Bitcoin, Blockchain Summit to Bring Big Announcements • St Pete Catalyst

For the second year in a row, organizers are bringing industry stakeholders and business and political leaders together in Tampa for the Florida Bitcoin & Blockchain Summit.

Billed as the state’s “first blockchain and fintech-focused event in Florida,” the summit will take place on Friday, April 4. November at the Holiday Inn Westshore. Like last year’s event, held at Amalie Arena, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor will kick off a full day of programming with a welcoming address.

The mayor — and the summit — made national headlines last year when Castor announced she would receive part of her salary in bitcoin, the apex cryptocurrency. The recent industry-wide downturn, explained Chris Krimitsos, founder of the Florida Bitcoin & Blockchain Summit (FBBS), helped eliminate the predominance of speculators and “bandwagoners” that clouded the space.

“I’m most excited to see where everyone is at, kind of batten down the hatches and compare notes,” Krimitsos said. “There’s been a lot of turmoil in the markets lately, and we have some really cool panels, like seeing opportunities in a bear market.”

In addition, Krimitsos relayed the expectation to hear the latest news from Cityverse. Joe Hamilton, network manager for the platform (and publisher of Catalyst), will host a panel at 4 pm titled “Making the Metaverse Local.”

The Tampa Bay Rays organization recently announced that it purchased an equity position in Cityverse, and Krimistos noted that Hamilton would announce a “new major investor” at the summit.

Gabe Higgins and Rosa Shores, the founders of Blockspaces, are also featured as speakers at the event. Krimistos expects to hear important news from that company as well.

“So we have some big announcements that will be made on site that we can’t talk about,” he added. “But it will revolutionize the crypto space.”

Cathie Wood (right), CEO of ARK Invest, and Lakshmi Shenoy, CEO of Embarc Collective, speaking at the 2021 event.

Kyle Kemper, Chief Solutions Officer for RAZE, author and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s half-brother, will serve as the event’s keynote speaker. Kemper lives in the Sarasota area, and RAZE is a Web3 securities platform that helps companies raise capital.

Krimitsos said Kemper and Trudeau grew up together and remain close.

“He loves blockchain and the freedom it represents,” he said of Kemper. “We’re excited to hear his thoughts on RAZE, and his thoughts on the crypto space and what it represents.”

This year’s summit technically begins Nov. 3 with a Thursday night celebration of Coinflip opening a crypto center in Tampa, held at the company’s offices in Sparkman Wharf. However, FBBS Tampa Bay 2022 is still a scaled-down version of its predecessor.

Chris Krimitsos, founder of the Florida Bitcoin & Blockchain Summit. Image provided.

The price of bitcoin — and most other popular cryptocurrencies — hit all-time highs last year, which Krimitsos said caused people to jump on and off the proverbial bandwagon several times. He called it a “richer” year to participate for those looking to enter the space and grow, as the industry has condensed into the “true blue” creators.

“The real players in the room don’t care about the swings — they’re still playing,” Krimitsos emphasized. “The people who care about the swings are not dedicated to the space. They are dedicated to making a quick buck.”

Not only does he believe that a bear market is the best time for newcomers to learn and invest, but Krimitso noted organizers hold an educational session at 08.30 on 4 November, before Castor’s welcome speech.

Krimitsos said he also looks forward to hearing more about Tampa Bay’s new Web3 scene, the latest applications for NFTs and learning about new industry regulations. He said the local Web3 community is hosting a charity lunch at 11:30 a.m. to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Ian.

Fractional staking platform PoktPool has already donated $1,000 to the cause, Krimitsos said.

“I’m just really excited to lock horns with people who are really passionate about this space. And seeing people again and reuniting … because financially it’s been tough for a lot of people.”

He expects 300 to 400 people to attend the 2022 summit, about half who came to Amelie Arena last year. Despite the expected reduction in size, Krimitsos said organizers are pleasantly surprised to attract so many people during a market downturn.

“That means there’s a robust ecosystem here,” he added, “that really wants this event to thrive.”

For more information on the Florida Bitcoin & Blockchain Summit, visit the website here.