TL;DR: This week, the cryptocurrency world heads to the US state of Wyoming, 19-22 September. It’s the region’s second annual hackathon, and this year’s slate of prestigious speakers and participants, along with the scope of surrounding events, shows how organizers like Caitlin Long have turned the land of cowboy culture into a crypto mecca.

Crypto World Heads to Wyoming

How big has the Wyoming hackathon gotten? The state’s chief executive, Governor Mark Gordon, recently declared, “Wyoming is the cryptocurrency haven of the United States.” It’s a stunning turnaround for a state that not too long ago was considered hostile to all things cryptocurrency. It is also confirmation work being done at the political level by Long and others is paying off.

“Several things are different this year,” Long told CoinSpice, “we have an entirely different (but equally impressive) lineup of keynote speakers and sponsors, we have more participants and sponsors this year, and we’re excited that the SandCastle Invitational chose to move its competition from Arizona to Wyoming this year.” Indeed, representatives from all sorts of projects, Bitcoin Cash to Dash to Cardano, are participating in one form or another.

“Last year, Wyoming’s blockchain initiative was just getting started and we weren’t sure how the first WyoHackathon would turn out,” Long explained of early efforts to get local politicians to see the opportunity before them. “It exceeded expectations for all involved, so the University of Wyoming decided to do it again this year—and do it in the brand new Engineering building at UW, which seems almost tailor-made for hackathons. We’ll have great wifi, abundant food and comfy cots for participants to grab a nap during the event. Developers gave UW an A+ for these basics last year, and we won’t disappoint this year either—thanks in large part to our terrific producer, Rich Kopcho,” she noted.

Giant Mash-Up of People and Ideas

The theme this year is one around gaming, “not because the organizers chose that,” Long told CoinSpice, “but simply because many of the sponsors happen to be interested in gaming. As usual, there’s a special prize for ‘Best for Wyoming.’ But otherwise, it’s just a giant mash-up of people and ideas. I can’t wait to see what comes out of it!”

When asked about how legislation and business in Wyoming are going generally, Long stressed, “It’s especially exciting because this year, several applicants are lining up to apply for Wyoming’s new special-purpose depository licenses on October 1, many of whom will be in Laramie for the Stampede. These institutions will be important on-and off-ramps between the crypto and traditional financial systems, and they’ll all be based in Wyoming. Stay tuned for some big announcements to come in the next few weeks!”

Beyond the hackathon proper, there are four other events, including Blockchain Taskforce Meetings, which include public testimony on new legislation. There’s a Developer Conference, which is billed as a full day of technical workshops to help participants prepare for the WyoHackathon Challenges. The Business Conference is another full day, “helping attendees understand the Wyoming legislative environment, business opportunities of blockchain and use cases,” according to the website. The gathering ends with the Sandcastle Invitational, which Long already mentioned, which “seeks the best and most promising blockchain startups the world over to compete during Dubai2020 in the finale Sandcastle Challenge.”

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DISCLOSURE: The author holds cryptocurrency as part of his financial portfolio, including BCH.