Blockchain Week — UNGA Edition Appoints Lara Moreno to Lead Cultural Programming Across Its Ten-Day New York Series
The curator’s remit spans twelve events in Times Square from September 10 to 19, including
BitcoinPalooza and the fourth annual Washington Elite Investment Summit & Gala — placing
commissioned art and live performance in front of the investors, policymakers and founders who
convene in New York for the UN General Assembly.
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NEW YORK, August 24, 2026 — The Porter Brothers today announced the appointment of Lara Moreno as Curator of Music, Art & Fashion for Blockchain Week — UNGA Edition. For the first time, a single curator holds authority over cultural programming across all twelve events, September 10–19 in Times Square. Commissioned work will remain installed for the full ten days — through BitcoinPalooza and the black-tie Washington Elite Investment Summit & Gala on September 18. Open call for artists closes September 4.
NEW YORK, August 24, 2026 — The Porter Brothers today announced
the appointment of Lara Moreno as Curator of Music, Art & Fashion for
Blockchain Week — UNGA Edition, the ten-day series they produce each September in Times Square
through GlobalBoost.
Moreno’s remit covers the cultural programming across all twelve events on the 2026 calendar,
running September 10 to 19. It is the first time the series has appointed a single curator with
authority over the full program rather than treating each night’s entertainment separately.
The appointment reflects a deliberate strategic choice. The Washington Elite series has spent a
decade convening capital, policy and emerging technology in the same room — energy, crypto,
privacy, AI, space, and fashion. What the Porter Brothers have observed is that the deals and
relationships that matter rarely form during the panels. They form in the rooms around them.
Programming those rooms properly, with work worth looking at and performers worth staying for,
is a commercial decision as much as a cultural one.
Under the new structure, work selected by Moreno will not be confined to a single evening.
Commissioned and selected pieces will be installed across Blockchain Week venues for the
duration of the series — carrying through the September 16–17 flagship conference at the Hard
Rock Main Theatre, the September 17 BitcoinPalooza after-party, and the black-tie
Washington Elite Investment Summit & Gala on September 18, now in its
fourth consecutive year.
“We have spent ten years building rooms where serious capital meets serious technology.
What we learned is that the room itself does the work — who is in it, what is on the walls, what
is playing when people are actually talking to each other. Bringing Lara in is us taking that
seriously instead of leaving it to chance.”
— Bruce Porter Jr., Co-Founder, Washington Elite; Founder, GlobalBoost
“A gala and a warehouse show are not the same audience, and I am not going to pretend they
are. What I can do is make sure an artist’s work is seen properly in both — installed for ten
days across Times Square, in front of collectors and founders and diplomats who would never
walk into their gallery. That is a real opportunity, and I intend to treat it like one.”
— Lara Moreno, Curator of Music, Art & Fashion, Blockchain Week — UNGA Edition
Open Call — Submissions Now Accepted
Artists, performers and designers invited to submit
Alongside the appointment, Blockchain Week is opening a public call for musicians, visual
artists, and fashion designers to take part in the 2026 series. Submissions are reviewed on a
rolling basis, with a final deadline of Friday, September 4, 2026.
Selected artists retain full copyright in their work, set their own prices on anything offered
for sale, and receive named credit wherever their work is shown. Exhibition space, installation
support and transport between venues are provided by the production. Applicants do not need
prior experience with blockchain or digital-asset events.
To submit, email lara@bitcoinpalooza.nyc with links
to your work, a short note on what you would like to present, and any technical requirements.
Full terms are provided in the artist agreement before any commitment is made.
The 2026 series
Blockchain Week — UNGA Edition runs September 10 to 19, 2026 across Times Square. The 2026
calendar comprises twelve official events, opening with the Orbital Runway kickoff on September
10 and closing with the 24th annual International Day of Peace concert on September 19. The
series includes a multistakeholder forum at United Nations Headquarters on September 14, the
two-day flagship conference on September 16 and 17, and the Washington Elite Investment Summit
& Gala on September 18.
| Series | Blockchain Week — UNGA Edition, September 10–19, 2026 |
| Flagship conference | September 16–17 · Hard Rock Main Theatre, Times Square |
| BitcoinPalooza | September 17 · 4th annual · Hard Rock Cafe Times Square |
| Investment Summit & Gala | September 18 · 6:00 PM – Midnight · Black tie · 4th consecutive year |
| Producer | GlobalBoost |
| Open call deadline | Friday, September 4, 2026 |
| Full program | blockchainweek.ai/program |
Charitable mission
A portion of proceeds from every Washington Elite event funds adaptive sports programs for blind
veterans and disabled athletes, including the Washington Elite Blind Hockey Initiative. The
initiative has supported major tournaments in partnership with the Blind Veterans Association and
at the Lake Placid Olympic Center, covering jerseys, ice time, travel and adaptive equipment for
participating athletes.
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About Washington Elite
The Washington Elite Investment Summit & Charity Gala is presented annually by the Porter
Brothers, convening investors, policymakers and innovators at the intersection of elite capital
and emerging technology — across energy, fashion, crypto and digital assets, privacy, AI and
space. The 2026 edition takes place September 18 in Times Square, New York City. Proceeds
support adaptive sports initiatives for blind veterans and disabled athletes.
About GlobalBoost
GlobalBoost is a New York–based event production company that builds the platforms where
blockchain, policy, capital and culture meet. Founded by Bruce Porter Jr. and David Porter, who
have produced blockchain events internationally for more than fifteen years, GlobalBoost
produces Blockchain Week — UNGA Edition, BitcoinPalooza, and the Washington Elite Investment
Summit & Gala.
Media contact
press@WashingtonElite.com ·
+1 (202) 436-6577
Curator and artist enquiries: Lara Moreno,
lara@bitcoinpalooza.nyc
BitcoinPalooza media kit and brand assets:
bitcoinpalooza.nyc/press
Blockchain Week — UNGA Edition is an independent initiative and is not affiliated with,
organized by, endorsed or sponsored by the United Nations.
