Thousands of individuals gathered in Miami Beach this week for Bitcoin 2023, a conference celebrating crypto’s most dominant coin. However, some attendees felt the atmosphere was different than in previous years, noting less hype and more empty chairs. The event, which attracted around 35,000 people last year, featured prominent speakers like NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and tennis legend Serena Williams. Yet, due to the recent decline in digital asset prices and a series of crypto-native incidents, attendance has significantly dropped. Organizers expect just 15,000 attendees at this year’s “world’s largest Bitcoin gathering.”
Andre Hicks, a traveling nurse who attended the Miami-based Bitcoin conference for the past two years, commented on the lack of attendees, connecting it to the diminished disposable income of the average individual. He cited factors such as high inflation and the preference to attend a conference when Bitcoin’s price is skyrocketing instead of plummeting. Hicks highlighted that everyone wants to win, but not many people are willing to go through the learning and stacking phase of truly understanding cryptocurrency.
Those who paid for general admission tickets to Bitcoin 2023, which cost nearly $1,000, were only granted access to two of the conferences’ three days. An additional $1,300 for an Industry Pass provided access to events designated for Bitcoin-related businesses on the first day of the conference.
Sam Miyakawa, an open-source developer interested in decentralized social media, shared that he expected more people to attend tomorrow. He attended Bitcoin 2022, which occurred shortly after a bull market in crypto, and noted that it only makes sense that fewer people would attend during the current bear market environment.
The conference’s press room also experienced a dip in activity compared to last year. Will Laurent, a contract worker for DFINITY, described the press room as a ghost town, contrasting it with the previous year, which was crowded with people vying to interview influential speakers like Canadian entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary and the Bitcoin Foundation’s Chairman, Brock Pierce.
In conclusion, Bitcoin 2023’s lower attendance numbers may be attributed to the current bearish crypto market, which has substantially impacted
Source: Decrypt
