Bitcoin & Blockchain Summit starts and ends on a high note • St Pete Catalyst

[ad_1]

The second and final day of the Florida Bitcoin & Blockchain Summit built on the momentum of its opening day, starting and ending with big announcements and featuring around 20 more complex presentations inside Amalie Arena.

In her welcome speech, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor announced that she would accept her salary in bitcoin.

Catalyst editor Joe Hamilton interviews Tampa Mayor Jane Castor shortly after announcing she would accept her salary in bitcoin.

Celsius, a financial platform where consumers can earn, borrow, and pay with cryptocurrency on the blockchain, and a key summit sponsor, has offered to facilitate the transaction. A spokesperson for Castor then clarified that the mayor would receive two paychecks in the apex cryptocurrency. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez recently became the first U.S. mayor to accept his bitcoin salary and was later joined by newly elected New York Mayor Eric Adams.

Elected officials receiving a portion of their salary in bitcoin are a boon to crypto enthusiasts, who see it as another sign that the booming currency and technology is increasingly accepted.

“Blockchain is the future of transactions – without a doubt,” Castor said in a video posted to his Twitter account. “And watch the cryptocurrency explosion. So we’re very happy to host this in the city of Tampa, and we want to be the leader in blockchain and cryptocurrency.

Nuke Goldstein, co-founder of Celsius, immediately followed Castor and explained how cryptocurrency is “people’s money”. Tampa City Councilor Guido Maniscalco further illustrated how local leaders believe in blockchain and cryptocurrency.

“We hear about bitcoin is the future, crypto is the future, I heard this 10 years ago,” Maniscalco explained. “The future is now; the future is here. This is the way the world is.”

Maniscalco said cryptocurrency represents the largest transfer of wealth in modern history. Like many others, he believes crypto provides access to wealth, can lift people out of poverty, and make the world a better place. Maniscalco encouraged people not to be afraid of new financial technologies, to open their minds and embrace the future.

Blockspaces co-founder Gabe Higgins explained to a large crowd how Web 3.0 is going to change the Internet. Higgins said Web 3.0 will introduce new infrastructure and deal with new networks and decentralization. New tools and applications are then needed to “talk” to new networks.

“It’s a different language, so there’s a translation barrier there if you will,” Higgins said.

Higgins went on to explain how non-fungible tokens (NFTs) solve counterfeit issues, whether it’s media files, artwork, or luxury goods. An NFT is a digital asset that ties the ownership of an item, which is securely registered on a blockchain.

“This technology is going to be the foundation for a whole new architecture and infrastructure that will mitigate these types of fraudulent activity,” Higgins said. “This is what we are building towards – a more transparent and fair world, using technology that is secure, immutable, and it cannot be hacked, nor forged, nor manipulated in any way. “

Higgins said Blockspaces is researching new uses of blockchain technology in business environments, such as supply chain management systems. He noted the disruption the pandemic has caused to the global supply chain and believes blockchain can reduce friction caused by different systems “speaking different languages.”

“Siled information causes so much friction that we can’t transact,” Higgins said. “The blockchain solves all of this.”

Higgins told the crowd that his work with the blockchain had completely changed his mindset. He explained that technology and cryptocurrency go beyond just trying to make a lot of money.

“As Nuke said earlier, ‘We’re not here for the numbers to go up, for the numbers to go down,” Higgins relayed. “If you’re here for that, Godspeed because you’re probably going to be shipwrecked.”

“What we’re here for is fundamentally changing the way things work. “

The day ended with a fireside conversation between Lakshmi Shenoy, founder of Embar Collective, and Cathie Wood, founder of ARK Invest. Participants gathered in the Celsius Main Stage area to hear a long discussion with the innovation pioneer. The crowd of people standing extended far beyond the sight of the stage.

From left to right, Lakshmi Shenoy, CEO of Embarc Collective, Gabe Higgins, co-founder of Blockspaces, and Cathie Wood, CEO of ARK Invest, prepare for the Wood fireside chat.

Wood said she looks forward to working with community partners like Embarc Collective to bring together people from all parts of the country – and perhaps the world – to explain how advancements in fintech will change their lives and a stressed the importance of educating children in a way that inspires them to embrace the changing landscape.

“Innovation solves problems, and we have a lot of problems,” said Wood.

The evening ended with a special presentation of the Innovation Catalyst Award to business mogul (and owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Arena Amalie) – Jeff Vinik. Florida Bitcoin & Blockchain Summit Founder Chris Krimitsos highlighted Vinik’s many philanthropic efforts, his support for area startups and the fintech industry, and his transformation of downtown Tampa.

St. Pete Catalyst Editor and Network Manager for Metacity Joe Hamilton presented Vinik with the award – a metal Fluent coin engraved with Vinik’s face and a corresponding NFT. Fluent is the native Catalyst Metacity token.

Vinik told the crowd he was eager to tell his kids that he had received his first NFT and was eagerly awaiting the moment when the prize was worth $ 69 million. He also thanked Castor for his hands-on approach to fostering growth in the region.

“That’s why Tampa is great,” Vinik explained. “Our mayor is always there to greet every business, to welcome every business, to speak to every business and convince them to come to the Tampa Bay area. This is why we are on fire.

Vinik said he was at least 1% disappointed that Wood chose St. Petersburg over Tampa, but noted the close relationship between the two neighboring cities.

“But we rise as a region and we fall as a region,” he said. “It’s wonderful to have brought you and all of your intellectual talent to the area, it’s a great endorsement, and it’s great to have you here.”

Vinik concluded by saying that from St. Pete to Tampa to Orlando, he believes it will be the fastest growing region in the country.

“We are very honored to have this conference here,” exclaimed Vinik. “We are so honored to develop this hub, this critical mass of blockchain companies. It means a lot to us. “

[ad_2]