Edinburgh to host major Bitcoin conference that will 'educate and inform'

Edinburgh is to play host to a major Bitcoin conference later this year, with “world-class” speakers due to address delegates.

The Bitcoin Collective has chosen the capital’s Assembly Rooms to stage the event on October 21 and 22 as it looks to “power the new financial technological revolution across the UK”.

This autumn’s conference will be the first in a series of events, designed to “educate and inform” on the popular cryptocurrency, which has suffered a rollercoaster ride of late.

The headline sponsor for the event will be global digital currency exchange OKX.

The Bitcoin Collective, founded by Jordan Walker, Jim Duffy and Lucy-Rose Walker, says it is committed to creating an “inclusive environment for an honest and open dialogue about the enormous potential of Bitcoin”.

Walker, chief executive at the Bitcoin Collective, said: “Bitcoin is for everyone. I think many are feeling the effects of rising prices and the cost of living crisis around the world - and especially in the UK - but maybe don’t completely understand why this is happening. When fancy terms like macroeconomics and sound money are used, things can get confusing. But understanding how money works has never been so important.

“This conference is not about the broader term ‘cryptocurrency’, but rather solely about Bitcoin.

However, it’s not about buying or investing in Bitcoin, that’s a whole different discussion. Our focus is on education.”

There have even been Bitcoin vending machines. Picture: John Devlin

Haider Rafique, chief marketing officer at OKX, said: “The UK has a thriving Bitcoin community and this conference is very well timed against the backdrop of a building phase for the market.

“This is a time when we should all come together, share ideas and incubate new products and services to prepare ourselves for the next chapter.

“We are excited to be a leading sponsor for this conference, and to participate in educating and encouraging the next generation of developers and entrepreneurs to come and build in this industry.

“OKX is out to create a generation of responsible, well-informed long-term traders, and the fact that the Bitcoin Collective have the same vision is what makes us so thrilled to be helping make this conference a reality.”