The Solana Foundation stated that the Accelerate event was canceled due to a surge in registrations, with people overwhelming the designated venue. Nonetheless, social media reports indicate the presence of law enforcement at the venue, with attendees remaining left outside for hours.
Key Takeaways
- Solana’s Accelerate event in Shanghai was abruptly postponed after venue capacity was overwhelmed.
- Police reportedly blocked access, raising concerns that China is enforcing its strict anti-crypto laws.
- Publicity and high turnout might have led authorities to dismantle the event, enforcing China’s crypto ban.
Solana Accelerate Event Postponed in China, Reports Indicate Law Enforcement Presence at Venue
One of the largest events of the Solana community in China, the Accelerate convention, was postponed on October 16, with attendees speculating about the reasons for this move.
Social media reports indicate that attendees arrived at the designated venue in Shanghai only to be left waiting for over an hour to access the event, which was programmed to be held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Shanghai on October 16.
Lily Liu, president of the Solana Foundation, explained that due to the publicity linked to the convention, “event registrations quadrupled overnight, far exceeding the event cap we had registered with local authorities, and we had no way to prevent people from overwhelming the venue.”
Liu specified that the foundation postponed the event until it can “better accommodate the breadth and scale of our community,” and apologized to the attendees who traveled to be part of the experience.
Nonetheless, photos suggesting the presence of law enforcement offices and first-hand accounts of officials blocking access to the venue point to local authorities canceling the event due to its cryptocurrency links, even when no talk was directed at this topic per the Accelerate Shanghai program.
“Sad to see. Looks like they really didn’t know the local policies?” said Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, weighing in on the postponement, also hinting at the enforcement of China’s anti-crypto policies as the real reason behind postponing the convention.
Zhao also pointed out that this was not the first time the same convention has been targeted by local police. The 2025 Solana Accelerate Shenzhen event was also temporarily canceled due to public safety reasons, as a similar overcrowding situation unfolded.
Other Chinese crypto sources also pointed out that the heavy publicity surrounding the event and the promotion of an office established by the foundation gave it a high profile, with authorities stepping in to dismantle the event and enforce local crypto policies put in place since 2021 and recently reinforced by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC).