logo
Bitcoin Vegas: Ten Moments That Can't Be Missed In The Bull Run

Bitcoin Vegas: Ten Moments That Can't Be Missed In The Bull Run

Forbes28-05-2025

Las Vegas is no stranger to bold bets—but at Bitcoin 2025, the stakes weren't just financial. This year's conference was the strongest signal yet that Bitcoin is crossing the chasm from a niche asset into a cornerstone of the global financial system.
Held in the heat of the Nevada desert and the heat of Bitcoin's bull run, it attracted policymakers, builders, institutional investors, and an increasingly diverse wave of new adopters. The tone was clear: Bitcoin is here to build.
Here are the 10 most compelling moments that defined today's events—and why they matter.
One of the most inspiring gatherings of the entire conference wasn't held on the main stage—it was at the Women of Bitcoin Brunch, where over 500 women came together to celebrate Bitcoin's growing role in financial freedom and inclusion.
Led by Natalie Brunell of Coin Stories and sponsored by Mara, the event featured open dialogue on how Bitcoin empowers women globally, especially in regions where traditional banking falls short. Among the special guests: Senator Cynthia Lummis, a fierce crypto advocate, who emphasized that Bitcoin represents not only financial opportunity—but generational transformation.
Women of Bitcoin Vegas 2025
Sandy Carter
The event also launched a new scholarship initiative to support young women entering the Bitcoin space. The youngest attendee? Just 12 years old. The signal: Bitcoin's next generation is already here.
In a major policy announcement, Senator Lummis revealed that the much-anticipated Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act will soon be introduced on the Senate floor. The bill proposes that the U.S. Treasury acquire 1 million Bitcoin as part of a long-term national reserve strategy.
Senator Lummis speaking at Bitcoin Vegas
Bitcoin Conference
This move would mark a monumental shift in how sovereign entities treat Bitcoin—positioning the U.S. as not just a regulator of crypto, but a strategic holder. It's the clearest indication yet that Bitcoin is entering the halls of power in a real and irreversible way.
Block, formerly Square, announced that its Point of Sale systems will soon support Bitcoin Lightning payments, making Bitcoin acceptance seamless for merchants. The rollout begins in late 2025 and is expected to reach all eligible sellers by 2026, pending regulatory approvals.
This means millions of businesses could soon accept Bitcoin with low fees and near-instant settlement, simply by scanning a QR code. Block's integration will also abstract away backend complexity—converting and settling payments behind the scenes. For the end user, Bitcoin becomes as easy to use as Apple Pay.
One of the more unconventional moments came from the exhibitor floor, where companies showcased how Bitcoin mining can now be done at home—and with surprising benefits - where you can earn bitcoin! This is very similar to the DePin devices that enable everyone to earn a passive income.
MeinCoffee demoed a countertop miner that doubles as a coffee warmer, while Solo Mining Co. introduced wax melters that mine Bitcoin while creating a pleasant home scent. As Duncan Coombe put it, 'Why shouldn't mining smell like vanilla and yield sats?'
Duncan Coombe showcasing a MeinCoffee
Sandy Carter
This marks a trend toward consumer-friendly mining hardware, unlocking passive income for everyday users.
Hot off a successful IPO in May, trading platform eToro brought major energy to the show floor. U.S. CEO Andrew McCormick emphasized the company's growing focus on digital assets and its ambition to bridge the gap between traditional retail investors and crypto markets.
In speaking with Andrew McCormick, Head of eToro US, he told me, "As a platform dedicated to opening access to crypto and capital markets, eToro works to empower users to trade, share, learn and invest in a way that suits their unique needs. It's a honor to now be a part of their investment choices as a publicly traded company. Listing on Nasdaq is a milestone along our journey and we plan to continue to push boundaries to meet the evolving needs of the retail investor.'
With new investment products and a larger war chest, eToro is positioning itself as a central on-ramp to Bitcoin for the next wave of investors.
In a statement that mixed politics with policy, Donald Trump Jr. emphasized that 'the U.S. should be long on crypto,' announcing plans to build a $2.4 billion Bitcoin treasury. While polarizing, the move continues a trend of political voices embracing Bitcoin as a national asset class.
The overlap between Bitcoin advocacy and campaign strategy is clearly growing, especially heading into an election cycle where digital assets are poised to be a talking point.
David Sacks, a founding member of the 'PayPal Mafia' and influential investor, delivered a succinct but powerful endorsement: 'Bitcoin is the financial system of the future.'
Coming from someone who helped architect modern digital payments, the statement underscores a generational shift away from fiat rails and toward decentralized value transfer.
Lindey Magee launched a beautifully illustrated children's book, Bitcoin: A Treasure to Hodl, with artwork by Kenny Nnoli. Targeted at children as young as five, the book simplifies the story and technology behind Bitcoin.
In a space where generational education is critical, this type of content is vital to helping families understand and engage with decentralized finance.
In addition to Senator Lummis, elected officials from New Hampshire, Ohio, and West Virginia attended the conference—many for the first time. Senator Justice and others participated in discussions about Bitcoin's role in financial innovation, monetary policy, and the next era of infrastructure investment.
The bipartisan presence of policymakers reflects a maturing dialogue between the crypto industry and Washington.
Bitcoin isn't just for burgers anymore. Steak 'n Shake's CEO revealed that customers can now pay for burgers and full franchise fees using Bitcoin.
Purchasing a burger with Bitcoin
Sandy Carter
This signals a growing trend of deep integration between BTC and business models. For franchisees, it's a step toward fully on-chain business operations—from investment to revenue flow.
In past years, Bitcoin conferences were dominated by speculation, maximalism, and memes.
This year felt different. Starting with yesterday's soft kick-off, we've seen:
More infrastructure.
More policy.
More diversity.
More utility.
Bitcoin Vegas 2025 was less about 'when Lambo' and more about 'when legislation.' Less about hodling in silence and more about building, educating, and scaling for the next billion users.
Tomorrow I'll be diving into the next set of speakers and community events.
Until then, let this conference be a reminder: Bitcoin isn't just alive—it's accelerating.Did you enjoy this story about the first day of Bitcoin Vegas? Don't miss my next one: Use the blue follow button at the top of the article near my byline to follow more of my work.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Chinese bioterror suspects' arrests signal communist country plotting 'something worse' than COVID: expert
Chinese bioterror suspects' arrests signal communist country plotting 'something worse' than COVID: expert

Fox News

time23 minutes ago

  • Fox News

Chinese bioterror suspects' arrests signal communist country plotting 'something worse' than COVID: expert

After the pattern of recent covert communist Chinese infiltrations of the U.S. continued with the arrest of two suspected "bioterrorists" in Michigan this week, one expert said it's time to sever relations with China completely. "The only way to stop this is to sever relations with China," attorney and Chinese Communist Party expert Gordon Chang told Fox News Digital. "And I know people think that's drastic, but we are being overwhelmed, and we are going to get hit. And we are going to get hit really hard. Not just with COVID, not just with fentanyl, but perhaps with something worse." Chang was responding to recent news of Chinese nationals Yunqing Jian, 33, and her boyfriend Zunyong Liu, 34, who, over a two-year period, were allegedly smuggling Fusarium graminearum into the U.S. and studying it in labs. Jian was a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan, whose research was funded in part by the People's Republic of China. Fusarium graminearum is a toxic fungus that causes a crop-killing "head blight," a disease of wheat, barley, maize and rice that "is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year," according to the Department of Justice. It is also toxic to humans, and can cause vomiting, liver damage and "reproductive defects in humans and livestock." "This couple should be sent to Guantánamo," Chang said. "This Chinese government has declared a 'People's War' on us." A "People's War" is a military strategy developed by brutal former Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong, who died in 1976, known for killing tens of millions of Chinese people via starvation and political persecution. Such a war calls for a protracted military and political onslaught meant to exhaust the enemy. Jian and Liu were arrested earlier this week and charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., false statements and visa fraud. "We're Americans, so we think we're entitled to ignore the propaganda of hostile regimes," Chang said. "But for a communist party, [a People's War] has great resonance, and what they're doing with their strident anti-Americanism is creating a justification to strike our country." "This means, for example, that this couple should be sent to Guantánamo," he said. "This was an attack on the United States at a time when China thought it was at war with us." Since the 2019 People's War decree referenced by Chang, a laundry list of Chinese and Chinese-aligned infiltrators have been caught red-handed in the U.S., especially at American universities. Here's a look back at some of those instances: In 2020, two Chinese nationals who were graduate students at the University of Michigan pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a breach at a Naval air station in Key West, Florida, where they were caught illegally entering and photographing defense infrastructure. Charles Lieber is not a Chinese national, but was convicted in 2021 of making false statements to authorities and failing to report income from his work with China's Wuhan University of Technology. He also had a contract with China's Thousand Talents Program, which "incentivize [their] members to steal foreign technologies needed to advance China's national, military, and economic goals," according to the FBI. He was sentenced to time served, which was two days in prison, and two years of supervised release with six months of home confinement. He also paid various fines and restitution of more than $88,000. In 2022, Ji Chaoqun, a Chinese national who had been a student at the Illinois Institute of Technology, was convicted after attempting to commit espionage and theft of trade secrets. Chaoqun gathered information from American defense contractors and engineers as part of a plot by high-level Chinese intelligence officials to glean information about U.S. technology advancements. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. In 2024, the FBI filed charges against five Chinese nationals, all students at the University of Michigan, after they were caught allegedly photographing a joint American-Taiwanese training exercise at Camp Grayling, a National Guard training facility in Michigan. Their studies were part of a joint program with Shanghai-based Jiao Tong University. Late last year, a University of Minnesota student and Chinese national named Fengyun Shi was convicted in federal court for illegally taking photos of Norfolk, Virginia, naval bases using a drone. He was sentenced to six months in jail and then deported in May of this year. "We can lose our country, even though we're the far stronger nation, because we are not defending ourselves with the vigor and determination that is necessary," Chang told Fox News Digital. Chang also noted that in 2020, Americans in all 50 states received seeds from China unsolicited, which he said "was an attempt to plant invasive species" in the U.S. He also noted that this year, Chinese online retailer Temu did the same. "Imagine walking into your local grocery store and seeing empty shelves where bread, cereal, and even pet food used to be," Jason Pack, a former FBI supervisory special agent, told Fox News Digital. "Prices spike. Supply chains slow down. All because a foreign actor deliberately targeted the crops that keep America fed. That may sound far-fetched, but it's exactly the kind of scenario that becomes possible when someone brings a dangerous agricultural pathogen into the United States. "It doesn't take a bomb to disrupt an economy. It takes a biological agent like Fusarium graminearum introduced into the wrong place at the wrong time. Food prices rise. Livestock suffer. Exports stop. The economic ripple effects are enormous."

Court Rules Trump Can Exclude Journalists From Oval Office
Court Rules Trump Can Exclude Journalists From Oval Office

Bloomberg

time30 minutes ago

  • Bloomberg

Court Rules Trump Can Exclude Journalists From Oval Office

A federal appeals court has ruled that President Donald Trump can exclude journalists from the Oval Office, Air Force One and other 'restricted' spaces based on their editorial decisions, handing the administration a win in its fight with the Associated Press over access. In a 2-1 order on Friday, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit halted a lower-court judge's order that had restored the wire service's ability to participate in a rotating pool of reporters who cover the president's daily movements.

Trump can bar Associated Press from some events, appeals court rules
Trump can bar Associated Press from some events, appeals court rules

Washington Post

time32 minutes ago

  • Washington Post

Trump can bar Associated Press from some events, appeals court rules

The Trump administration can bar the Associated Press from some official events for now, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday. The administration in February barred the news outlet's staff from the press pool that covers the president after the AP said it would continue using the name 'Gulf of Mexico' despite an executive order signed by President Donald Trump shortly after his inauguration that sought to rename the oceanic basin 'Gulf of America.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store