Bitcoin is a digital currency that has been always supported by a strong community. The Bitcoin community, which started as a small group of people, has now expanded to include about 5 million people across the world. In order for any community to “tick” efficiently, it is necessary to have frequent gatherings, get-together’s and events. During such events, the whole community, or at least the important members of the community, meet and interact at one place. It helps build a feeling of mutual trust among the community members and strengthening the collective. These events also help in expanding the community further by adding new people into it.

Bitcoin events are such gatherings where people from the Bitcoin core community, entrepreneurs, enthusiasts, users and curious onlookers gather. These events can be classified as tech conferences where the topic of mutual interest is Bitcoin tech, business and future of the cryptocurrency. Being a truly global community, these Bitcoin related events are frequently organized across the globe. With the new year just a month away, we decided to review the most important bitcoin events in 2016, which one should consider attending.

Date Event Place 6 January, 2016 Bitcoin Wednesday Conference Amsterdam, Netherlands 12 January, 2016 Blockchain London London, United Kingdom 21-22 January, 2016 The North American Bitcoin Conference Miami, United States 3-4 March, 2016 Bitcoin Africa Conference Johannesburg, South Africa 7 March, 2016 Blockchain Conference San Francisco San Francisco, United States 4-7 April, 2016 Europe Money 20/20 Copenhagen, Denmark 5-10 April, 2016 CoinFest 2016 Multiple Locations 11 April, 2016 Innovate Finance Global Summit 2016 London, United Kingdom 11-12 April, 2016 Inside Bitcoins New York New York, United States 2-4 May, 2016 BTC2016 New York, United States 24-25 May, 2016 Inside Bitcoins Hong Kong Hong Kong, HK More to come – Dates and Venues are yet to be confirmed

Bitcoin Wednesday Conference | 6 Jan, 2016

Most of the Bitcoin community members from the Netherlands probably know about the Bitcoin Wednesday Conference. It is a monthly event, organized on the first Wednesday. If anyone happens to visit the Netherlands next year, either as a tourist, on business or relocating to a new country, then consider attending it.

The first Bitcoin Wednesday Conference of 2016 is scheduled for the 6th of January, 2016 in Amsterdam (as always). It is a free event and if anyone is interested in attending, he/she should register on their meetup page in advance.

Those who might visit the Netherlands later in the year can always attend the other upcoming Bitcoin Wednesday Conferences at their own convenience.

What to expect:

It is an event for everyone — novices and experts alike. Its main aim is to promote Bitcoin and discuss the latest happenings in the sector.

Blockchain London 2016 | 12 January, 2016

Organized in the financial capital of the world, Blockchain London will attract the participation of leading fintech and blockchain companies in the region. As the name suggests, the main topic will be the Blockchain 2.0.

What to Expect:

One can expect talks and discussions on the importance of the Blockchain technology in conventional banking and finance. Special attention will be directed towards Blockchain based startups, compliance and regulations.

Tickets are available via the following link

The North American Bitcoin Conference | 21-22 Jan 2016

North America, one of the hot beds of the Bitcoin sector. After all, the Silicon Valley and one of the most bitcoin friendly countries – Canada – are in North America. The North American Bitcoin Conference — TNABC in short is a two-day event scheduled for the 21st and 22nd of January in Miami, USA.

The upcoming event is the fourth edition of TNABC and it will see executives from the likes of Overstock, Bitcoin Foundation, Blockchain Capital, Pillsbury Winthrop, Tally Capital, Gems, Factom, Ledger and more speaking at the event. Tickets for the event are already up for sale and those registering early might just land their hands on those early bird tickets!

And yes, NewsBTC happens to be one of the Media Partners for TNABC as well. Those who are not able to make it to the event can catch the updates right here and on our twitter channel too

What to expect:

Bitcoin and Blockchain technology is being increasingly adopted by mainstream banking and financial institutions. Even stock exchanges like Nasdaq is also adopting it. One can expect talks related to adoption of Bitcoin technology in these organizations, issues regarding BitLicense and other regulatory hurdles being faced by Bitcoin companies in the region etc. In addition to all these, there will definitely be talks about upcoming products, tech breakthroughs and more. Even the biggest and the newest Bitcoin companies will make their presence felt at the event.

Bitcoin Africa Conference 2016 | 3-4 March, 2016

Bitcoin Africa Conference is scheduled to be held during the first week of March, next year. Johannesburg, South Africa will be playing host to the event. Africa holds a special place in the Bitcoin ecosystem due to various reasons. Real world examples of how Bitcoin can change the economic conditions and empower people has already been demonstrated in this continent.

Africa is the testing ground for Bitcoin services. Everything that Bitcoin stands for has been experimented and proven in this continent so far. Bitcoin based applications have successfully provided alternative financial services to the unbanked and underbanked population of the continent. Kenya has proven that mobile phone based financial services like BitPesa, M-Pesa and others can work flawlessly. Bitcoin based remittance applications have gained attraction as well, thanks to reduced transaction fees and simplified fund transfer procedures.

Africa also has a strong Bitcoin startup ecosystem, giving rise to products like BeamRemit, Kitiwa, ICE3X, BitFinance, BitPesa and more. Last year’s Bitcoin Africa Conference had the country’s government entities participating in the highest levels. Some of the participants included South African Reserve Bank, South African Treasury, Financial Intelligence Agency, banks, startups, entrepreneurs, investors, enthusiasts and more.

What to Expect:

Like the previous edition, one can expect the active participation of South African Government entities, banks, fintech companies, startups, entrepreneurs and investors. The success of Bitcoin in the continent has garnered everyone’s interest. One can gain first hand insight into how Bitcoin has influenced the continent’s social and economic conditions. Entrepreneurs with startups and ideas in the sector can use the opportunity to meet investors from different parts of the world who might help deliver their dreams into reality. The conference will be more about opportunities and challenges posed by the region for implementation of the blockchain technology.

Blockchain Conference San Francisco | 7 March, 2016

It’s Blockchain and San Francisco in the same sentence! A conference about an upstart called Blockchain in the startup and tech cradle of United States. Scheduled to take place on the 7th of March, 2016, Blockchain Conference San Francisco will cover the emergence of the Blockchain technology from being Bitcoin network’s ledger to a revolutionary technology with potential to power the next generation of internet technology.

With Internet of Things becoming a reality now, the Blockchain technology perfectly fits the need for interconnected devices, appliances, smart homes and even vehicles. In the near future, one can control everything he/she owns with one simple mobile device. Also, these devices might earn their maintenance in the process. There are limited slots available for the event and tickets are already available.

What to Expect:

Talks by people currently involved in developing applications based on the Blockchain technology, panel discussions about digital currency, Blockchain, its future and implications, product demos and networking with who’s who of the industry.

Europe Money 20/20 | 4-7 April, 2016

Europe Money 20/20 is probably the largest fintech event which is not only focused on Bitcoin, but also every possible financial technology currently out there. Taking place at Bella Center, Copenhagen from the 4th till the 7th April, 2016, the event will witness attendees from global financial companies like Visa, MasterCard, Amazon, Yandex.Money, MoneyGram, in addition to executives and startups from the Bitcoin industry as well.

Some of the well-known personalities from the cryptocurrency industry like Chris Larsen from Ripple Labs, Jon Matonis from Bitcoin Foundation, Halsey Minor from Uphold, Elizabeth Rossiello from BitPesa, Frank Schuil from Safello, Peter Smith from Blockchain etc. will be among the list of close to 250 speakers participating in the event. Other speakers include who’s who from banking, finance, mobile technology, ecommerce and other industries. Kathryn Haun — Assistant US Attorney, US Dept. of Justice will also be speaking at the event

The overall event is divided into 17 categories including Disruptive Financial Inclusion, Legal and Regulatory, Cryptocurrency and Ledgers, FinTech Collaboration, New Market Research and Commercial Models and Entrepreneurship and Innovation which are directly related to Crypto-industry.

What to Expect:

It will be an action packed event covering almost everything regarding fintech under one roof. In terms of crypto-industry, more prominence will be given to upcoming technologies, startups, legal and regulatory aspects. Cryptocurrency regulation in Europe will be one of the main topics tackled during the event. Bitcoin and Blockchain based startups should definitely apply for the Startup Launchpad 360 as it will be a great platform for the startups to present their innovation and products to general session audience.

CoinFest | 5 – 10 April, 2016

CoinFest, a Bitcoin event with its origins in Vancouver, Canada has expanded to cover over two dozen nations. Started in 2013 with the intention of educating the public about bitcoin and its advantages. Now it has become a yearly affair with events organized in multiple cities across the globe, starting 5th till 10th of April. Last year, CoinFest expanded from North America to include Latin America and Europe.

Locations: If you are in any of these following cities during these days, make sure to drop by the event venues. CoinFest 2016 venues are as follows

Vancouver, Canada Toronto, Canada Niagara, Canada Omaha, United States Kansas City, United States Tulsa, United States Anaheim, United States Tampa Bay, United States Fortaleza, Brazil Valdivia, Chile Manchester, United Kingdom Arnhem, Netherlands Amsterdam, Netherlands Saint- Imier, Switzerland Copenhagen, Denmark Helsinki, Finland Tallinn, Estonia St. Petersburg, Russia Moscow, Russia Seoul, South Korea Popayan, Columbia Caracas, Venezuela Valencia, Venezuela Maracaibo, Venezuela Jijel, Algeria Bou Sada, Algeria Freetown, Sierra Leone Kumasi, Ghana Gaborone, Botswana Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Nakuru, Kenya

What to expect:

The CoinFest events will attract local crypto-community. A good place for networking and understanding the current status of bitcoin adoption in the region. It will include bitcoin users, developers, entrepreneurs, startups, enthusiasts and curious fellow citizens who are interested to know about bitcoin.

Innovate Finance Global Summit 2016 | 11 April, 2016

The second offering by the London’s Fintech Innovation Hub, Innovate Finance Global Summit will cover the best of of the best in the fintech industry sector, including products and solutions developed by the Blockchain tech based startups. The event is supported by the City of London itself. There will be more focus on emerging technologies, ideas and startups.

What to expect:

The presence of personalities from the Cryptocurrency, Banking, Blockchain, Finance, Governments and Academia sectors. Talks on latest technological advancements in fintech, inclusion of Blockchain into banking, analysis and monitoring of Blockchain data etc. A special focus will be given to startups, involving pitching sessions and interaction with investors and more. The future of the Blockchain and Bitcoin in Europe’s fintech space will be decided in this event.

Inside Bitcoins New York | 11-12 April, 2016

Inside Bitcoin events are regularly held across the world. The 2016 edition of New York’s event will be held at the Javits Center on the 11th and 12th of April, 2016. The Inside Bitcoin New York event will focus more on the Blockchain technology, Bitcoin startups, Blockchain based platforms and applications, Ethereum, smart contracts, data security and more.

What to Expect

One can expect the event to be crowded with Bitcoin startups and entrepreneurs mostly. There will be professionals who are new to the bitcoin industry attending the event to learn more about the cryptocurrency and its technology.

BTC2016 | 2-4 May, 2016

BTC2016 is a Blockchain technology event organized by Digital Currency Group. The event is scheduled to take place between the 2nd and the 4th of May, 2016.

What to Expect

While the specific details about the event is not yet clear, the event is expected to address concerns regarding BitLicense and also provide a stage for New York based Bitcoin companies like Gemini and itBit. It will also attract investors and VC firms interested in crypto-sector. The future of Blockchain technology will also be at the center focus of the event. One can expect some federal government participation in this event.

Inside Bitcoins Hong Kong | 24-25 May

The Asian edition of Inside Bitcoins will be held in the region’s financial hub. Inside Bitcoins Hong Kong is scheduled for the 24th and the 25th of May, 2016. Like other Inside Bitcoin events, it is a great place to network with personalities, both local and international from the Bitcoin community. Asian Bitcoin startups, exchanges, Bitcoin based financial products makers and investors will make their presence felt at the event.

What to expect

Talks on Bitcoin, Blockchain technology, future of technology in connection with Blockchain based platforms like Ethereum, government regulations and compliance etc. Bitcoin mining will also be a hot topic at the event with representatives from Bitcoin mining platforms attending it. Apart from that, it offers a great opportunity to connect with the industry leaders, entrepreneurs etc.