Speakers

Aaron van Wirdum is the technical editor for Bitcoin Magazine and the cohost of the Bitcoin, Explained podcast. With a background in studying the historical influence of society-shaping technologies, he’s been covering Bitcoin and related projects since 2013. He is known for his ability to explain highly-technical subjects to a layman audience and specializes in topics including Bitcoin’s history, scaling and privacy technology.

10+ years' background in Investments / Bitcoin mining for HNWIs & Institutions. He is also conducting research as a PhD researcher in Economics focusing on Bitcoin, Bitcoin mining, and Energy Economics using stranded or curtailed energy sources, and the development of competitive mining pool services for medium-size to large miners in the MEA region

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.

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.

Nigerian Bitcoin core contributor, funding Bitcoin companies at Recursive Capital, and supporting Bitcoin open-source development in Africa and the Global Majority at Btrust.

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)

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.

Alexander is a Research Associate at the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), where he leads the Cambridge Digital Assets Programme’s research efforts on the climate impact of digital assets. Drawing on extensive practical experience within the crypto ecosystem – from cryptocurrency mining to engaging with DeFi protocols – he brings deep domain expertise to his work. Prior to joining the CCAF, Alexander held various roles in traditional finance, including corporate banking, proprietary trading, and asset management. He holds a Master’s degree in Finance from Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, and an MBA from Johannes Kepler Universität Linz. Alexander is widely regarded as an expert on the environmental footprint of cryptocurrency mining, and his insights are frequently featured in leading media outlets such as Bloomberg, Fox News, Reuters, and The Financial Times.

Arsh Molu champions financial freedom at the Human Rights Foundation, an organization dedicated to defending human rights in authoritarian regimes. Arsh is also the Co-founder of Generation Bitcoin and the Bitcoin Students Network, worldwide communities that support younger generations in learning about Bitcoin, cultivating the next generation of Bitcoin leaders.

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.

Christian has dedicated his career to the Fintech and financial services sectors, developing a unique expertise in M&A, venture capital, capital markets, SPAC, and private placement transactions. His passion for sound money and its transformative impact on the financial ecosystem drives his work.

Currently, Christian is Managing Director, Head of Blockchain and Digital Assets at Cohen & Company Capital Markets. Previously, he served as Vice President at Broadhaven Capital Partners, providing M&A and private placement advisory services to blockchain and Fintech companies. Before that, he was an Associate at Guggenheim Securities, covering Fintech, Banks, Insurance, and Specialty Finance, with a keen interest in blockchain innovations.

Christian holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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.

Cody Carbone is the CEO of The Digital Chamber, the world’s largest and most trusted trade association representing the digital asset and blockchain industry. Under Cody’s leadership, The Digital Chamber serves as the go-to resource for policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders seeking clarity and collaboration in the rapidly evolving world of digital assets.

With over 200 members spanning the entire digital economy—from bitcoin miners and crypto exchanges to financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies—The Chamber plays a central role in shaping the future of Web3 policy. As the premier voice in Washington, The Chamber leads federal education and advocacy efforts, crafting legislation, informing regulatory frameworks, and building bipartisan coalitions to ensure the United States remains a global hub for digital innovation.

Cody personally oversees the Chamber’s engagement with Congress and the Trump administration, offering insight and policy solutions that reflect the diverse and rapidly growing digital asset ecosystem. His efforts have helped influence the most consequential digital asset legislation in the U.S..

Prior to joining The Digital Chamber, Cody spent six years at Ernst & Young’s (EY) Office of Public Policy, where he led federal advocacy on financial services and emerging technologies. He also brings significant legislative experience, having served as policy staff in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

Cody holds a Juris Doctor (JD) and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Syracuse University and is admitted to the New York State Bar. He resides in Washington, D.C., where he continues to champion smart, innovation-forward policies for the digital future.

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.

As the co-founder and chief executive officer of BTC Inc., David Bailey is an industry leader and evangelist for the decentralized future. Since 2013, BTC Inc has grown to offer critical intelligence, brand-building expertise and technical incubation specialized for the Bitcoin ecosystem, as well as industry-leading projects like Bitcoin Magazine, the Bitcoin 2022 conference, and Carrot. The company now operates in multiple countries and its brands are quickly becoming household names.Bailey sits on the board of advisors for the University of Alabama. He was managing partner at 402 Digital Partners, which is one of the earliest Bitcoin funds. He is currently general partner of UTXO Management; and is an active angel investor in the Bitcoin ecosystem.

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.

Fred King is a Bitcoiner and the founder of CryptoSnake, a YouTube channel focused on Bitcoin and crypto.

Irina Heaver is a leading Bitcoin lawyer based in Dubai, managing the first UAE-based law firm exclusively dedicated to Bitcoin and Crypto since 2016. She has represented some of the industry’s most prominent companies and groundbreaking projects. Irina has also advised numerous governments and regulators, playing a key role in shaping emerging technology policies and drafting Bitcoin-specific laws and regulations. Passionate about empowering visionary startup founders, Irina is dedicated to helping them bring their innovative ideas to life. As a Bitcoiner, she firmly believes that money should be separated from the state.

JP is the CEO of Exodus. In 2015, JP co-founded Exodus to build a beautiful, easy-to-use app that empowers customers to secure, swap, and self-custody their portfolio of crypto. In 2021, JP led Exodus as the first US company to conduct an SEC-qualified crypto-only public stock offering, making it the only US company to have its common stock tokenized on the blockchain. Today, Exodus has 5.5 million customers worldwide and employs 225 people who all receive 100% of their salary in Bitcoin.

Jayson is the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at Marathon Digital Holdings, a global leader in digital asset compute and largest publicly traded bitcoin miner. He is a committed public servant, bringing close to two decades of experience in governmental and non-governmental work. A trained United States Air Force engineer, he has spent the last 13 years post-military service managing projects and developing policy covering Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Eurasia, Central America, and Mexico. Jayson has served in the White House, U.S. State Department, USAID, and on Capitol Hill. He is an Iraq veteran and a U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Turkey. Jayson holds a Global Executive M.P.A. from New York University and University College London. He was awarded 40 Under 40 at the Middle East Policy Council and 40 Under 40 Latinos in Foreign Policy at New America, Diversity in National Security Network, and Huffington Post.

As Head of Asia, Kevin will lead Nakamoto’s Bitcoin treasury strategy across one of the world’s most important and dynamic regions. Kevin is responsible cultivating key relationships with governments, regulators, exchanges, and public companies, while also strengthening ties with institutional investors, sovereign funds, and family offices.

Kevin first entered the Bitcoin space in 2014 and has spent the past decade at the forefront of mining and infrastructure deployment. Previously, he served as SVP of Business Development and Mining Strategies at Foundry Digital. At Foundry, Kevin oversaw the deployment of one of the largest North American fleets and helped build the world’s largest Bitcoin mining pool for four consecutive years.

Prior to joining Foundry Digital, Kevin served as Chief Mining Officer at Greenidge Generation, where he transformed a 106MW natural gas plant into the first federally regulated power plant to mine Bitcoin, paving the way for broader institutional adoption of mining in the U.S. Before that, he served as Mining Operations Manager at Bitcoin.com. In 2016, he co-founded Project Spokane, a Bitcoin mining datacenter that he helped establish as the largest mining facility in North America at the time.

Maria Vovchok is an accomplished media professional and distinguished conference MC with over a decade of experience in media and more than eight years in blockchain, fintech, and Web3 communications.
Recognized for her articulate and insightful approach, Maria bridges complex technological subjects with broad and diverse audiences across global markets.
She began her Web3 journey as a news editor and anchor at several blockchain media outlets, later transitioning into marketing and PR roles within blockchain companies. Over the years, she has built strong relationships with VC funds, angel investors, and startup founders.
Maria has served as an MC and moderator at numerous tech and business conferences worldwide. Her distinguished presence has been sought by premier events such as TOKEN2049, Hong Kong FinTech Week, LEAP Riyadh, and more. She also served as Managing Director of the World of Web3
Summit, and was a contributing TV host at Moniify.
Currently, Maria is the Head of Business Development & Media Lead at the Dubai Blockchain Center, where she also hosts the Encrypted podcast, interviewing top voices in the Web3 ecosystem. She has also recently joined Gate as a Digital Producer & Host.
Beyond her professional work, Maria holds an ambassadorial role
with the Blockchain Association of Ukraine, and has been honored as one of the Top 25 Women in Fintech & Blockchain in MENA by DX Talks.

As Head of Digital Assets Research and Portfolio Manager for the VanEck Smart Contract Leaders Fund, Mr. Sigel helps guide VanEck’s digital assets strategy and sits on the investment committee of the firm’s private funds. He produces frequent research on Bitcoin, smart contract platforms, and emerging markets adoption of digital assets. Prior to VanEck, Mr. Sigel worked as a research analyst and portfolio strategist at CLSA, an analyst and portfolio manager at AllianceBernstein (where he covered technology and other sectors under Cathie Wood), and a journalist at Bloomberg, CNBC and NHK Japan Broadcasting, where he covered finance. Mr. Sigel is a CFA Charterholder and has a BA from Harvard University.

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.

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!

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.

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

Daily Bitcoin Podcast Host. All-In Bitcoin since he is 21 years old and committed to interview every day a Bitcoiner in the next 10 years!

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

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.

started as a personal investment to hedge against traditional assets class of equity and gold. having realised the depth of an asset such as bitcoin pivoted a 40 year old organisation to hold bitcoin on its balance sheet making it the first publicly listed company in India to do so. Ambition to navigate a complex regulatory market of India to bring bitcoin or associated stock to a 100M people in India.

Bitcoin Podcaster

Bitcoin Journalist with a focus on education, and a financial analyst with a background in accounting, holding a deep interest in bitcoin and the environment. Working as a bitcoin columnist for a business-focused newspaper in London and authoring numerous research articles on the benefits of Bitcoin Mining and its implications for renewable energy's future. Serving as the Director and Head of Mining and Sustainability at Bitcoin Policy UK, committed to exploring and educating about bitcoin's technological innovation and potential environmental impact at the core of these professional pursuits.

Educator at The Bitcoin Way. Bitcoin Self-Custody • Cybersecurity • Plan B Residencies.

Working on Circle STARK verifier and covenants on Bitcoin

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.