Bitcoin2014 Conference was held in Amsterdam this past weekend. With more than 1,100 attendees present at the Amsterdam Passenger Terminal, the conference was a prime learning, networking and brainstorming opportunity for bitcoin enthusiasts from around the world.
Day One
The conference kicked off on Friday 16th May, with a welcome note from Jon Matonis, executive director of Bitcoin Foundation followed by a keynote address from Overstock CEO, Patrick Byrne.
The Chief Scientist of the Bitcoin Foundation, Gavin Andresen also delivered his annual ‘State of Bitcoin’ address on the Friday. He warned that transactions fees could “rise and rise to the point where only rich people can transact” if block sizes aren’t increased.
The lighthearted Blockchain Awards – or the ‘Blockies’ – wrapped up the busy first day at the conference. Unsurprisingly, Satoshi Nakamoto won the top honour for visionary academic paper. Surprisingly, he was there to collect it.
Day Two
The second day kicked off with a presentation from Bobby Lee, CEO of BTC China, on the troubles the digital currency has faced in China.
Along the same themes was another discussion of the technical challenges bitcoin is set to face in the near future.
There was also a panel of seasoned bitcoin investors moderated by The New York Times’ Nathaniel Popper. During the discussion, angel investor Roger Ver said that he was not actively looking to make any new investments, and was instead focusing on the ones already underway.
However, during both the days, the primary focus for most attendees was networking. With bitcoin enthusiasts from more than 50 countries present in one room, everyone was keen to meet others in the bitcoin space.
The organizers announced that Bitcoin2015 is set to take place in Asia next year.