Europe’s biggest Bitcoin (BTC) event in history is coming to Prague this week and will feature several notable figures who work closely with the world’s first cryptocurrency.
The English-language BTC Prague conference will run from June 8 to 10 at the PVA exhibition center in Letňany. One of the partners is SatoshiLabs, a company founded in 2013 by two Czechs, Marek Palatinus and Pavol Rusnák, which created the world’s cryptocurrency hardware wallet, Trezor. The organizers are Martin and Matyáš Kuchař, who have four years of experience organizing similar conferences.
EXPATS EXPLAIN
Bitcoin, invented in 2008 by an unknown person (or people) and first used in 2009, is the world’s first and best-known cryptocurrency. It reached its highest value of around USD 68,700 (over CZK 1.5 million) in November 2021. Today, BTC 1 is worth USD 26,700 and Bitcoin has a market capitalization (total value) of over USD 500 billion. Around 92 percent – or 19.3 million – of all existing bitcoins have been mined.
Several notable guests
Guest speakers include Michael Saylor, founder of a company that is one of the largest owners of bitcoins in the world, MicroStrategy; Saifedean Ammous, author of the best-seller “The Bitcoin Standard”; and Adam Back, the founder of one of the world’s most prominent blockchain technology companies, Blockstream.
“We have a chance to once again confirm to the world that we, as Czechs, can be proud of ourselves for setting the pace and direction for the entire industry. We will welcome 10,000 visitors to the fair, who will watch the performances of 130 world speakers and visit over 80 stands of companies from all over the world”
Matyáš Kuchař, BTC Prague CEO
The aim of the event is to educate members of the public, from crypto beginners to seasoned users. “Continuous bank failures of all sizes and the systematic curtailment of financial freedoms happening around the world lately show how current and important Bitcoin is,” Rusnák of SatoshiLabs said.
Speakers and talks for all things Bitcoin
The event will also feature over 140 panel discussions and lectures to explain the various uses of Bitcoin and affiliated technologies – for example even when purchasing and pouring beer.
Basic-entry tickets to the exhibition start from EUR 9 (about CZK 210), but tickets that give access to more speakers and business-to-business networking opportunities cost EUR 620 (about CZK 14,600). A VIP ticket costs EUR 1,880 (over CZK 44,000). Full ticket information is listed on the official website.
The conference will also display new developments in the process of Bitcoin mining and ensuring on-chain privacy. Four separate stages will accommodate the speakers. According to the official website, over 10,000 people are expected to attend.
Czechia – a central part of Bitcoin
A 2022 report found that profits from Bitcoin investments in Czechia are the highest (per capita) in the world. The same study also found that over 50 percent of Czechs believe that cryptocurrencies have a future.
BTC Prague writes that “Czechia is the cradle of the world’s oldest [Bitcoin] mining pool in operation” and that the country has been “shaping the Bitcoin industry since the very beginning.”
A good demonstration of Bitcoin’s relative popularity in Czechia is the fact that – according to coinmap.org – there are around 224 Bitcoin-friendly cash machines or merchants, more than in Berlin, London, and New York.
A November 2022 survey released by Czechia’s Capital Market Association also found that around one-fifth of all Czech adults have invested in some type of cryptocurrency. Digital technology is especially popular with young people: the survey found that just 12 percent of all people under the age of 26 were outright opposed to cryptocurrencies.
Since its creation over a decade ago, Bitcoin’s popularity has exploded worldwide. This exhibition showcases its success and possible future trends, underlining Czechia’s status as a key digital currency hub.
Original source: https://www.expats.cz/czech-news/article/prague-hosts-europe-s-largest-ever-bitcoin-conference-this-week
