How do digital currencies work? What will be the impact for the global financial system? Are they an opportunity or a risk?

On April 23, Madrid will host the second edition of the Digital Currency Summit, a meeting specially designed as a training and discussion forum with the participation of internationally recognized experts on finance.

The first event was held in Andorra, a country with a strong tradition of financial businesses. The second will be in Spain, where bitcoin is gaining more attention on a national scale.

The Spanish Bitcoin scene includes Calle Bitcoin in Madrid, as well as a growing network of ATMs and a promising group of businesses and entrepreneurs such as Coinffeine, the first company in the world that was legally funded using Bitcoin as a capital.

Jan Kees de Jager, former Dutch finance minister, and Chris Gledhill, head of technological innovation and digital banking at Lloyds Banking will be among the main speakers at the Digital Currency Summit.

The conference will bring together the most innovative thinkers, bankers, financial regulators and finance thought leaders providing key insights about this new industry. There also will be a representative from the European Commission, Harald Stieber, who will share the institution’s point of view on cryptocurrencies and what the commission is doing in the area.

Attendees will receive a wide overviews about digital currencies as well as specific issues regarding the Internet of Money, such as legislative and legal frameworks, their impact and their integration into the banking system and new business and investment opportunities.

De Jager will talk about his experience with digital currencies from a political point of view, and European regulators’ ideas about cryptocurrencies.

There also will be a place to learn about the Bitcoin apps and projects that are bringing Bitcoin to new people. They include Circle, a user-friendly payment platform with an easy learning curve that can be ready for use in a few minutes, and the Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten, which recently began accepting bitcoin.

After a positive experience at last year’s conference in Andorra, BBVA, IEB, EFPA Spain and Madrid Financial Center will be among the sponsors to participate in this year’s event.