ReInvent Money Conference 2015

In the beautiful city of Rotterdam, Netherlands an event is taking place September 26 called “ReInvent Money”. Hosted by organizer Paul Buitink the host of debitcoin.org podcast and web show the conference will be based around FinTech, cryptocurrency, money, and its surrounding subjects. It will also encompass these subjects from a very philosophical and ethical discussion.

“It's important that people get to see the different angles and then go out and build solutions. I'm very much a free market guy and want to see thousands of flowers blossom.”

Many great guests are speaking at the event including RT hosts/journalists Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert. The conference held in the Netherlands will be English-spoken and have a great line up at a reasonable price. Discussions about the state of Europe, the euro and Greece will be told with solutions such as Bitcoin, distributed ledger technology and financial tech. An early bird special and student discounts will be readily available for the public, following the event guests are invited for drinks.

Giving our readers an inside look at what's to come with the ReInvent Money conference Bitcoin.com got together with Buitink to have an in depth discussion about his show and this special event he's holding in September.

Bitcoin.com: ReInvent Money is a successor to last year’s ‘Geld voor de toekomst’ event. Can you tell us a little about this upcoming event?

Paul Buitink: Through the rise of bitcoin, the ongoing financial crisis and more in general the possibility for people to inform themselves via the Internet, more of us have become interested in understanding money. The conference is about giving people the theories and tools to think of better money systems than we currently have.

“Just like last year we have a great line-up again with well-known RT journalists Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert.”

BC: Can you explain the title of the event ReInvent money?

PB: Different money systems have been invented over the past millennia. Already in Babylonia ledgers were used. And some people call bitcoin for example digital gold. Now it's time to reinvent money, blending great theories from the past with modern technology.

BC: Can you tell me about some of the special guests and speakers coming to the conference?

PB: Just like last year we have a great line-up again with well-known RT journalists Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert. Also will speak Simon Dixon, of bnktothefuture and Belgian professor Bernard Lietaer, who is famous for his theories on the monetary ecosystem. The president of Liberland will come too, Vit Jedlicka. Dutch journalists Joris Luyendijk, who wrote a book about the banking culture in London, and Willem Middelkoop will speak as well. For other speakers check reinvent.money. We will announce even more speakers the coming weeks.

BC: This event will be very much focused on FinTech, re-defining money and cryptocurrency is that correct?

PB: That is correct, but this conference goes even beyond FinTech. It's very heavy on philosophy and ethics too, not just exploring new apps to make life in the existing financial system more convenient.

BC: Can you tell our readers about your event staff, organizers and sponsors?

PB: Staff will be myself and my family plus a great tech team to record everything with multiple cameras. And of course all the people working at the venue taking care of security, food and parking. I expect around 400 people to attend. Last year we had around 320 people. The event is unique because of its low price. Early Bird tickets, available until end of August, only cost 60 euro. Everything will be in English, so it's worth going to also if you live abroad. We have a lot of guests from Belgium coming too. Our sponsors are great players in the Dutch ecosystem: https://bitonic.nl/, http://goudvergelijken.nl/ and https://www.goldrepublic.com/

BC: You host a podcast. Tell us a little about this?

PB: Together with a few friends we host a podcast at debitcoin.org (youtube.com/debitcoin). We have weekly shows using Google Hangout On Air. We talk with luminaries from both the bitcoin as well as other alternative money spaces. Our latest episode with Andreas Antonopoulos was well received. The channel will be rebranded soon in order to reflect our new international and multidisciplinary approach.

“It's very heavy on philosophy and ethics too, not just exploring new apps to make life in the existing financial system more convenient.”

BC: How do you feel about the current narrative of the Bitcoin ecosystem and how that's going. Do you feel education and events like these are helpful to the ecosystem?

PB: I hope these events and the resulting video content will help people across the world understand the different approaches when it comes to money. Although being a big fan personally, bitcoin is just one of the solutions out there. It's important that people get to see the different angles and then go out and build solutions. I'm very much a free market guy and want to see thousands of flowers blossom.

What event will you be attending this year? Let us know in the comments below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock, ReInvent Money and Redmemes

Keynote 2015: Harnessing the Distributed Ledger

On August 3rd, Keynote 2015, FinTech conference is coming to Los Angeles to enlighten its participants on the power behind distributed ledger technology. The conference will cover the protocol Bitcoin and many fascinating financial tech subjects. An audience of 500 will be in attendance, with the event featuring some of the most robust names in the Industry.

Also read: Coinbase Outage is a Reminder to Not Store Bitcoins on an Exchange or Online Wallet Platform

“Keynote 2015 features a compact, focused agenda for maximum engagement. Keynote is produced by the team that presents the successful North American Bitcoin Conference (TNABC) every January. With backgrounds in banking, advertising, payments, and design, we are able to draw on an extensive network to create hard-hitting events that are excellent value for attendees and partners. The "proof is in the pudding" so to speak. Our speakers include chairman's and CFOs of multinational banks, famous investors like Bill Tai, and brilliant CTOs, like the former CTO of Citibank, Yobie Benjamin.” — Moe Levin ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Keynote 2015 Conference Producer

Keynote 15’ will take place at the legendary Park Plaza Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. With leaders from Paypal, Square, Twitter and Uber in attendance alongside capital groups and investors. Keynote speakers will include: Steve Waterhouse of Pantera Capital, Brock Pierce of Blockchain Capital, Karla Friede of Nvoicepay, Peter Smith of Blockchain.info, and many more. One special guest on the list will be Aaron Cooper of the CCIPS Department of Justice, who will be giving an interesting perspective to the guests. 

 "Right now we are seeing many people from payments, banking, investors and bitcoin startups signing up daily. We also have incredible connections in the Los Angeles tech scene, with help from the great people at Gem.co and are inviting many different groups to the event to show off what makes LA special."

With recent news of NASDAQ investing more than $100 million into implementing distributed ledgers, the world is watching this technology. UBS Bank also showed initiative this year by setting up a distributed ledger incubator in London. Visionaries like Apple’s Steve Wozniak, and Virgin’s Richard Branson have invested millions into the mechanics of blockchains, and this is only the start. Keynote 15’s focus is on just this energy.

“We have a few announcements to make that are confidential, but are game-changing and revolutionary in both the worlds of banking and Bitcoin. This conference is also an accredited conference, where attendees are able to get a Digital Currency Council certificate of completion.” 

With millions of dollars being invested in blockchain technology, and intellectuals from all across the globe embracing the distributed ledger, no one wants to be left behind. Keynote 15' wants to include participants learning and investing in the technology. Attendants will be able to receive a Digital Currency Council certificate upon completion. Education on harnessing the ledger is the forefront of Levin's mind with this event. Levin told Bitcoin.com:

"We like to think of ourselves like the TEDtalks of Bitcoin. Ideas worth sharing, and conversations worth spreading. I think the ripple effects from the deals and friendships made at this conference will be felt for years to come."

The website gives the full list of keynote speakers. A synopsis of the entire event and many descriptions of why distributed ledger technology is the next big thing. Painting a picture of disruptive tech and "ramifications and nuances" of the protocol. Here you can find out how to attend Keynote 15' and purchase tickets. 

"I work at one of the largest European banks and am in countless meetings discussing the blockchain, bitcoin, and what it all means. We keep coming back to the distributed ledger, and why it is so important for people to start moving some infrastructure to a blockchain-like system. Even to pilot a project using distributed ledger technology. The speeches and conversations at Keynote2015 will give attendees the tools to come back to their companies with a new outlook on how to maximize efficiencies and save money."

Be sure to use coupon code "WeLoveBitcoindotcom" for a discounted ticket when signing up.

What conferences will you be attending this year? Let us know in the comments below!

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Images: Keynote2015

BitGive Foundation Announces New Initiatives at Inside Bitcoins Chicago

The Inside Bitcoins Chicago Conference took place this weekend. It was two days of conference sessions and exhibit hall events. During the two-day event, top thought leaders engaged in several discussions around digital currency. Session topics covered many topics, including the implications of bitcoin, investing and startup strategies, current mining challenges, international compliance, and mass adoption.

Also read: Chicago Bitcoin Center: Chicago's Bitcoin Incubator

On Saturday, July 11, at Inside Bitcoins in Chicago, Connie Gallippi, founder of the BitGive Foundation, presented a new 3-minute video demonstrating the impact of the bitcoin charity’s efforts in Kenya. The video revealed how Bitcoin and blockchain technology have the potential to transform global philanthropy.

The video tracks the story of the project, sponsored by BitPesa and Libra, that brought a water well to the Shisango Girls School. Located in a remote area in western Kenya, the well was a concrete representation of how bitcoin can have great impact and utility in the fundraising process while being also able to dramatically change people’s lives.

Connie Gallippi said:

“What you see in this video are the results we are getting – it’s very real and it’s only the beginning. This can be expanded in so many empowering and revolutionary ways. That’s Bitcoin Charity 2.0. We are ready to take it to the next level and facilitate new ways for Bitcoin and Blockchain technology to revolutionize charitable giving.”

The project was fully funded by the Bitcoin community and produced in a joint effort between BitGive and The Water Project.

Elizabeth Rossiello, CEO of BitPesa commented:

“BitPesa was grateful that BitGive let us contribute to this awesome project at Shisango Girls in Western Kenya. We are always looking for partners doing great things in East Africa. BitGive is doing important work connecting Bitcoin donors with worthy projects across the world.”

BitGive Foundation is the first Bitcoin nonprofit charitable foundation representing the Bitcoin community. The Foundation focuses on charity campaigns while being able to show Bitcoin’s social impact on a global scale through supporting charitable organizations with fundraising campaigns, education, and partnerships.

The presentation was also the first step for the kick off fundraising for the next phase in BitGive’s philanthropic mission: Bitcoin Charity 2.0. With Bitcoin Charity 2.0, BitGive expects to enhance the organization in both technical applications and global implementation, which means building a transparency model for donations on the blockchain in partnership with The Water Project.

Peter Chasse says The Water Project’s President stressed:

“The Blockchain and Bitcoin present an incredible opportunity to dramatically lower our costs to transmit money to countries like Kenya. At the same time, it can also enable a shift to real-time, end-to-end transparency into how nonprofits like ours put donations to good use.”

Both organizations are ready to embrace the opportunities with technology platform concepts and use-cases. The Foundation is also holding an online auction to celebrate its second anniversary. All funds raised in these campaigns will support BitGive’s newest Bitcoin Charity 2.0 initiative.

Needless to say, the BitGive presentation, during this weekend Chicago conference was a huge success. The Foundation is always looking for donors; the right donors can join BitGive and The Water Project today to change how charitable giving works tomorrow.

How do you think Bitcoin can benefit fundraising campaigns? Let us Know in the comments below!

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Source & Images Provided by BitGive