Bitcoin News This Week: Bitcoin Crypto Finance Conference
Wondering what Bitcoin is up to during the second week of January 2024? We have some news! We also have updates on the Crypto Finance Conference currently happening in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and more.
Keep reading to learn some Bitcoin updates, including where the Bitcoin ETFs stand with the SEC.
Bitcoin ETF Approval
One of the most exciting news events since the creation of Bitcoin came on January 10th, 2024, when the SEC officially approved Bitcoin ETFs. They started with only 10 companies, most of which are already large players in the banking space.
This announcement came after a crazy day, during which the SEC actually had their Twitter (X) account hacked, and the approval was leaked hours before it was actually approved. Whether the account was actually hacked or some employee at the SEC just jumped the gun, we are very excited at the outcome and ready to invest in some Bitcoin ETFs!
Cryptocurrency Finance Conference
In other news, the Cryptocurrency Finance Conference, or CFC, is currently occurring in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and will proceed through the second half of the week. Switzerland has always been known for its financial ingenuity, and neutralism politically, therefore it is no surprise that this mountainous country was chosen to host this event.
The CNF is sponsored by Algorand, another blockchain project, but it features several big players from across the industry. There are several notable speakers, from Erik Voorhees to Nick Percoco (CSO of Kraken exchange) and more. Additionally, many financial advisors from large banks, like the Swiss National Bank, are in attendance.
The CNF also offers several workshops to attendees, one of the most anticipated being one led by Dominic Williams, the founder and chief scientist of Internet Computer (ICP).
Related: Kraken: Europe’s Top Bitcoin Exchange
CNF Schedule
While Day One of the conference has already passed, there are still several exciting events to look forward to today, on day two, as well as tomorrow, for day three. While we can’t cover them all here, below are some of the highlights.
Day Two
At 10:25, there is a discussion on The (New) World of Financial Services, which discusses the worldwide adaptation of blockchain and cryptocurrency in the future. It also discusses methods to bring cryptocurrency to market in the financial services industry. I guess you could say the SEC approved the Bitcoin ETFs in the nick of time!
At 11:55, there is a discussion of merging traditional and crypto finance, something else that many in the financial industry will find interesting. This discussion is followed by two more, which discuss the addition of cryptocurrency to modern finance products.
However, our favorite topic of Day Two is the one at 14:55, which discusses the onboarding of a billion users to crypto. This section is led by Alexander Blania and Eric van der Kleij, and it is a discussion of what is needed to bring new users to crypto. We look forward to learning about any secrets these two may have in mind!
Day Three
Day Three has many notable sections that discuss the applications of AI and Crypto; we just hope that attendees will enjoy them, considering Kraken is sponsoring a party that starts on Day Two and goes until Day Three at 04:00!
For attendees who decide to sleep in, at 10:15 is the first chat about cryptocurrency in the Metaverse, something that is definitely part of the future of blockchain. Led by Mitchell Goldberg, this discussion dives into some of the tactics used to get large brands on board about the metaverse.
Later in the morning, at 11:30, there is a long workshop about cryptocurrency adoption in Africa, something which is believed to lead to the next bull run. While we seriously have some concerns about the ability of African infrastructure to host cryptocurrency adoption, we also know that this is why it is so badly needed on the continent—because there currently is little or no banking structure whatsoever.
During the afternoon, there are several more talks about AI and blockchain/cryptocurrency adoption, which may be interesting to institutional investors, but in our opinion, the best sessions have already passed as the conference ends at 15:45 on Day Three.
How To Attend Future Crypto Conferences
The CNF is one of the most prestigious cryptocurrency conferences, and you must submit an application in advance in order to attend. Additionally, the fact that it is held in Switzerland can make it too expensive for many smaller companies to fund your attendance.
Either way, if you want to attend one in the future, it is a good idea to work for a financial company and submit an application in advance—with the hope that you are approved.
Can’t go to CNF but want to attend other conferences? Below is a list of some of the upcoming cryptocurrency conferences in 2024:
· Quantum Miami 2024 (January 24-26) in Miami, FL
· Block Mountain 2024 (January 25-28) in Changmai, Thailand
· ITEXPO (February 13-15) in Fort Lauderdale, FL
· Stable Summit (28 February) in Denver, CO
· Crypto Expo Europe (March 3-4) in Bucharest, Romania
· DEFICON (30 March) in New York, NY
· Future Digital Finance 2024 (April 2-3) in New Orleans, LA
· NFT NYC (April 2-5) in New York, NY
· Paris Blockchain Week 2024 (April 8-12) in Paris, France
· Blockchain Life 2024 (April 15-16) in Dubai, UAE
· Crypto and Digital Assets Summit (May 8-9) in London, UK
· DC Blockchain Summit (May 15) in Washington DC
· CONF3RENCE 2024 (May 15-16) in Dortmund, Germany
· Blockchain Economy Istanbul (May 29-30) in Istanbul, Turkey
There are, of course, more conferences to come in the second half of the year, but these should give you a good start. Just remember that entrance requirements vary by event, so you’ll want to check and apply in advance to be sure you can attend the events you would like to!
Overall, we hope this article has kept you up to date with Bitcoin happenings this week. Follow our blog here on MintDice.com for future updates on all things cryptocurrency, blockchain, gaming, and more!
