In a sure sign of the growing business interest in crypto-currencies on Wall Street, the Security Traders Association of New York (Stany) has decided to accept payment in bitcoin for tickets to its Annual Conference and Dinner.

Sweetening the deal is Atlas ATS, the recently-launched New-York-based crypto-currency exchange, which has agreed to match the amount of bitcoin-purchased tickets, up to $1000. The actual bitcoin transactions will be handled by virtual money platform GoCoin.



Stany CEO and director Kim Unger says the move to accept bitcoin fits with the industry group's mission to educate members about new industry developments and business opportunies.



"In addition to a panel discussion of crypto-currencies, we thought we would encourage members to gain some first-hand experience using digital currency to pay for the event itself," she says.



The bitcoin and crypto-currency panel for the 10 April event includes Gil Luria, managing director, financial technology stocks, Wedbush Securities, Brock Pierce, chairman, GoCoin, Barry Silbert, founder & CEO of SecondMarket, and Atlas ATS founder and CEO Shawn Sloves.