Vegas Vibes and All-Time Highs: Bitcoin Faithful Flock to Sin City

Thousands of Bitcoin fans descended on Las Vegas this week to soak in BTC Inc.’s annual conference—from newly minted crypto devotees to longtime BTC OGs.

Under the roof of The Venetian Convention & Expo Center, however, the distinction appeared to hardly matter. Although Bitcoin’s price set a new all-time high less than a week ago, the prospect of in-person connections appeared to be the biggest draw for a largely digital industry—despite a “who’s who” of speakers, including Silk Road pioneer Ross Ulbricht and Vice President JD Vance.

At the conference’s “Investment Day” on Monday, BTC Inc. CEO David Bailey noted a “5x” increase in participation on behalf of institutional investors from a year prior, per an X post. However, the conference drew swathes of retail investors too. For some, it marked their first real exposure to Bitcoin following U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House victory.

Marcia Roye Madison, a California-based family nurse practitioner, told Decrypt that she started buying Bitcoin in January after discovering Strategy co-founder and Executive Chairman Michael Saylor on YouTube. Her understanding of crypto is admittedly limited, but she now believes that Bitcoin can help her diversify her retirement portfolio.

“I stumbled across some Bitcoin podcasts, and I started listening, and it just kind of made sense to me,” she said. “With inflation and the way fiat [money] is being devalued, even if I had $1 million, it would probably be worth about $350,000 in another ten years.”

Far from your average crypto bro, Roye Madison represents some of the Bitcoin community’s newest faces. She described herself as a working-class mom, who wanted to witness the conference’s vibe, and see speakers in person that captivated her online.

“I’m no spring chicken,” she said. “I want to actually accumulate wealth.”

Pounding down an energy drink for breakfast, Isaiah (who declined to share his last name) told Decrypt that this year’s conference is not his first rodeo. The Minnesota-based freelance videographer said that this is his third time volunteering for the conference, and the air of excitement stemming from the Las Vegas Strip makes this year particularly special.

“Being in Las Vegas, it’s the atmosphere,” he said. “I used to live here, so I know the vibes—but when it comes to Bitcoin, this is my first time here for that.”

As a volunteer, Isaiah paid for travel and accommodation out of pocket, but he said the price is well worth it to see folks he’s bonded with over the past few years. Admission, however, was free. That’s helpful, he said, for accumulating as much Bitcoin as he can, referring to satoshis or “sats,” Bitcoin’s smallest divisible unit.

“Every sat you earn, every sat you buy, every sat you hold, is just one stack closer to financial freedom,” he said.

On the conference floor, a panoply of entrepreneurs mulled art and perused company booths, including Ben Justman, the owner of a Colorado-based winery called Peony Lane. His company caters to Bitcoiners, allowing them to purchase themed blends using the digital asset. For him, the conference represents an opportunity to top off his professional connections.

“Bitcoiners are my customer base,” he told Decrypt. “[Being here], it’s creating some color for connections that you continuously build online.”

Justman, who is attending the annual Bitcoin conference for a third time, didn’t come empty-handed. Throughout the week, the entrepreneur said he’s excited to pour a few glasses while serving wine at side events and connecting with some of his favorite clients.

Bitcoin 2025 comes 10 months after the previous event in Nashville, which featured President Donald Trump as the headline speaker while on the campaign trail. In the speech, he said he’d work to protect the crypto industry in America.

The Bitcoin world has expanded in the time since, with the price spiking to new peaks and more and more public companies following Strategy’s lead and establishing their own Bitcoin reserves. Trump even signed an executive order to establish a national U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve, as first teased back at Bitcoin 2024.

Edited by Andrew Hayward