In 2009, an innovation appeared that might turn out to be a hinge of history: Satoshi Nakamoto released the protocol for Bitcoin, a decentralized, open-source, peer-to-peer digital payment system and monetary unit. It was the answer to the long-unresolved questions of how to implement the concept of money in the context of the Internet.
Just four years later, it has been an implausible success all over the world. The digital revolution that transformed communication, media, and global economic development is reaching a sector previously thought to be impenetrable, the institution of money itself. The implications for economics and politics are immense.
This conference brings together recognized experts with experienced practitioners of digital currency to explain and speculate in conversation with attendees. It will be held on the fourth anniversary of Bitcoin’s first publicly registered exchange rate to the dollar. On that day, $1 would buy 1309.03 Bitcoins. The value of Bitcoin in terms of dollars has since risen 167,000 times.
What does the success of Bitcoin imply for the theory, practice, and future of money and payment systems? How can we account for the sheer implausibility of Bitcoin’s rise? What does its emergence imply for the prospects of nationalized systems of money and the future of human liberty and commerce? Will Bitcoin go the way of most innovations and fall prey to government’s dead hand of regulation and strangulation?
Whether you are new to the Bitcoin world or a savvy code monkey who has been mining for years, this conference invites you into a compelling conversation. It is one that we must have and cannot avoid. We are fortunate to be alive to see this happening in our time, and now is the time to learn, to celebrate, and collaborate.
Schedule
Friday, October 4
6-8PM — Welcome reception at the offices of Bitpay in Atlanta [Suite 516, Atlanta Tech Village. Directions.]
Saturday, October 5
9AM — Conference Talks [Ballroom at The Twelve]
12PM — Lunch Break
1PM — Conference Talks [Ballroom at The Twelve]
5-7PM — Closing Reception [Cash bar; The Twelve]
The Insomniac Libertarian 