Bitcoin conferences: What they are and why they matter

​Every year, dozens of Bitcoin conferences take place around the world. These are not just platforms for expert presentations — they’re arenas for new product launches, major announcements, and, most importantly, for setting the direction of the entire Bitcoin industry.

While there are many such events, a few have clearly become industry leaders. Let’s take a closer look at five of the most prominent Bitcoin conferences — where they’re held, and who takes the stage.

Bitcoin Conference

The very first large-scale Bitcoin conferences were organized by BTC Inc, the company behind Bitcoin Magazine. The inaugural event took place in 2019 in San Francisco, and since then it has become a yearly tradition, moving across various cities in the U.S. — including Miami and Las Vegas — though most often hosted in Nashville, where the magazine is headquartered. The conference is usually titled after the year, such as Bitcoin 2023, Bitcoin 2024, etc.

Bitcoin Conference quickly rose to the top of the industry, featuring renowned figures like legendary cypherpunk and Blockstream CEO Adam Back, and Michael Saylor, the founder of Strategy, who has become a global Bitcoin ambassador.

But the event is not limited to just industry insiders. At Bitcoin 2025, attendees included U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, Senator Cynthia Lummis, and “crypto czar” David Sacks — not to mention former president Donald Trump, who spoke at the 2024 edition as a presidential candidate.

View post on X Loading...

The tweet was deleted by the author.

But we saved everything 🙂.

In 2022, BTC Inc began expanding internationally, launching regional events such as Bitcoin Amsterdam, Bitcoin Asia (Hong Kong), and Bitcoin MENA (Abu Dhabi).

These regional conferences aim to inspire the global Bitcoin community. After all, Europe and Asia boast large numbers of Bitcoin developers, entrepreneurs, and innovations.

Baltic Honeybadger

The Baltic Honeybadger conference debuted in 2017 and has since been held annually in Riga, Latvia. It is one of the most prominent Bitcoin-only conferences in the world — focused entirely on the original digital asset, with no mention of altcoins, tokens, or NFTs.

The event was founded by Max Keidun, founder of Hodl Hodl and Debifi, a staunch Bitcoin maximalist. His vision for the conference centers around discussions on freedom, privacy, open technology, and decentralization.

View post on X Loading...

The tweet was deleted by the author.

But we saved everything 🙂.

Baltic Honeybadger features multiple stages, workshops, meetups, and informal gatherings, all part of Riga Bitcoin Week. One standout space is the Cypherpunk Stage, where photography and video are prohibited to ensure a safe and confidential environment for participants.

Topics often include mining, investments, self-custody, regulation, hyperbitcoinization, and Lightning development. Notable speakers have included Elizabeth Stark, CEO of Lightning Labs, and developer Peter Todd, whom HBO once mistakenly referred to as the “creator of Bitcoin.”

Plan ₿ Forum

Switzerland is known as one of the world’s most crypto-friendly countries, so it’s no surprise that since 2022, the city of Lugano has hosted a major Bitcoin conference: the Plan ₿ Forum.

The event is part of the Plan ₿ Initiative, launched in partnership between Lugano’s city government and Tether. Its mission is to promote Bitcoin and blockchain adoption within municipal infrastructure and turn Lugano into a European hub for digital freedom and financial sovereignty.

View post on X Loading...

The tweet was deleted by the author.

But we saved everything 🙂.

Plan ₿ Forum addresses a wide range of topics — from state-level Bitcoin adoption, economic and financial freedom, to digital censorship, civil rights, decentralized network resilience, and technological innovation. The lineup includes both technical experts and entrepreneurs, as well as human rights advocates, journalists, and policymakers. Speakers at the 2025 edition include Paolo Ardoino (CEO of Tether), Samson Mow (CEO of Jan3), Jameson Lopp (CTO at CASA), and many more.

BTC Prague

For several years now, the city of Prague has hosted the large-scale, Bitcoin-only event known as BTC Prague. The conference is organized by brothers Martin and Matyáš Kuchař, founders of Twenty One Million s.r.o., well-known figures in the European Bitcoin community.

The event features a rich program: keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, Dev/Hack Day, Business Day, and plenty of networking throughout Bitcoin Prague Week. The topics cover both strategic priorities for Bitcoin’s future and practical, hands-on content. Notable speakers include Jack Mallers, founder of Strike, and Bitcoin educator Jimmy Song.

View post on X Loading...

The tweet was deleted by the author.

But we saved everything 🙂.

The organizers emphasize that their goal is to build a platform for knowledge-sharing, community empowerment, and promoting Bitcoin as a foundation for digital freedom. The event reflects the optimistic sentiment within the Bitcoin space — bolstered by a bullish market, new projects and tools, and growing recognition of Bitcoin’s resilience and independence.

Oslo Freedom Forum

The Oslo Freedom Forum is held annually in Oslo, Norway, and is primarily focused on promoting freedom and democracy around the world. However, a growing portion of the event is now dedicated to Bitcoin, which is increasingly viewed as a tool for defending these values.

View post on X Loading...

The tweet was deleted by the author.

But we saved everything 🙂.

In addition to prominent human rights activists, the event also attracts many Bitcoiners — including Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and Bitcoin strategist Lyn Alden. Both highlight the ongoing existence of authoritarian regimes worldwide and emphasize Bitcoin’s role in securing financial freedom.

A central theme of recent years has been digital censorship, particularly on social media, where state pressure continues to mount. In response, speakers have promoted decentralized technologies like Nostr — a censorship-resistant social media protocol inspired by Bitcoin’s architecture.

Why Bitcoin conferences matter

While the term “cryptocurrency” is often used broadly, Bitcoin conferences represent a distinct and unique segment of the crypto industry. Unlike mainstream crypto summits that span dozens of blockchains, tokens, and DeFi apps, Bitcoin-only events focus on the development of a single protocol — Bitcoin. These gatherings are built for those who see Bitcoin not just as an asset, but as the foundation of a new financial and social model.

Events like Bitcoin Conference, Baltic Honeybadger, BTC Prague, Plan ₿ Forum, and even humanitarian-focused ones like Oslo Freedom Forum, bring together people who believe in decentralization, privacy, liberty, and transparent money. These are the venues where new technologies are born, major policy statements are made, and global alliances are formed around Bitcoin’s values and vision.