The Bitcoin++ conference took place for the second time last weekend in Berlin and brought together around 200 participants from different parts of the world. In contrast to the larger and more commercial Bitcoin conferences, Bitcoin++ offered a more intimate atmosphere that focused on technical depth and exchange among developers. The event, organized by well-known Bitcoin developer Lisa "Nifty" Neigut, placed particular emphasis on the topic of eCash at this edition of the conference, which was covered in depth over two days of talks, workshops and discussion panels. In an interview with Blocktrainer.de, Neigut revealed:
[After the last BTC++ edition was held in Austin, the decision to bring it back to Berlin this time] was mainly due to the fact that we had a lot of fun here last time. In addition, Jeff [a well-known Berlin Bitcoin advocate, ed.] was a big help in finding a suitable location and there are a lot of enthusiastic Bitcoiners here who volunteer and help out. It just felt like Berlin was the right place for such a conference
Lisa "Nifty" Neigut, organizer of Bitcoin++
Focus on eCash
The thematic focus of the Bitcoin++ conference this time was on eCash, a concept that is particularly characterized by its focus on privacy and anonymity. eCash is based on the idea of Chaumian eCash, a cryptographic concept for anonymous digital payment developed by David Chaum in the 1980s. At the conference, technological developments such as Cashu or Fedi (open eCash protocols on Bitcoin) were discussed. These make it possible to use Bitcoin in a privacy-friendly manner (custodial) by decoupling the transactions from the identities of the users. Over the course of two days, developers and Bitcoin enthusiasts exchanged views on the technical background and future applications of ecash in the Bitcoin context. Workshops and presentations offered participants the opportunity to delve deep into the subject matter and exchange ideas with other experts.
International audience
The Bitcoin++ conference once again attracted an international audience. Around half of the 200 participants traveled from abroad, which underlines the global reach of the event. Visitors came not only from neighboring European countries, but also from the USA and other regions of the world.
However, it was particularly regrettable that visa problems prevented some developers from the Global South, especially from Africa, from attending. These would have contributed valuable input to the discussion on the use of Bitcoin in regions with restrictive financial systems. Nevertheless, the organizing team was satisfied with the large number of international guests and plans to specifically invite more developers from these regions in the future.
The Human Rights Foundation, which is one of our main sponsors, wanted to invite several developers from Africa to the Bitcoin++ conference to familiarize them with eCash, but visa issues prevented their participation as many of them were classified as "flight risks". This led to considerations to organize a conference in Africa in the future.
Lisa "Nifty" Neigut , organizer of the Bitcoin++
Future plans
Despite these challenges, Lisa Neigut drew an extremely positive conclusion. She was delighted with the atmosphere and the high level of the discussions and was extremely satisfied with how the conference went despite her initial concerns:
I am thrilled. It went better than I had expected. This is the seventh conference we've held in the last two years and this was the one I was most worried about, but it turned out to be better than all the previous ones.
Lisa "Nifty" Neigut, organizer of Bitcoin++
In an interview with Blocktrainer.de, she also announced that the next Bitcoin++ conference will take place in Brazil. And further events in the series are being planned, including in Austin, Texas. The thematic focus will be on mining and mempools.
The Bitcoin++ conference thus remains an important meeting place for developers and tech-savvy Bitcoin enthusiasts looking for in-depth discussions and practical workshops. With its clear focus on technical innovation and interactive formats, the conference sets a clear contrast to the larger, more commercial Bitcoin events and promises to continue to provide a unique platform for exchange within the community.
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