The first annual Bitcoin Expo will happen in Toronto from April 11-13 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The conference is a three-day extravaganza event focused on Bitcoin community building, featuring speakers, guests and attendees from around the world.
Given Mt. Gox‘s well-publicized recent troubles, the event promises to contain some interesting discussion about the future of the cryptocurrency. This week Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy protection, saying it may have lost nearly half a billion dollars worth of Bitcoin due to hacking into its ill-protected computer system. How it managed to lose so much so quickly, as Reuters posed, is still unclear.
The Expo will provide “unique opportunities for businesses, consumers, entrepreneurs, developers, innovators, and the curious general public to connect.” It’s organized as a non-profit event, with proceeds going to fund the Bitcoin Alliance of Canada’s programs and initiatives.
“The expo will provide the most ideal networking opportunities for global leaders and stakeholders to gather and discuss strategies to build Bitcoin organizations at the local, national, and international levels,” said Anthony Di Iorio, executive director of the Bitcoin Alliance of Canada. “In addition, there will be a focus on how the community can work with charities and worthy causes around the world by taking advantage of the benefits and superiority of Bitcoin and other digital currencies.”
The Bitcoin Expo also will host an art exhibit and auction, and a hackathon on the next generation of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency applications, technologies and services.
“We’re excited to have Andreas Antonopoulos, one of the top Bitcoin thinkers in the world, as our master of ceremonies,” said event manager Tracy Leparulo. “Andreas will be hosting the opening banquet dinner, and leading other special activities throughout the conference.”
The organizers set up four different ticket levels, including Free (Saturday morning Bitcoin tutorial only, 200 seats available), Standard (access to Saturday and Sunday sessions), Premium (Friday banquet dinner plus access to all standard sessions) and VIP (access to private events, including fireside sessions, Friday banquet dinner, and standard sessions). A limited number of discounted tickets for each level are available to attendees who register prior to March 15. The full program will be released in mid-March
Check out the list of more than 50 speakers from the international Bitcoin community:
- Aaron Koenig – Bitfilms Network, Global Bitcoin Alliance
- Adam B. Levine – Let’s Talk Bitcoin
- Alan Safahi – ZipZap
- Andreas Antonopoulos – Blockchain, RootEleven
- Anthony Di Iorio – Bitcoin Alliance of Canada, Global Bitcoin Alliance, Ethereum, KryptoKit, Bitcoin Decentral
- Brian Sovryn – Free Talk Live, Sovryn Tech
- Charles Hoskinson, Ethereum, Bitcoin Education Project
- Charlie Lee – Litecoin, Coinbase
- Chris Horlacher – Mises Canada
- Chris Odom – Open Transactions
- Cody Wilson – Dark Wallet, Defence Distributed
- Daniel Friedberg – Riddell Williams P.S.
- David Bailey – YBitcoin
- Elizabeth Ploshay – Bitcoin Magazine, The Bitcoin Foundation
- Eric Spano – Bitcoin Alliance of Canada, Bylls, The Bitcoin Embassy
- Jamie Robinson – QuickBT
- Jason King – Sean’s Outpost, Bitcoin Across America
- Jeff Berwick – Dollar Vigilante
- Jeffrey Tucker – Liberty.me
- Jillian Friedman – The Bitcoin Embassy
- John Mardlin – Coin Forest
- Jonathan Mohan – Bitcoin NYC
- Joseph David – CAVirtex
- Matthew Roszak – SilkRoad Equity
- Marco Santori – Attorney at Nesenoff & Miltenberg LLP, The Bitcoin Foundation
- Mari Eagar – Deloitte Canada
- Mani Eagar – Idaeon Inc, UUX Ultimate User eXperience, GriffenVentures
- Michael Perklin – Bitcoin Alliance of Canada, Bitcoinsultants
- Michael Terpin – BitAngels, Social Radius
- Pamir Gelenbe – Hummingbird Ventures
- Peter Gray – Coinkite
- Peter Todd – Mastercoin
- Reed Holmes – Bitcoin Alliance of Canada, CA Virtex
- Redmond Weissenberger – The Dollar Vigilante, Ludwig von Mises Institute of Canada
- Rik Willard – MintCombine
- Robert T. Fooks – McLeod Law LLP
- Rodolfo Novak – Coinkite
- Ron Gross – Mastercoin, Global Bitcoin Alliance
- Ryan Straus – Riddle Williams P.S.
- Stefan Molyneux – Freedomain Radio
- Stephanie Murphy – Let’s Talk Bitcoin, Free Talk Live
- Stuart Hoegner – Bitcoin Alliance of Canada, Gaming Counsel Professional Corporation
- Trace Mayer – Premier Ark LLC
- Vitalik Buterin – Ethereum, Bitcoin Magazine, KryptoKit
- Wendell Davis – Hive Wallet