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What I've learned from going to conferences in 2024

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yes, about a few times, asked around
no atm either

Conferences aren’t a money-making venture apparently.

You can’t buy Bitcoin with cash anywhere at the conferences.

People queuing for absolutely everything like sheep... Lining up for food, coffee, the cloakroom, the toilets —basically like any fiat-conference, but worse. The queues are longer because everyone’s fumbling with Bitcoin payments, trying to figure out if their wallet or ring, or NFC card works or if they’ve got enough sats or their "node is up". Please, make it just work instead of holding everyone up!

Lightning payments do work, but they’re slow and a bit of a faff for most.

When free food arrives (in some conference they do that), all of a sudden, half the surrounding area is a "bitcoiner", to disappear a few minutes after lunch.

The staff at these conferences? Clueless about Bitcoin. Some even just laugh at the attendees or give them funny looks.

Some people are only at these events to stand around looking cool. Proper posers.

Women at these conferences? They’re either off-the-wall bonkers/psycho and impossible to hold a conversation with for more than two minutes, or they’re there to strut around like it’s a fashion show—usually tagging along with a Bitcoiner.

The art on display? It’s either depicting a famous quote, a drawing of a whale, a book, a big Bitcoin logo, or some sensual woman in a painting looking funky. 
Funny thing is, there are more women in the artworks than actual women at the events.

The artists? Most just copy each other’s ideas. There’s very little originality unless you stumble upon the rare clever piece or constructs.

As for the art sellers, there are two types: the hobbyists and the hardcore pros. 
The hobbyists will talk to anyone that gives them any attention at length, and ignore actual buyers asking about their work! Seen this many times. 
It’s ridiculous —imagine trying to sell something for over $10k and blanking someone ready to buy it! 
The pros, on the other hand, have zero patience left. They’re like car salesmen who’ve had enough of Bitcoin chat and just want to get money asap. No joy, the talk is usually perfunctory, unfortunately no passion is left with many (I understand that, but it's apparent).

The speakers? Some are natural entertainers who could make anything sound interesting, but most are just bland—nothing special about their content or delivery.

The referral link or exchange promoters (like Relai people and some others) are annoying as hell. They’ve got a bit of a hippie-communist vibe, and some smell like they’ve bathed in weed, booze, or worse. People handing out promo stuff in a desperate way comes across as very scammy to me.

A surprising number of attendees get in for free, courtesy of companies or organizations. Makes you feel a bit daft for paying when you see so many just strolling in without a ticket, without doing much in the space anyway.

The town or city hosting the conference really matters. It can make or break the experience. (Madeira was top on that)

Everyone wants to sell, but they also expect you to "sell something". I got the question myself "so what do you sell?" 

Interactions with other Bitcoiners are never middling. It’s either fantastic or a complete disaster. I’ve met some truly awful people and some absolutely brilliant ones. No one in between.

The presentations? Maybe 20% are genuinely interesting. The rest is filler or things I’ve heard before. Also there, the passion is often gone.

Merchandise? Barely sells, and it’s usually just the same old Bitcoin “B”-themed stuff or some mildly clever stuff. 

Multi-day conferences are mostly good for the socializing, but after a while, you’ve heard all the stories and insights. 

Honestly, who ever pays to attend one of these conferences as a new user? Then learns about Bitcoin over there and leaves with a better understanding or motivation to adopt it? That’s the exception, not the rule I presume. Most conferences feel like a Bitcoin echo chamber—insiders clapping for themselves. Hardly welcoming for outsiders.

I wouldn’t bring any fiat-minded mates to one of these.

The parties are fun.

Always get all your gear (laptop, photo camera, lens, smartphones...) in a backpack and wear it on you or with you at ALL TIMES. There are some pretty shady figures roaming around, things get lost or stolen as I heard.

The amount of money you spent on tickets / airfare / transportation / food and drinks / lodging is not really holding up over a longer period of time. In my personal opinion: anyone attending a bitcoin conference as a paying attendee is NGMI. (unless they spent and refill their bitcoin)



former musician, housing broker and early bitcoiner based in Amsterdam / Brussels / Brno