What Went Down at Crypto Fest 2019

Bitcoin Events’ inaugural Crypto Fest in Cape Town saw over 250 attend the exciting event from over 10 countries to engage with, talk about, present on and learn everything this still nascent crypto industry has going for it. Focusing on payments, investing, trading and even touching on social good opportunities, Crypto Fest 2019 was a first-of-its-kind event that looked to incorporate the excitement and dynamism of music festivals. The event drove meaningful discussions and debates on how to accelerate the global adoption of cryptocurrencies and to explore the many opportunities that exist.

The event provided attendees with an immersive experience, plenty of engagement with well-known speakers and thought leaders, fantastic networking opportunities and showcase the real-world applications on how this technology is being used globally.

Key themes running through the conference surrounded the idea that blockchain and cryptocurrencies are going to be the forerunners of money as we move forward into a more digital space where individuals have privacy and security from central authorities.

What Went Down At Crypto Fest 2019

The energy was at times almost too much to take in, with excited crypto enthusiasts loudly debating with exchanges from all over the world in the exhibition area. The speakers at the event were lively and the line-up included some captivating appearances.

“There was a lot of interaction and activity, crypto debates and educational dialogue around blockchain and cryptocurrencies,” said Richard de Sousa, CEO and Founder of AltCoinTraderSA, Premier Sponsor to Crypto Fest 2019. “The event was the first and a great success, we hope to be part of the next,” he added.

With Richard de Sousa getting proceedings underway with a particularly passionate overview of why he believes we are seeing a significant revolution take place before our very eyes. Khaya Maloney, country manager for Diamond Sponsor, OKex took us through the opportunities available with derivatives trading. Whilst Shantnu Saxena, EVP of Platinum Sponsor, Huobi Platinum, presented why cryptocurrencies were being so closely watched by institutional investors and the value they see in the assets.

After these, it was one of the highlights of the day: The showdown between Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Bitcoin SV. In a treat for festival attendees, Simon Dingle was due next after the contentious debate. Simon is one of South Africa’s most prominent speakers in the fintech space. The festival presented engagement opportunities through lively crypto debates, including battles on Facebook’s Libra coin and the Bitcoin vs Gold battle. The speakers at the event were lively and the line-up included some captivating appearances by the likes of Rocelo Lopes, CEO of Stratum and representatives from trading giant IG South Africa, Huobi, MineBest, and more. The festival also explored how cryptocurrencies are used for philanthropic projects and for social good initiatives with Binance’s Blockchain Charity Foundation as well as with the BitGive Foundation among many others. 

Enjoy the highlights video of the Crypto Festival.

Other exciting elements to the festival format included the crypto games, giveaways and fun competitions which were part of the event. Attendees were spoilt for choice with free bitcoin and t-shirts from our Premier Sponsor, AltCoinTraderSA, Stratum Blu cryptocurrency investment tokens from Platinum Sponsor, Stratum BT, whilst Gold Sponsor Luno, provided t-shirts, caps and hoodies. Attendees could utilise augmented reality games that rely on geolocation to manipulate physical reality with tech-discoverable crypto. Attendees received airdrops of XRP courtesy of Xago as well as bitcoin airdropped by BitDrop Go. 

And just like that, Crypto Fest 2019 was over. The day had seen hundreds of new ideas sparked, countless opportunities created through serendipitous meetings, and minds educated to what is possible with crypto-assets. The overwhelming narrative not only at Crypto Fest but even at recent events around the country, is that the finance and investment industry is undergoing an almighty upheaval, and that upheaval may well cause clampdowns and restrictions, but it is an inevitable upheaval, and those down the rabbit hole first, will know exactly how to behave at the Mad Tea Party.

Browse through the photos of Crypto Fest 2019.

Thank you to our main sponsors: AltCoinTraderSA, IG South Africa, OKEx, Stratum BT, MineBest, Huobi MENA, Luno, Youniqx and Sun Exchange, as well as our partners and exhibitors for helping make the Crypto Fest a success.

Who Attended Crypto Fest 2019

The 2019 festival attendees have come from multiple industries and disciplines, as illustrated in the pie chart below:	The festival attracted speakers and attendees from across the globe as depicted in the pie chart below:

Blockchain Africa Conference 2020 | 11 and 12 March 2020

We are planning our next event! The Blockchain Africa Conference is in its 6th year and we are expecting 600+ attendees for the conference. Join us at Africa’s leading blockchain and cryptocurrency conference and learn how companies and individuals alike are using this technology, what some of the most interesting use cases and applications are and what regulations are being considered and implemented across various jurisdictions.

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