3, and a combined pass covers both if you want the full run of the week.
The room skews technical. Organizers describe the expected mix as privacy engineers, security researchers, cryptographers, philosophers, and cypherpunks, which is a fair preview of hallway conversation quality: expect zero-knowledge proofs, censorship resistance, and secure infrastructure to dominate over token price talk.
Two Stages and a Pearl on the Line
Conference programming runs across a main stage and a second stage on both days, and every paid ticket covers both rooms. Early speaker announcements include Ameen Soleimani of Privacy Pools and 0xbow, Kieran Mesquita of RAILGUN, Danny Sanders from Trezor, and the writer Sal the Agorist. Applications to speak stay open for anyone working on decentralization, zk tooling, secure infrastructure, or responsible AI.
The hackathon breaks the usual weekend template. Accepted builders spend a week constructing their projects online before anyone lands in Amsterdam, then arrive ready to present what organizers call their pearl live on stage during the conference. Applying to hack is also the only free route in: accepted hackers get full access to both days of talks and networking.
Running alongside is Best Pearls, a curated showcase for finished products, early prototypes, and raw ideas across privacy, security, decentralization, and freedom tech. Showcase applications are open to anyone shipping something worth attention, which turns one corner of the venue into a working demo floor for scouts, collaborators, and the merely curious.
Bounties, Students, and Volunteers
Hackathon prize support comes from ENS Domains, SuperteamNL, and Mobula, each listed on the event page with a 2k bounty attached. For students, the pitch from organizers is blunt: if you have a technical background, the hackathon is the best way to learn, connect, and get fully involved rather than watching from the back row.
Non-technical attendees get a lane too. The volunteer crew handles logistics, guest services, production, MC duties, and hacker support, and volunteers see how a grassroots, politically unapologetic conference actually gets run. Media and community partnership applications remain open as well for organizations that want in without buying a bundle.
Ticket Math and Getting There
Pricing is simple enough to plan around. The standard guest pass costs 130 euros for both days. Day tickets run 80 euros and cover Friday or Saturday individually. Students pay 15 euros with a university or hogeschool ID shown at the door. The combo ticket pairs Common S3nse with DashCon for 200 euros, and the Buoy bundle hands companies or communities ten passes plus website branding for 5,000 euros.
Travel costs have softeners attached. Travelswap offers five percent off bookings with the code s3nse, capped at fifty dollars, and Nomadz advertises stablecoin payments and discounted rates across a large inventory of stays. Both are linked directly from the event site, so factor them into budgeting before you book anything retail.
The venue is De Hallen Studio at Hannie Dankbaarpassage 18, inside Amsterdam's De Hallen complex and a tram ride from the center. Read CryptoCanal's manifesto before you go; the team frames this as an event not afraid to be political, and the programming follows through on that promise.