H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti is the Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government and leads the UAE Cyber Security Council. He oversees the national cybersecurity strategy, resilience programs, and major initiatives that positioned the UAE among the top-ranked countries in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index 2024. He also serves as Managing Director of the National Data Center and plays key international roles, including Co-Chair of the Counter Ransomware Initiative and Vice Chair of OIC-CERT. Dr. Al Kuwaiti has over 20 years of experience in national security and has spoken at more than 50 global events. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering and Network Security from George Washington University.

Salah spent 20 years in NY running tech projects on Wall Street. Initially as a Management Consulting at Deloitte (for clients like MasterCard, CapitalOne, Citi, Lehman) and then worked in house at JP Morgan and Bank of America. At Bank of America he was Managing Director of Automation running a team of 300 people.

He saw the potential of Bitcoin in 2014 and has been HODLing since.

Salah started in tech early - with learning to code in high school. He then went to LUMS and got his Bachelors in Computer Science in 1997. He then got a Masters in Telecommunication and Network Management from Syracuse University in 1999.

Derar Islim, Ph.D. – Chief Operating Officer, Antalpha Platform Holding Company and CEO, Americas & EMEA

Derar Islim, PhD, is a seasoned financial executive with significant experience in the digital asset industry, building and managing premier digital assets financial services and products globally. Islim’s career reflects a blend of academic rigor and practical experience in high-stakes financial environments. Derar’s leadership at Genesis, particularly during its crisis, showcased his ability to navigate complex operational and financial challenges from execution and governance perspectives.

Derar formerly held the roles of Interim CEO and COO at Genesis and, prior to that, Head of Risk at Hard Yaka. He has an established track record of leading at the forefront of modern financial markets. Early in his career, he served as a senior trader at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he co-managed the Funding Valuation Adjustment (FVA) trading desk and worked on modeling, pricing, and hedging credit structured products.

Derar holds a Ph.D. in Financial Mathematics from Florida State University, focusing on financial derivatives and applied partial differential equations.

Derar is a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, alongside other academic and professional awards.

Denny is currently the VP of Business Development at Hash House, where he leads business development, sales, and project management, driving growth and operational excellence across immersion and hydro cooling solutions and electrical hardware solutions.

Prior to Hash House, Denny held key roles at Novablock, Poolin, and Luxor, where he developed expertise across multiple business verticals, including mining pool, firmware, hosting operations, and equipment financing.

MillionMiner is the leading provider of professional mining hardware in Europe. With strong partnerships with industry leaders such as NiceHash, VoskCoin, EMCD and many more, MillionMiner not only offers first-class ASIC miners, but also exclusive access to events, mining pools and hosting services worldwide. Whether you are new to mining or a professional, we combine state-of-the-art technology with reliable support, fair prices and an international network for sustainable mining success.

Dr. Marwan Al Zarouni is a global Bitcoin and blockchain advocate driving Dubai’s digital innovation agenda. As CEO of the Dubai Blockchain Center, he has led regional efforts in Bitcoin education, adoption, and policy development. Recognized among CoinTelegraph’s Top 100 Most Influential Figures in Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies (2022), he also served on the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cryptocurrencies. Through his leadership, Dr. Al Zarouni continues to position Dubai as a global hub for blockchain and Bitcoin innovation.

Paul Dawalibi is a technology entrepreneur, investor, unicorn founder, futurist and gamer, with over 25 years of venture capital and startup experience. He is currently the CEO of Innovation City, the world’s first free zone fully powered by artificial intelligence (AI) in the UAE, where he is building the Silicon Valley of the Middle East in Ras Al Khaimah. Previously, he was CEO of Holodeck - the leading global media and technology company focused on gaming, esports and web3. His ability to communicate the business opportunity around innovation has made him the largest industry influencer and expert in the MENA region. Paul is the host and creator of Game Changers - a groundbreaking business show on CNBC Arabia reaching 50M homes in the Middle East. He is a frequently requested speaker at tech, startup, web3, and gaming conferences all around the world. He consults family offices, governments, investors, and global companies on startups and building innovation ecosystems. Paul is also the creator of the world's 1st esports NFT and founder of the 2020 fastest growing company in Canada. He believes that the future is fun™.
On TV and in media:
• My content is consumed daily and trusted by millions in 66 countries around the world, and am widely recognized as the thought leader in the region for startups, tech and gaming.
• Host & Creator of “Game Changers” – the most exciting weekly show on CNBC Arabia focused on gaming, esports and the metaverse, reaching 50M homes in the MENA region.
• Host & Creator of the world-famous Business of Esports podcast - the largest esports and gaming industry outlet and the only authority on the business side of the gaming/esports industry.
Live and in person:
• Chairman of the 1st ever Dubai Esports Festival (now called GameExpo)
• Invited to speak at the biggest innovation and technology conferences in the world - Next World Forum (KSA), PAX East, Esports Business Summit, World Metaverse Forum, GITEX, SALT, Crypto Bahamas, DIFCFintech Week, World Corporate Summit, Step, LEAP, TMRW, World AI Show, Future Blockchain Summit, RetailME Icons, Fast Company: World Changing Ideas, Dubai Future Forum, Ignite, World Blockchain Summit, Web Summit, AIM Congress, MIT NextTech Summit, etc…
• Retained as a startup, web3, AI, gaming, and esports expert by
companies, family offices, governments, and investors around the world.
• Professor of esports business at Saint Peter's University In books
• Author of Metaverse Dream – landmark metaverse book published by Assouline.
• Wrote the foreword for the best-selling esports business book of all time (The Book of Esports)
• As a VC, I've been talking about gaming, esports and the metaverse since 2011. At work (recent)
• Building the Silicon Valley of the Middle East and a global hub for innovation in Ras Al Khaimah
• Architect of a world-class gaming investment program for Abu Dhabi (DCT / ADGaming)
• Member of the Dubai Program for Gaming Working Group, charting the direction and future of the gaming industry in Dubai
• Advisor to Dubai Police on gaming and esports strategies
• Consulted as a subject matter expert on the concept & business model for Qiddiya (KSA gaming district)
• Consulted with Dubai Health Authority on the metaverse and gamification of
healthcare and was recognized by the Director General of DHA
• Developed the gaming content strategy for GITEX / Future Blockchain Summit
• Expert on building early stage tech, gaming and venture ecosystems

Simon is the President of Metaplanet Inc., a publicly traded company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Metaplanet is undergoing a strategic transformation, leveraging Bitcoin as its principal treasury reserve asset. Metaplanet utilizes excess cash flow and implements accretive corporate governance, including financial management strategies such as debt and equity financing, to further its Bitcoin accumulation.

Simon has been an active investor in the digital asset ecosystem since 2014. He started his career at Goldman Sachs in Tokyo as an equity derivatives trader. He was a co-founder and Chairman of Red Planet Hotels, a regional hotel company focused on Asia’s value hotel sector. Prior to founding Red Planet Hotels, Simon served as the Chief Executive Officer of Evolution Capital Public Company Limited, a real estate asset management company listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. As President of Metaplanet, Simon is responsible for spearheading the company's new Bitcoin investment strategy, guiding its overall direction, raising capital, and managing investor relations. He graduated from Harvard University with an AB in Applied Mathematics. Simon is an active member of YPO, the premier global organization of chief executives.

Michael Saylor is the Executive Chairman of Strategy (MSTR), a publicly traded business intelligence firm & holder of ₿499,096 that he founded in 1989. He is also the founder of Alarm.com (ALRM), named inventor on 48+ patents, & author of the book “The Mobile Wave”. He founded the Saylor Academy (saylor.org), a non-profit that has provided free education to over 2 million students. He is an advocate for the Bitcoin Standard (hope.com) with dual degrees from MIT in Aerospace Engineering & History of Science. He posts his views on X @saylor and his website Michael.com. His 4 hour interview with Lex Fridman summarizes his thoughts on Bitcoin, Inflation, and the Future of Money with ~11 million views on YouTube.

Abdulla Al Dhaheri is the CEO of The Blockchain Center Abu Dhabi, leading the UAE’s flagship hub for digital asset innovation. He has played an instrumental role in bringing tier-1 global exchanges and market makers to Abu Dhabi, collaborating closely with regulators and sovereign stakeholders to build the UAE’s leadership in digital assets, AI, and tokenized finance. Abdulla previously advised multi-billion-dollar companies on public listings and digital asset adoption, and has been invited to speak at global conferences for his contributions to decentralized technologies. Today, he continues to invest strategically through The Blockchain Center Fund, scaling global digital asset ventures and sovereign-grade digital asset infrastructures from Abu Dhabi to the world.

HRH Hereditary Prince Filip Karađorđević of Serbia serves as the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at JAN3, a global financial technology company. After a 13-year career in traditional finance, Prince Filip joined JAN3, driven by his belief in Bitcoin’s potential to deliver financial freedom and sovereignty to billions worldwide.

Prince Filip advocates for strong individual property rights and financial freedom through Bitcoin, while promoting legal frameworks that enable economic empowerment for the unbanked. A frequent guest speaker at prestigious international conferences, he engages with heads of state, legislators, monarchs, politicians, and C-suite executives.

Prince Filip envisions a new Renaissance, catalysed by Bitcoin, for Serbia and the wider world. Through his foundation in Serbia, he actively promotes Christianity, cultural heritage, financial literacy, the arts, technology, and family values.

Bilal Bin Saqib is the CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council, a government-backed advisory body accelerating crypto regulation and driving innovation across Pakistan’s digital asset landscape. He also serves as Chief Advisor to the Finance Minister of Pakistan.

Named in Forbes 30 Under 30 and honored as a Member of the British Empire by King Charles III, Bilal is a force where conviction meets code. With ventures across Web2 and Web3, and a social media following of over 700,000, he’s part builder, part crypto diplomat — using Bitcoin not just as a technology, but as a tool for economic independence and, financial inclusion. Additionally, Bilal is also an advisor to the Trump-family backed DeFi project, World Liberty Financial.

Abu Akkuc is the founder and Creative Director of 21Million Fashion (Bitcoin fashion brand). With his brand, he demonstrates that Bitcoin is far more than a financial instrument – it is a cultural movement that inspires a new way of thinking. His collections carry the spirit of “Proof of Work”: discipline, perseverance, and authenticity are reflected in every detail. For him, fashion becomes a medium that makes freedom, independence, and creativity tangible.

Under the umbrella of 21Million Fashion, Abu has also created a high-fashion subbrand, Orange Elite, which combines the highest quality standards with elegance and the rebellious energy of Bitcoin.

Beyond his role as an entrepreneur, Abu is deeply committed to promoting Bitcoin education. He conveys the cultural, social, and philosophical dimensions of Bitcoin, making it clear that it’s not just about money, but about a new understanding of responsibility and self-determination. His work blends style with substance, showing how Bitcoin is shaping our culture and mindset in lasting ways.

Neil Jacobs is a leading marketing strategist, educator, and content creator in the Bitcoin industry. With a big-four CPA background and 150,000 social media followers, he has driven brand and revenue growth for prominent Bitcoin companies, including co-founding FOMO21.com—which has served customers in over 70 countries—and previously serving as Head of Brand Engagement at Swan Bitcoin.

Neil’s Bitcoin journey began over a decade ago and he became a vocal advocate in the years that followed. Since then, he has hosted podcasts like Inside Bitcoin and served on the Board of Directors for SatsCenter, a nonprofit advancing Bitcoin education. Neil combines financial expertise with strategic vision to champion Bitcoin and foster its adoption globally.

Carlos Estrada is a Bitcoin entrepreneur and the founder of Coin Vigilante, a company creating limited-edition Bitcoin-inspired timepieces that embody scarcity, precision, and proof-of-work. He is also the founder of Vigilante Media, a full-service marketing agency helping brands grow through storytelling, creative strategy, and digital innovation. In addition, Carlos leads Venture Watches, a B2B watch manufacturing company that provides end-to-end design and production solutions for brands and organizations worldwide. His work connects the worlds of Bitcoin, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurship—driven by a belief in sound money, creativity, and building lasting value.

Bitcoin Podcaster

Ahmed Bin Sulayem is the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC and has driven its growth from a start-up of 28 member companies in 2003 to the world’s leading international business district in 2025 with over 25,000 member companies from 180 countries, employing over 80,000 people.

Tasked with enhancing commodity trade flows through Dubai, DMCC has introduced to the market a number of value-added products and services under Mr Bin Sulayem’s leadership. In 2023, DMCC was named ‘Global Free Zone of the Year’ by The Financial Times fDi Magazine, for a record ninth consecutive year.

Mr Bin Sulayem oversaw the exponential growth of the DMCC Free Zone master development in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT), a 200-hectare business and residential community in Dubai of over 100,000 people living and working in 87 towers. Mr Bin Sulayem also oversees the development of DMCC’s latest real estate project, the Uptown Dubai district.

Mr Bin Sulayem currently serves as the Chairman of the Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE) and the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (DGCX).

The Kimberley Process officially appointed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the first and only Arab country to Chair the Kimberley Process (KP) in November 2015. Shortly after, the UAE Ministry of Economy officially appointed Mr Bin Sulayem as the UAE’s Chair of the KP for 2016. Mr Bin Sulayem was reappointed Chair of the KP for a historic second time in 2024 and has continued his leadership role with the position of Custodian Chair of the KP in 2025.

CV – DMCC
• 2001 – Joined DMCC
• 2002 – Appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO)
• 2007 – Appointed Executive Chairman
• 2019 – Appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Fabian works on Bitcoin Core but also supports other related Bitcoin open source projects. He is also researching protocol innovations enabled by Schnorr signatures such as CISA.

Daniel Batten is an entrepreneur and venture capitalist who become a significant voice in the Bitcoin space mainly through his data-driven approach to challenging common energy narratives.

As these narratives have evolved he has pivoted attention to investigating the humanitarian value of Bitcoin, and its suitability on the balance sheet of large institutional capital

Building Bitcoin Financial Services @ Hedgit
While shaping the Orange Hill @ 21m

Started mining in 2014, burned down old refrigerator trying to cool a rig and hosted a Bitcoin meetup in 2016 then Shitereum happened. Since then been on the learning curve, educating about corn, building & growing while eternally repeating: Stack the sats.

Ruzbeh is the co-founder and CEO of 21st Capital, the Gulf region’s only self-custody platform with collaborative custody and multilayer timelocks. He brings 17+ years of banking experience across Germany, the UAE, the USA, and Switzerland, spanning derivatives, payments, compliance, sales, and fundraising. Active in Bitcoin since 2017, he co-founded Bitguide, an open Bitcoin university. Ruzbeh’s work bridges institutional-grade financial rigor with the security and sovereignty of Bitcoin-native custody.

Adam Schneider, better known as “Seccour,” is a prominent figure in the Bitcoin community, especially in the UAE. He discovered Bitcoin in December 2012 at the age of 16, while still in high school. Having lived in Dubai since 2010, Seccour later pursued cybersecurity studies at university, which deepened his understanding of Bitcoin’s underlying technology.

Since 2017, he has organized the Dubai Bitcoin Meetup, fostering a community dedicated to learning about and engaging with Bitcoin. His work focuses on advocating for Bitcoin in the UAE and developing tools that contribute to the evolving Bitcoin landscape.

Alain Kunz is a Managing Director at GSR, where he leads Business Development for the firm - a global leader in digital asset trading and market structure, and a key capital markets partner to the crypto industry.

Prior to joining GSR, Mr. Kunz founded several ventures in the financial services and digital asset sectors. He has also advised public and private institutions, political leaders, and high-net-worth individuals, focusing on the intersection of innovation, finance, technology, and societal impact.

Mr. Kunz began his career at UBS Investment Bank after graduating from the University of St. Gallen (HSG). His career reflects a consistent commitment to bridging traditional finance and emerging technologies in an increasingly digital economy.

Mohammed Ali Yusuf is the CEO and co-founder of Fuze, a regulated digital assets infrastructure platform focused on enabling banks and businesses in the Middle East to integrate digital asset products seamlessly. Under Mo’s leadership, Fuze is the fastest growing Fintech in the Middle East, surpassing $1bn in its first year. Fuze also completed a record-breaking $14M seed funding round and obtained several key regulatory licenses, including in UAE, Turkey, Canada and Europe. Mo is also the Co-Chair of Digital Assets for the MENA Fintech Association, driving forward the development of the region's fintech ecosystem.
Mo holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from a Canadian university and an MBA from the prestigious London Business School.

Saifedean is an economist and the author of the best-selling book, The Bitcoin Standard. as well as The Fiat Standard, The Gold Standard, and Principles of Economics. He teaches economics on his online learning platform saifedean.com and hosts The Bitcoin Standard Podcast.

Joseph Dallago is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rain, the first licensed and largest region-born cryptocurrency exchange in the Middle East and North Africa. He began coding at age 13 and has spent more than a decade building technology companies, founding and exiting two startups before Rain. Joseph entered the crypto space in 2013 and has been closely involved in its evolution, particularly across the Middle East. Under his leadership, Rain secured the region’s first crypto license with the Central Bank of Bahrain in 2017 and expanded its regulatory footprint by obtaining an ADGM licence in 2023. Rain has since grown to more than one million sign-ups and raised 110 million USD from global investors including Coinbase, Kleiner Perkins, and Paradigm. Joseph remains focused on expanding financial access and driving responsible crypto adoption across the region.

Leading the banking charge for RAKBANK in the world of Digital Assets. With a background in Banking, Consulting, and Venture, Dishang brings a very rounded perspective whilst considering DeFi enablement possibilities to TradFi environments.

Peter is a key member of the Hub71 team, leading on Strategy and Product Development.

In his current role, Peter plays an integral role in designing new products and programs for the Hub71 ecosystem as well as identifying the right partners that could activate such programs.

A key part of Peter’s role is identifying synergies between startups, corporates, government entities, universities, global hubs and programs. Matchmaking entities based on identified synergies is a key role in enabling a fully functional tech ecosystem. Peter has been part of designing and launching programs such as Corporate Engagement Program, Ventures Lab, Value Creation, Academia Engagement, Banking Products for startups, The Outliers and many more.

Prior to joining Hub71, Peter was a Project Manager at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. As a consultant, Peter worked on building tech ecosystems, developing country-wide strategies, building new ventures, driving partnerships between private and public sectors as well as digital transformation and restructuring. This previous experience allows Peter to play a key role in shaping Hub71’s strategy.

Peter holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the American University of Beirut (Beirut, Lebanon) as well as a Machine Learning certificate from Stanford University (California, USA).

As the CEO of amana, Muhammad Rasoul is a strong supporter of transparency, building financial literacy, and ensuring everyone has both the opportunity and the learning tools to scale the heights of the investment world. And by laying the groundwork for a more transparent approach to multi-asset trading and investing, he is steering amana into the forefront of a more innovative and accessible regional financial industry.

Over the course of his 25-year career, Rasoul has established a global presence as a financial industry innovator and thought leader. His expertise as a growth strategist has been instrumental in the creation, expansion, and successful sale of multiple companies, including Gain Capital, GFT Markets, and B2B liquidity provider, Alpha. He has also advised the CFTC, NFA, ASIC, FCA, and FSA in Japan.

Muhammad lives in Dubai with his wife, Sabina, and daughters Amirah and Alivia. In his spare time, he keeps in touch with Nadia, Yaseen, and Aiden, his three elder children, all of whom study and work in their native US. He is also an avid philosophy and history buff and can be found pouring over books about early American history. Last but not least, Muhammad is a fan of football and a long-time supporter of Chelsea Football Club!

Daniel is the CEO of newly launched mgmt Digital Infrastructure Fund, a fund focused on bitcoin mining where energy is low cost, stranded or curtailed and leveraging mining with additional revenue streams such as grid balancing and heat reuse in the Nordics and eventually throughout Europe.

A passionate miner since 2017, Daniel has been active in the industry founding and leading companies such as Greenblocks, a bitcoin mining company and Viska Digital Assets, Iceland's first digital asset focused hedge fund.

Daniel has been an active angel investor in recent years.

As a firm believer in proof of work and doing hard things, Daniel can bench press 150kg and deadlift 221kg.

Abdumalik Mirakhmedov is Executive President of GDA, one of the world’s largest and most experienced Bitcoin mining companies, with a track record of building, managing, and scaling data center operations spanning nearly a decade.

GDA champions innovation, responsible energy use, and investment in the communities where it operates globally, including 20 data centres across North America, South America, Europe, and Central Asia.

With a total power capacity of over 600 MW, the company has brought over 180,000 miners online. GDA is committed to supporting the infrastructure for the future of money by making the bitcoin network more robust, resilient, and secure.

Ali Alnuaimi founded Shafra and stands at the crossroads of energy, technology, and digital assets in the UAE. Once a nuclear engineer who launched the nation's first reactor and sat on the UAE Space Agency board, he left the public sector to advance Bitcoin as a strategic energy play. Today he counsels government leaders, sovereign wealth funds, and giants such as MARA on Bitcoin policy, energy efficiency, and industrial-scale mining. A founding adviser to the Sui protocol and partner to several others, he channels deep expertise and wide connections to unite government, legacy industries, and emerging AI-driven tech, securing lasting value through intellectual, political, and financial capital.

Former CEO of Silvergate Bank. Silvergate began banking the bitcoin industry in 2014.

Began learning about Bitcoin in 2013 while working at Silvergate Bank. Have worked at the intersection of Bitcoin, Digital Assets, and US Commercial Banking for the past 12 years.

Eric Yakes is the Founder and Managing Partner of Epoch - a bitcoin infrastructure focused venture capital firm. He left the world of distressed private equity buyouts to join the bitcoin revolution by authoring The 7th Property - a best selling new release and internationally published book on bitcoin. As a CFA charter holder, his thought leadership is focused on the financial community helping them understand the revolutionary investment characteristics of bitcoin. Eric is a founding member and board Chairman of The Space - a Denver based non-profit educating the masses on economics and bitcoin.

Pre-Bitcoin:

Graduated M.Tech in Structural Engineering in 2016, from IIT Madras.

Worked as a professional Structural Engineer for offshore oil rigs, water treatment plants, bridges, and metro viaducts. 2016-2021.

Found Bitcoin in 2017 at the dusk of the Blocksize War. Fell in love with the whole idea and started studying deeper. My journey has been entirely self-taught, where I taught myself the history of money, the principles of Austrian economics, and eventually cryptography and maths.

Over time the Bitcoin obsession became so big, that I started learning to code. Eventually, I became good enough to start contributing to Bitcoin FOSS projects. Which landed my first part-time gig at RGB and my first little contributions to Bitcoin Core, in 2020.

My journey self-studying at that time I documented in this blog: https://www.citadel21.com/from-hello-world-to-bitcoin-core

Left my structural engineering career completely to work on Bitcoiin full-time by being blessed as the first recipient of the Spiral Dev Grant from India, in 2021.

Since then my passion for Bitcoin has led me into an ongoing rabbit hole and it has become my life mission to contribute back to the Freedom Industry, in whatever way best I can.

Post Bitcoin:

Developer Works:
Bitcoin Core Contributor: 2020-2021
Developer at RGB: 2020-2021
Developer at BDK: 20021-2023
Lead Dev and PM in Coiinswap: 2023 onwards.

Community Works:
Cofounded the first Indian Bitcoin-Only Telegram channel: 2018.
Organized the first Bitcoin-Only Meetup in Bangalore: 2019.
Organized the first Biitcoiin-Only meetup in Goa: 2022.
Organized the Technical Track of the first Bitcoin-Only Conference in India: 2022.

Educational Works:
Mentor at Summer of Bitcoin: Since 2022
Started building Bitshala: 2023.
Blogs: https://rajarshi149.medium.com/


Bitshala:

At Bitshala we organize a package of educational activities to train the upcoming Bitcoin developers. We offer a roadmap to aspiring developers, reducing the barrier to entry in Bitcoiin FOSS, and finally get them started with a paid Felklowshiip Program to start professional contributions to real Biitcoiin FOSS projects.

Find more details here: https://bitshala.org/

My Twitter: https://x.com/RajarshiMaitra


Presentation Description:

The presentation will be on Bitshala, explaining its objective, mission, and models.

I will brief about all the programs we take up at Bitshala. The roadmap to becoming a Bitcoin development, and how people can start getting involved.

I will talk a bit about the FOSS Dev mindset, soft-skills required to be a FOSS dev, and tips on selecting FOSS projects to start contributing.

The talk concludes with a concrete roadmap for aspiring developers in the room to start taking Bitcoin FOSS as a viable career alternative.

Asia’s fastest growing physical Bitcoin community

Simon is the President of Metaplanet Inc., a publicly traded company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Metaplanet is undergoing a strategic transformation, leveraging Bitcoin as its principal treasury reserve asset. Metaplanet utilizes excess cash flow and implements accretive corporate governance, including financial management strategies such as debt and equity financing, to further its Bitcoin accumulation.

Simon has been an active investor in the digital asset ecosystem since 2014. He started his career at Goldman Sachs in Tokyo as an equity derivatives trader. He was a co-founder and Chairman of Red Planet Hotels, a regional hotel company focused on Asia’s value hotel sector. Prior to founding Red Planet Hotels, Simon served as the Chief Executive Officer of Evolution Capital Public Company Limited, a real estate asset management company listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. As President of Metaplanet, Simon is responsible for spearheading the company's new Bitcoin investment strategy, guiding its overall direction, raising capital, and managing investor relations. He graduated from Harvard University with an AB in Applied Mathematics. Simon is an active member of YPO, the premier global organization of chief executives.

Dylan LeClair leads Metaplanet’s corporate Bitcoin strategy, advancing its mission to integrate Bitcoin into the core of public capital markets.

My style is to blend financial savvy with a passion for Bitcoin and conservative values. I seek to offer my clients and peers with a fresh, informed perspective on wealth management. I am interested in the intersection of behavior, incentives, and markets. My thoughts are inspired by the works of Srinivasan, Booth, Alden and many more. My values stem from my Christian faith. My hobbies, marriage, and involvement in communities keep me inspired. To stay active, I enjoy skiing, golfing, camping and hunting. #1 YIMBY and urbanist.

Founding member and Chief Marketing officer of the Space. Founder of Basilic Financial, a Bitcoin Wealth Management Firm.

Alex Svetski is an Author and Entrepreneur.

Aleksandar is the Author of the best selling “UnCommunist Manifesto” and the "Bushido of Bitcoin”. He is building the Nostr-enabled Social Network for Sovereign Individuals: Satlantis.io

Previously, he launched the world’s first Bitcoin-only savings app: Amber, and open sourced The Spirit of Satoshi, a Bitcoin-centric LLM.

My Bitcoin journey began unexpectedly in 2017 while working as a cybersecurity consultant. A client had fallen victim to a cyberattack, with the hackers demanding payment in Bitcoin—a currency I knew little about at the time. This experience sparked my curiosity as a computer engineer passionate about transformative technology, leading me to explore Bitcoin’s potential. After delving into research and connecting with colleagues, I met a tech-savvy friend who was already mining Bitcoin and coding Ethereum smart contracts, which deepened my interest. As the founders of Miningrid, we created a platform that simplifies Bitcoin mining through a secure, non-custodial wallet, making it accessible to all. My mission is to empower others by making Bitcoin mining and its ecosystem both understandable and approachable

Michael Peterson is the creative mind behind the Bitcoin Beach project that spurred the government of El Salvador to embrace Bitcoin as legal tender. The adoption of Bitcoin has put El Salvador in the spotlight as the unlikely catalyst to upend the worlds current monetary order established in Brenton Woods. Michael and his team have demonstrated how an open monetary system can overcome the challenges of bringing financial inclusion to those of the bottom rung of the economic ladder living in the most challenging of environments. In the past few years there have been hundreds of articles from major publications and dozens of film crews covering Bitcoin Beach and the revolution that it has sparked. The coverage of Bitcoin Beach from media giants like 60 Minutes and HBO have helped move the mainstream narrative about Bitcoin from “Bros and Lambos” to “financial inclusion and self sovereignty” for those previously trapped in destructive cycles of poverty.

Community Leader at Bitcoinbeach
Co-founder GoodLifeElSalvador
Co-founder Bitcoinbeach

Michael Saylor is the Executive Chairman of Strategy (MSTR), a publicly traded business intelligence firm & holder of ₿499,096 that he founded in 1989. He is also the founder of Alarm.com (ALRM), named inventor on 48+ patents, & author of the book “The Mobile Wave”. He founded the Saylor Academy (saylor.org), a non-profit that has provided free education to over 2 million students. He is an advocate for the Bitcoin Standard (hope.com) with dual degrees from MIT in Aerospace Engineering & History of Science. He posts his views on X @saylor and his website Michael.com. His 4 hour interview with Lex Fridman summarizes his thoughts on Bitcoin, Inflation, and the Future of Money with ~11 million views on YouTube.

Prenetics (Nasdaq: PRE) is a global health-tech and longevity company pioneering a dual-engine “Health + Wealth” strategy—building a transformative wellness brand while simultaneously accumulating one of the world’s most forward-leaning corporate Bitcoin treasuries.

Its flagship brand IM8, co-founded with David Beckham, has become a category-defining force—achieving US$100M ARR in only 11 months, making it the fastest supplement company in history to reach this scale, even surpassing the growth trajectories of leading AI companies. IM8 is now projected to reach US$300M ARR by the end of 2026, powered by global expansion, strong clinical validation, and a world-class scientific advisory board.

On the wealth engine, as of November 19, Prenetics holds 495 BTC and is acquiring 1 BTC per day, underscoring its commitment to long-term financial resilience, asymmetric upside, and a future where companies invest not only in extending lifespan, but also in strengthening financial health for decades to come.

I'm a former real estate broker and entrepreneur turned bitcoiner. I got seriously into bitcoin at the end of 2020. In early 2021, I started the Bitcoin Gandalf Twitter account and grew it from 0-80,000 followers in 3 years. I also worked in marketing at bitcoin mining company Braiins from 2021-2023. In addition to writing about bitcoin, I'm also focused on helping people become more sovereign by building their personal brands through my ghostwriting and personal branding strategy consulting services.

Linah is one of the co-founders of Bitcoin Beef Bits, a fiat-free premium beef snack dried using excess heat from Bitcoin miners. With a background in marketing and experience across startups and tech including Uber, she’s always been drawn to entrepreneurship and building innovative, value-driven brands.

Through Bitcoin Beef Bits, she explores how Bitcoin’s Proof-of-Work can be harnessed for sustainable innovation and meaningful brand storytelling. Active on Nostr, X, and Instagram, Linah is passionate about authentic marketing, grassroots movements, and finding creative ways to integrate Bitcoin into existing companies.

Adam is a husband, father of four and a bitcoin entrepreneur on a mission to enable independence. Since founding Bitcoin Well in 2013, Adam has made it easy to buy, sell and use bitcoin both online in the bitcoin-only portal, and in person at Bitcoin ATMs across Canada. Today, Bitcoin Well is a publicly traded organization (BTCW)

Omar Al Yousif is an engineer, investor, and capital markets specialist with a background in project management. He has been pioneering and managing major digital and smart infrastructure projects across the Middle East, in addition to leading high-profile digital asset treasury initiatives in Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, and Nasdaq.
As Deputy Chairman of 7-E Emirates Holding and Partner at 10X Capital, Omar works on bridging capital markets between Asia and the Gulf, structuring cross-border listings, and advising on public market strategies. His career includes senior leadership roles at Siemens AG and Etihad Rail, where he spearheaded multi-billion-dollar infrastructure, technology, and mobility projects across the MENA region.
With deep government and corporate networks, Omar is recognized for his ability to unite strategic stakeholders, drive innovative investment models, and advance transformative projects across industries from rail to blockchain.
Education: MSc in Major Program Management, University of Oxford; BSc (Hons) in Construction & Project Management, University of London

Bill Qian – Founder, Investor, & Thought Leader

Bill Qian is a global investor, entrepreneur, and thought leader shaping the future of crypto, AI, and fintech. With a track record of over $30 billion in investments, he has played a key role in backing and scaling transformative technologies worldwide.

Currently, Bill is the Co-Founder of Cypher Capital, a leading multi-strategy investment firm focused on blockchain and Web3.

Previously, Bill was the Global Head of M&A and Binance Labs at Binance, where he managed the world's largest crypto investment portfolio at the time—$25 billion. Prior to that, he led fintech and AI investments at JD.com, overseeing investments in a business that generated over $400 billion in gross merchandise volume (GMV).

Beyond investing, Bill is a passionate advocate for the convergence of AI, blockchain, and digital finance. He shares insights through his podcast, “Where AI Meets Crypto, Technology Meets Humanity, and East Meets West,” featuring top industry voices on emerging trends.

Alexandre is Board Member and Director of Bitcoin Strategy at Capital B, Europe’s first Bitcoin Treasury Company. Alexandre is a committed Bitcoin maximalist.

Saifedean is an economist and the author of the best-selling book, The Bitcoin Standard. as well as The Fiat Standard, The Gold Standard, and Principles of Economics. He teaches economics on his online learning platform saifedean.com and hosts The Bitcoin Standard Podcast.

Rahim Taghizadegan is the last Austrian economist of the Austrian School in the direct tradition, teaching at universities in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Germany. Author of over 15 books, he was the first economist to teach about Bitcoin at university. He is the founder of scholarium.at, based in Zug, building Bitcoin citadels and educational hubs around the world, and of deedsats.com, building privacy-friendly solutions for digital assets on RGB and Bitcoin.

Pavlenex is a product manager dedicated to accelerating Bitcoin adoption through open-source payment solutions and mining infrastructure. He currently leads product strategy at BTCPay Server, an open-source payment processor, and Stratum V2, a next-gen mining protocol focused on enhancing decentralization and efficiency in mining. He is also a grantee of Spiral, a non-profit initiative by Block (formerly Square), founded by Jack Dorsey, dedicated to supporting free and open-source Bitcoin projects. He co-founded HUB21, one of the first physical Bitcoin hubs and BitcoinSmiles, a non-profit initiative providing dental healthcare to impoverished communities in rural El Salvador, Pavlenex actively contributes to both technological advancement and social impact within the Bitcoin ecosystem.

An early advocate for Blockchain technology and Bitcoin specifically, focusing on spreading the knowledge, sharing expertise and providing technical consulting, I've made Bitcoin and Blockchain my career for a good reason, I have a lot to contribute to it, the skill to teach people about it and the technical depth of advising on strategy, technology and integration with rest of the world.
With my deep technical foundation and a strong belief in Bitcoin’s transformative potential, I focus on building scalable mining and cloud solutions that empower individuals and enterprises alike.

Former VP & Co-Founder of BTC.com & Poolin bitcoin mining pools. Activated Taproot via miner-activated-softfork. 10 + years in bitcoin mining. Currently CEO & Co-Founder of DMND the first fully StratumV2 Bitcoin Mining Pool.

Sanjay Gupta leads Strategy, Business Development & Marketing at Auradine, a pioneer in web infrastructure solutions including AI, blockchain, and security. He has 25+ years of senior-level experience in driving the disruptive growth of global technology and financial services companies. Sanjay has a consistent track record of driving step-change growth across multi-billion-dollar organizations.

Dr. Pippa Malmgren is the founder and CEO of Geopolitica Institute and a Strategic Advisor to C10 Labs, the MIT Media Lab-based AI Venture Builder Studio. She is on the Young Presidents Organization Faculty and a Senior Associate Fellow of RUSI, the world’s leading defense think tank. She is also a Founder member of LUNARC, a lunar university project. She launched an award-winning drone startup and continues to advise several startups and startup incubators on cutting-edge technologies. She was formerly the economic advisor to President George W. Bush at the White House and a member of the National Economic Council. She served on the board of the British Government and as an advisor to the President of Malaysia. Before joining public service, she was the Chief Currency Strategist for Bankers Trust and as the Deputy Head of Global Strategy at UBS.

She is also an award-winning bestseller author: The Leadership Lab won Business Book of the Year in 2019. She won an International Press Award 2020 for her book, The Infinite Leader, in 2021. She writes a column about the world economy, technology, and geopolitics on Substack called Dr. Pippa’s Pen and Podcast.

She has a BA from Mount Vernon College and an M.Sc. and PhD from LSE in International Political Economy. She completed the Harvard Program on National Security and has lectured at Duke University in the Global Executive MBA Program (GEMBA) and at Sandhurst, The Royal College for Defense Studies, and at the Air Force Academy.

Roya Mahboob is an entrepreneur and Afghanistan’s first female tech CEO, but her impact extends far beyond the sphere of business. Ms. Mahboob has used her success and tech expertise to help educate and empower Afghan women and girls, and she has been an outspoken advocate for their rights. She founded the Digital Citizen Fund (DCF), which aims to increase Afghan women’s technological and financial literacy. She also co-founded and supports the Afghan Girls Robotics Team. Ms. Mahboob has worked to build Innovation/Tech Centers across Afghanistan and has launched an online platform to strengthen the voices of Afghan women and journalists. Ancillary to this, she regularly speaks and writes eloquently about the vital importance of STEAM education and economic opportunity for women and girls as they pertain to human rights. Ms. Mahboob was named to TIME’s 2013 list of 100 Most Influential People and received the 2014 Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award, The Advancement of Gender Equality through Education Award, Young Leader of World Economic Forum 2015 , Asia Game changer 2019, Doha forum award of 2022, LantosHumanRights awards, the prestigious Presidential Leadership Scholarship and is a founding Leader of The NewNow, a group of rising global leaders tackling global challenges.

Faisal Saeed Al Mutar is a social entrepreneur and media executive with extensive experience in economic development, innovation, and leadership.


Over the past decade, Faisal has driven large-scale change and fostered growth in the Middle East and beyond. As the founder of Ideas Beyond Borders, he has built the organization into a leading platform for advancing free market thought, innovation, and policy reform in the Arab world, particularly in Iraq.

Al Mutar has collaborated with intergovernmental organizations and private-sector stakeholders to promote growth and entrepreneurship. His work focuses on identifying transformative opportunities in diverse societies and implementing actionable policies to create jobs, reduce bureaucracy, and empower businesses with the tools necessary to grow.

A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Faisal has delivered talks on global platforms, including TED, and engaged with audiences across the U.S. and the Middle East. His expertise spans innovation, counter-extremism, and geopolitical stability. He also supports startups and aspiring leaders, helping empower the next generation of changemakers.

Faisal received the President’s Volunteer Service Award from President Barack Obama and an honorary doctorate from Whittier College in California.

Splitting his time between New York and the Middle East, Faisal blends global insights with local expertise, building bridges between cultures and advancing meaningful change.

Sanjay Gupta leads Strategy, Business Development & Marketing at Auradine, a pioneer in web infrastructure solutions including AI, blockchain, and security. He has 25+ years of senior-level experience in driving the disruptive growth of global technology and financial services companies. Sanjay has a consistent track record of driving step-change growth across multi-billion-dollar organizations.

Shanon became Compass Mining’s Chief Mining Officer in December 2023, following his exceptional work as Procurement Manager. Shanon oversees all aspects of mining operations, from energy acquisition to partnerships. Since entering the Bitcoin mining space in 2017, Shanon has established himself as a prominent leader, known for his ability to navigate the complex challenges of energy acquisition, co-location strategy, and cultivating international relationships. His expertise in optimizing energy use and building sustainable, scalable mining infrastructure makes him a sought-after speaker on industry panels, where he addresses key trends in mining technology and global energy markets.

Manash Goswami, CPA, CFA, MBA, is Chief Financial Officer at Synteq Digital. With over 25 years of experience across technology, power, logistics, e‑commerce, and capital markets, he leads all financial operations and strategy, including budgeting, forecasting, and reporting, to support business growth.

Founder & CEO of Simple Mining. We sell, host, and repair Bitcoin miners with the goal of making Bitcoin mining simple, accessible, and profitable for everyone.

Paul Manafort is a seasoned political strategist and consultant with decades of experience in navigating complex geopolitical landscapes. As a former chairman of a major U.S. presidential campaign, he has a deep understanding of the intersection between politics, economics, and emerging technologies. In recent years, Paul has taken a keen interest in the potential of Bitcoin and blockchain technology to transform the global financial system. He brings a unique perspective on the role of cryptocurrency in fostering financial independence and decentralization. Paul’s insights offer a valuable blend of traditional financial expertise and a forward-looking view on the disruptive power of digital assets, making him a compelling voice at the forefront of the Bitcoin revolution.

Simon Dixon has always considered himself a finance geek—obsessed with banking, monetary reform and geo-financial analysis that shape our world. After building a career as an insider in investment banking—as a stockbroker, market maker, and corporate finance banker—he developed a rare understanding of how the financial system really works. But when his father lost everything in the dot-com bust, Simon left his lucrative career behind to become a monetary reformer, determined not just to expose the flaws of finance but to fix them.

That mission led him to Bitcoin when it was just $3—a moment that changed everything. Unlike most early adopters who were tech enthusiasts, Simon came from finance, and he decoded what Satoshi left behind: Bitcoin was not just money, but the tool that could end the corrupt financial system, dismantle the Federal Reserve, and strip power from those who abuse it. He saw how politicians and regulators would deliberately co-opt innovation to maintain control—something he experienced first-hand when his attempts to reform the UK banking system were blocked.

With that foresight, Simon gained financial freedom through Bitcoin and became one of the earliest investors in the industry’s biggest names—including Coinbase, Kraken, BitPay, Bitfinex, Blockchain.com, Circle and Robinhood. He is also the author of *Bank to the Future* (2012), the world’s first published book to ever discuss Bitcoin.

Recognized by Robert Kiyosaki as “the first guy to ever talk about Bitcoin,” praised by Richard Branson for his investment platform BnkToTheFuture.com, and called by Max Keiser “the No.1 Bitcoin investment banker ever,” Simon has long been ahead of his time. Through BnkToTheFuture, he has facilitated over $2.5 billion of investments into companies that shaped the Bitcoin ecosystem.

He has helped thousands become Bitcoin millionaires and billionaires—and now seeks to help millions more protect themselves, their families, and their nations from an AI-driven jobless future and the oppressive control of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)—with Bitcoin as the tool for freedom and protection.

Simon is widely recognized not only for his pioneering role in Bitcoin but also for his expertise in geo-financial analysis, money, and investing. His ability to connect Bitcoin, macroeconomics, and global financial power shifts has allowed him to anticipate trends and events years before they unfold—making him the person many influencers and analysts quietly study.

Through his weekly show BitcoinHardTalk (100k+ YouTube subscribers, 200k+ followers on X), Simon helps people follow the money, self-custody their Bitcoin, and resist an oppressive financial system whose time is running out.

Paul Manafort is a seasoned political strategist and consultant with decades of experience in navigating complex geopolitical landscapes. As a former chairman of a major U.S. presidential campaign, he has a deep understanding of the intersection between politics, economics, and emerging technologies. In recent years, Paul has taken a keen interest in the potential of Bitcoin and blockchain technology to transform the global financial system. He brings a unique perspective on the role of cryptocurrency in fostering financial independence and decentralization. Paul’s insights offer a valuable blend of traditional financial expertise and a forward-looking view on the disruptive power of digital assets, making him a compelling voice at the forefront of the Bitcoin revolution.

Carly Benson is the Head of VIP & Strategic Partnerships for the Bitcoin Conference and has been running the Whale Pass experience since 2021.

Carly became a Bitcoin-only Bitcoiner in 2017 after living in Las Vegas and interacting with the professional poker and sports betting community. She learned about Bitcoin by seeing use-cases for it as the whales of the gambling world have been betting, settling and transacting in BTC for many years.

Before getting in to the Bitcoin space, Carly ran her own successful marketing consultancy for 18 years and was known as an alcohol-free SME, Course Creator and Yoga Instructor.

She has given talks around the world and her work and courses have helped thousands change their relationship with alcohol. She’s been featured in Women’s Health, SELF magazine, Extra TV, Travel Zoo and other notable outlets.

Erik Hersman is the CEO and co-founder of Gridless, a company building renewable energy mini-grids across Africa powered and stabilized by Bitcoin mining. Through projects in Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia, Gridless turns stranded or excess renewable power into productive local electricity and income for rural communities. A longtime technology entrepreneur and infrastructure builder, Erik’s work demonstrates how Bitcoin can be a catalyst for electrification, economic inclusion, and energy resilience across the continent.

Stafford Masie is a pioneering South African technologist, entrepreneur, and futurist with over three decades at the forefront of digital innovation. His career began in the early 1990s as a software developer at South Africa’s largest telecommunications company, followed by technology leadership roles at a major technology integrator. He went on to launch his own startup, later acquired, leading him to the U.S. tech scene in 1997, where he spent seven years immersed in Silicon Valley’s ecosystem of innovation at Novell’s HQ in Utah.

Upon returning to South Africa in 2004 as Managing Director of Novell Sub-Saharan Africa, Stafford later established Google’s first presence in the country in 2006, serving as its founding country manager. He later launched thumbzup that invented the Payment Pebble®, a world-first globally adopted fintech innovation backed by Visa Inc.

During 2014 he was first exposed to Bitcoin, sparking a lasting fascination up until today where he is known in SA as a Bitcoin maxi.

Since then, Stafford has become a leading voice and investor in the African Bitcoin and crypto ecosystem. He has angel-invested in and advised multiple AI and blockchain startups, co-founded BitMach, a Bitcoin mining venture in South Africa, and is currently launching a crypto audit and analysis platform in the United States.

He served as Chairman of the Board of Altvest Capital, which has since transformed into Africa’s first Bitcoin treasury company (BTCTC) listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), where he now holds the position of Executive Chairman and Director of Bitcoin Strategy.

In addition to his corporate leadership, Stafford independently advises African regulatory bodies on artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency legislation. He has previously served on the boards of Discovery Bank, ADvTECH, and Chairman WITS University/Telkom Innovation Lab, among others.

Widely recognized as a Bitcoin maximalist, Stafford is passionate about “orange-pilling” key stakeholders and advocating for Bitcoin as a transformative force for financial sovereignty across the African continent.

Andrew Hohns, PhD., Founder & Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Hohns founded Newmarket in 2020 and Battery Finance in 2022. He has overseen transaction structuring for approximately $50 billion of notional risk transfer. He has been a regular speaker at various industry conferences, with expertise in topics related to securitization, bitcoin, socially responsible investment, impact investment, infrastructure, and development finance. Prior to founding Newmarket, Dr. Hohns served as Managing Director at Mariner Investment Group from 2012 through 2020 and as Managing Director at Cohen & Company until 2012. Additionally, Dr. Hohns was an Adjunct Assistant Professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business from 2012 to 2015. He holds a BS in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (2000), a Masters in Liberal Arts from the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania (2006), and a PhD in Applied Economics and Managerial Sciences from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (2012). Dr. Hohns is a member of the Board of Directors of Fold Holdings Group (NASDAQ:FLD), Bitcoin Development Corporation, Inc (NASDAQ: BDCIU), and UNICEF USA.

Brian is the CEO of Off the Chain Capital, which is a Warren Buffet value-style investment firm focused on acquiring blockchain assets at a discount. He is the author of four books covering Bitcoin and advanced technology. He entered the Bitcoin space in 2012 and has traveled the world educating people on the importance of the technology and asset.

Andrej Majcen is the Co-Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Bitcoin Suisse, Switzerland’s leading and longest-established crypto-financial services firm. He co-founded the company in 2013, when Bitcoin was still nascent and Ethereum had yet to launch, and has since guided its growth into a major international brand—Switzerland’s largest custodian and one of the world’s foremost staking operators.

Over the past decade, Andrej has held several senior leadership roles at Bitcoin Suisse, including Head of Global Expansion and Strategic Clients, before being appointed Group CEO in 2024. In recognition of his contributions to the blockchain and fintech industry, he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 DACH list in 2020.

A frequent speaker at blockchain and finance conferences around the world, Andrej is a strong advocate for the transformative potential of digital assets to build a more inclusive, efficient, and resilient global economy.

Obi Nwosu is cofounder and CEO of Fedi and a zealous advocate for Bitcoin mass adoption. He previously founded the Bitcoin exchange Coinfloor, and holds board positions at ₿trust and Gridless Compute.

Bruce is CEO of the investment holding company Chainstone Labs. Bruce has been full time in Bitcoin since 2013 when he was Executive Director of the Bitcoin Foundation. He has over 30 years financial and investing experience and owns Atlantic Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Fenton is a liberty and free market advocate and ran for US Senate for New Hampshire in 2022. Fenton is the host of the Satoshi Roundtable, now in its 12th year, an annual event bringing together leading Founders, CEOs, and developers in the fintech and Bitcoin ecosystem.

Davinci Jeremie is a Bitcoin educator and entrepreneur dedicated to making crypto simple and practical. He runs the B4B (Bitcoin for Beginners) program, hosts live workshops and mentorships, and produces clear, hands-on guidance on buying, securing and using Bitcoin and Lightning. His teaching focuses on real-world custody, seed security and helping newcomers build confidence with crypto.

Carl Runefelt is a prominent Bitcoin maximalist and entrepreneur who through his media presence, investments, and leadership in the crypto space - Promotes widespread Bitcoin adoption while encouraging others to adopt a long-term, conviction in Bitcoin as the foundation of the new financial era.

Rachel Conlan, a visionary marketer and entrepreneurial strategist is the driving force behind Binance's global marketing and brand campaigns. As Binance embarks on its ambitious journey to reinforce and broaden its standing as the world's most trusted cryptocurrency brand, Rachel's leadership is instrumental. Before joining Binance, Rachel was a transformative figure at OKX, spearheading brand and marketing initiatives that included the negotiation and launch of high-profile international partnerships with Manchester City F.C., McLaren Racing, and Tribeca Festival. Her strategic insights and knack for partnership creation have left indelible marks on the brand. Rachel's vast experience extends to her tenure at CAA Sports, a leading international sports and entertainment agency, where she held the reins of Global Partnerships. She developed innovative brand partnerships and cultural marketing programs, bridging global brands, rights holders, and talent, adding immense value and contributing to CAA's market influence. As the Global Chief Marketing Officer for Havas, the sixth-largest communications company within the Vivendi conglomerate, Rachel demonstrated exceptional leadership. She was entrusted with enhancing Havas' reputation and revenue, crafting integrated marketing and experiential platforms for Fortune 500 companies that set industry benchmarks. In addition to her role as CMO, Rachel's contributions to Havas spanned various leadership positions. As Managing Director of Havas Luxhub, she led strategic and commercial operations, fostering pioneering strategies for luxury, fashion, and lifestyle companies to engage and retain a new generation of consumers. Her client portfolio boasted iconic brands like LVMH, PUIG, Sotheby's, Net-a-Porter, Netjets, and Kit and Ace. Rachel's strategic prowess was further displayed in her role as Havas' Global Growth Director. She orchestrated a comprehensive global new business development and marketing plan for the network. Notably, Rachel was part of the visionary team behind Havas' 2012 rebrand from Euro RSCG Worldwide, establishing a new standard for Havas Group's transformation. Rachel resides in Abu Dhabi, UAE with her husband and toddler son.

Clarisse Hagège is the CEO of Dfns, a cybersecurity company securing Bitcoin and digital assets through advanced wallet infrastructure. Her work focuses on building the cryptographic and institutional rails that enable safe, programmable custody and transaction flows across Bitcoin and other blockchain networks.

Beyond Dfns, Clarisse serves on the board of the MPC Alliance, mentors founders through Techstars Web3 Launchpad, and advises early-stage crypto startups at Station F, helping bridge traditional finance and decentralized systems.

Before founding Dfns, Clarisse earned degrees in Geopolitics and History (Sorbonne), Finance (Sciences Po), and Applied Economics (Dauphine University). She spent a decade in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, and Crédit Agricole CIB, where she became the youngest Chief of Staff to the CEO and led initiatives in research, global coverage, and energy innovation.

Today, Clarisse is deeply engaged in expanding Bitcoin’s institutional adoption and ensuring secure, global access to self-custody infrastructure. She lives between New York and Paris with her partner, Christopher, and their two children.

Chris has been building financial services and investment platforms for banks, governments and technology companies. He is currently serving as the CEO of ruya, the UAE’s digital-first Islamic community bank. Under his leadership, ruya is dedicated to creating a fairer and more sustainable world through ethical Islamic banking practices, exceptional customer service and active community engagement.

Before his role at ruya, Chris served as the Chief Operating Officer at a G42 joint venture, where he was responsible for building the business unit from its incubation phase. He also led the asset management of the group's portfolio of operating businesses and developed its proprietary investment programme.

Prior to G42, Chris was a key member of the executive management team at the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). His leadership and strategic vision were vital in positioning Abu Dhabi as a significant player on the global investment stage.

At Emirates NBD, Chris led award-winning strategy and customer experience teams across Private Banking, Asset Management and Retail Banking. His tenure saw Emirates NBD's Private Banking business rise to prominence as the leading wealth management franchise in the region.

Chris's career began at Roland Berger’s restructuring and turnaround practice as well as the corporate development and M&A team at a major renewable energy conglomerate.

My Bitcoin journey began unexpectedly in 2017 while working as a cybersecurity consultant. A client had fallen victim to a cyberattack, with the hackers demanding payment in Bitcoin—a currency I knew little about at the time. This experience sparked my curiosity as a computer engineer passionate about transformative technology, leading me to explore Bitcoin’s potential. After delving into research and connecting with colleagues, I met a tech-savvy friend who was already mining Bitcoin and coding Ethereum smart contracts, which deepened my interest. As the founders of Miningrid, we created a platform that simplifies Bitcoin mining through a secure, non-custodial wallet, making it accessible to all. My mission is to empower others by making Bitcoin mining and its ecosystem both understandable and approachable

Naser El Agha is a seasoned leader with over five years of experience in the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining industry. As CEO, he has played a pivotal role in building, scaling, and optimizing mining operations across multiple regions, with a strong focus on infrastructure development, energy efficiency, and sustainable growth.

His expertise spans mining infrastructure design, large-scale project execution, energy optimization, and regulatory strategy. Under his leadership, the company has successfully developed state-of-the-art mining farms, introduced advanced air and hydro cooling systems, and secured strategic government contracts and partnerships.

Beyond operations, Naser has been instrumental in expanding the company’s footprint by establishing new franchises and regional branches. He continues to advocate for responsible mining practices and works closely with regulatory bodies to shape policies that support innovation and energy-efficient blockchain adoption.

Driven by a vision to position Bitcoin mining as a sustainable and strategic industry, Naser combines technical knowledge with business foresight. A perfect balance between energy infrastructure and digital finance.

Commercial Director at BitFuFu, overseeing the company’s energy partnerships and infrastructure development, while driving vertical integration across the company’s technology and operations. BitFuFu (Nasdaq: FUFU) is a leading platform in Bitcoin mining and mining services—combining self-mining, hosting, and cloud hashrate with an integrated stack to deliver efficient, resilient, and grid-responsive compute at scale.

Stefan Kern is the Founder & CEO of the Bitkern Group, a Swiss based provider of high-performance computing and Bitcoin mining infrastructure, which he established in 2017. Under his leadership, Bitkern has grown into a trusted partner for private and institutional clients, offering scalable data-center solutions, managed hosting, and hardware procurement across multiple international locations.

With a strong focus on energy efficiency, operational reliability, and technological excellence, Stefan has been instrumental in shaping the standards of professional Bitcoin mining. His strategic vision emphasizes the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and digital asset infrastructure, positioning Bitkern as a key player in the global high-performance computing landscape.

Yat Siu, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Animoca Brands

Veteran technology entrepreneur/investor Yat Siu is the co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, a global leader in Web3, blockchain, gaming, and tokenization with the goal to provide all users with property rights for virtual assets. Yat began his career at Atari Germany, then established Hong Kong Cybercity/Freenation, the first free web page and email provider in Asia. In 1998 he set up Outblaze, an award-winning pioneer of multilingual white label web services. After selling one of its business units to IBM, he pivoted Outblaze to incubate digital entertainment projects. One of those projects is Animoca Brands.

Yat has numerous accolades, including Global Leader of Tomorrow at the World Economic Forum, Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the DHL/SCMP Awards, and recognition as one of Cointelegraph's top 100 notable people in blockchain. A classically trained musician, Yat is a member of the advisory board of BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and a director of the Asian Youth Orchestra.

Scott Millar is a long-time Bitcoin advocate and entrepreneur, best known as the founder of SideSwap, a non-custodial exchange and wallet built on the Liquid Network, and BlockSettle AB, a Swedish-regulated payment institution. With a background in trading and fintech, Scott has been at the forefront of building tools for Bitcoin settlement, tokenization, and self-custody, driven by a vision of an open, interoperable financial system rooted in Bitcoin.

Rahim Taghizadegan is the last Austrian economist of the Austrian School in the direct tradition, teaching at universities in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Germany. Author of over 15 books, he was the first economist to teach about Bitcoin at university. He is the founder of scholarium.at, based in Zug, building Bitcoin citadels and educational hubs around the world, and of deedsats.com, building privacy-friendly solutions for digital assets on RGB and Bitcoin.

Bitcoin advocate at the Bitcoin Innovation Hub in Uganda, where I lead Bitcoin education and adoption through programs that empower refugees.

Michael Ashby is an accomplished hedge fund and family office professional with 20 years of experience in the financial sector. He serves as CEO and CIO at AlgoQuant, a global quantitative trading firm. AlgoQuant manages internal capital, allocates to external managers and is building an asset management unit.

Greg Carson is a frequent contributor, lecturer and speaker on events about investing in the digital asset ecosystem and negotiation technique. He has spoken on these subjects at several global conferences including Super Venture, Wyoming Blockchain Symposium, CFC St Moritz, Bitcoin 2021-2025, MCC, Davos, Uncorrelated Alts, Horizon events and even at his Alma Mater, the Wharton School of Business. Greg has a decade as a tech founder, a decade of experience in investment banking and strategy, and is rounding out his first decade in venture capital. Humla Ventures operates in the top decile of venture returns and is one of the top global emerging managers in the space. Greg is a dedicated father snowboarder, sportsman, reader/writer, dance teacher and tai chi.

Michael Martin is a leading expert in institutional crypto advisory and private wealth management, currently serving as Senior Relationship Manager for Digital Asset Banking at Bank Julius Baer, one of world’s most respected private banks. With a career spanning 20 years across global financial centers— including Zurich, London, and Dubai — Michael has helped bridge the gap between traditional finance and the rapidly evolving world of digital assets.

At Julius Baer, he advises a global client base of entrepreneurs, family offices, and institutional investors on the seamless integration of crypto assets into long-term wealth strategies.

At the intersection of regulation, innovation, and client-centric advisory, Michael empowers clients to access Bitcoin and digital assets through secure custody, financial products, and strategic portfolio solutions.
Within the robust Swiss banking framework, Michael is shaping the future of digital asset banking — one relationship at a time.

Charlie Hu is an entrepreneur and investor with a long tenure in the crypto space. He bought his first bitcoin in 2013 and since then he has been actively involved in the crypto spaces holding key positions in Polkadot, Tezos and Polygon.
He is an active proponent of Bitcoin DeFi and scalability, believing that the largest liquidity unlock potential remains to be seen.
Currently he is the the Cofounder of Bitlayer, a Bitcoin Layer 2 supercharging BitcoinDefi through YBTC and BitVM technology, a third generation bridging solution.
Charlie is an active public speaker having participated in panels and delivering keynotes participated in Korea Blockchain Week, Bitcoin Nashville, Bitcoin Asia, Consensus. He is regularly featured in top media such as Cointelegraph, Coindesk, Bitcoin.com, Forbes amongst others.
He is also a key connector between east and west unlocking opportunities between Asia retail communities and large investors and institutions in the US.

JD Gagnon is a blockchain entrepreneur and strategist with expertise across multiple ecosystems, most recently including the Core Network. As Founder of BITS (bits.financial), he develops infrastructure that bridges traditional finance and DeFi, supporting real-yield strategies with institutional-grade custody and cross-chain composability for assets like BTC and wBTC. A co-founder of Rome Blockchain Labs, an incubator focused on DeFi innovation, and BENQI, a lending protocol on Avalanche that reached $4B in TVL post-launch, JD has experience scaling protocols from early-stage development to enterprise adoption. His background in financial planning, business consulting, and digital strategy helps him address risks, regulations, and opportunities with institutions and projects of all sizes.

Sélim Chidiac is a seasoned Board Director and former global CEO who has been deeply engaged in the Bitcoin ecosystem for over five years. He has attended leading conferences across the US, Europe, and the Middle East, participated in YouTube podcasts, and dedicated hundreds of hours to studying Bitcoin through books and podcasts. Today, Sélim combines his expertise in corporate governance, international expansion, transformation, and capital markets with his passion for Bitcoin, sharing insights on its role in reshaping finance and long-term value creation. He currently serves on multiple boards and advises leaders on innovation, strategy, and disruptive technologies.

Shawn Owen is a pioneering entrepreneur and CEO of SALT, the original bitcoin-backed lender. A Bitcoin advocate since 2011, Shawn believes Bitcoin is the best form of digital property and energy savings.

He co-founded SALT to offer innovative Bitcoin-backed loans, raising over $124 million and establishing a leading position in the Bitcoin lending industry. With over 25 years of business experience, he is recognized for his expertise in technology, capital allocation, and fostering growth.

Cofounder of Resolvr, an insurtech bridging the global insurance market to Bitcoin. Published author for Bitcoin Magazine and the Satoshi Papers.

Mohammed Alshiekh, CTO and co-founder of DEMA Energy, builds systems that use Bitcoin mining as a flexible grid-balancing load. With 15+ years in engineering and AI, he develops immersion-cooled mining infrastructure, fleet management systems, and VPP platforms that merge Bitcoin and energy innovation.

Erik Hersman is the CEO and co-founder of Gridless, a company building renewable energy mini-grids across Africa powered and stabilized by Bitcoin mining. Through projects in Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia, Gridless turns stranded or excess renewable power into productive local electricity and income for rural communities. A longtime technology entrepreneur and infrastructure builder, Erik’s work demonstrates how Bitcoin can be a catalyst for electrification, economic inclusion, and energy resilience across the continent.