Farewell to London Blockchain Conference 2023… see you all next year!

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Here is where the first annual London Blockchain Conference ended. While the event kicked off with the Block Dojo and BSV Blockchain Association’s Spring Party and its anticipatory vibe, the official after-party at TheTwentyTwo Hotel in Mayfair was a collection of relieved pats on the back and celebration of the event’s success… and a reminder that this is just the beginning of something big and world-changing.

The atmosphere was more subdued than the raucous after-parties that ended CoinGeek conferences in the past – that is, from what I could gather from watching them on video, since I’ve been stuck in Japan for most of the last three years. TheTwentyTwo’s underground private club room was an ideal place to shake off all the stress of a hectic three-day work event in London, with a pre-WWII atmosphere amid plenty of velvet and solid wooden fixtures. The night’s music was a collection of contemporary songs done in a lounge/cabaret style. Some wanted to dance, and others preferred to relax, and no one was out of place.

Highlights from the party, with all the best bits from the organizers’ speeches, are here. Were you there and want to relive it, or wish you were? Then watch the video above and start planning your trip to London this time next year.

Thanking everyone for all their hard work and dedication to the BSV blockchain was conference organizer (and CoinGeek owner) Calvin Ayre:

“I want to thank everyone who is at this event today, contributing in one way or another to what I believe is the biggest and best utility blockchain event the world has ever seen, and I can say that with confidence because I believe we are the only ones really producing a true utility blockchain event.”

All told, 2023’s London Blockchain conference was “a good window into what’s going to happen going forward,” he said. “This is the seed that will allow us to create a monster event next year, and also to educate people throughout the year.”

Other speeches shot straight to the hearts and emotions of the party-goers. nChain Executive Chairman Stefan Matthews went there first by saying:

“It’s all about love. And you know, I thought: it really is. You can extrapolate that however you want. We have an incredible family of people and the event that we just witnessed didn’t just happen (by itself It happened because there was an enormous amount of love, care and commitment.”

Dr. Craig S. Wright, without whom most in the room would never have met, acknowledged the team effort Bitcoin has become:

“I’ve been angry for a long time and I’m told I should be humble. And I really should. I should be because I have wonderful people in my life. They… everyone here who wants to build what I want to build. Who wants the dream I want. Most people never make a change, ever, or have a chance to make a change. But you do it for me. I’ve decided that it’s actually a wonderful, wonderful thing.”

Concluding the thanks was the CEO of nChain and the Norwegian ball of enthusiasm Christian Ager-Hanssen, who despite being a (relative) later converted to the BSV blockchain, made up for it with a rousing rallying cry:

“First I have to admit that I was completely wrong. Why? I have to admit that I’m not really a big fan of conferences. But I was wrong. Calvin insisted that we create the number one blockchain conference in the world. In London. And make a scene. And we will do it year after year. I must say that I am overwhelmed by what you have achieved.”

However, he noted that he disagreed with Stefan. In perhaps the evening’s most emphatic after-party speech, he said: “You talk about love. We are at war! This is not about love – we believe in social impact, we want to change the world and we will! It is a war, but no one can understand it.”

“I have a mission!” he shouted, adding that it’s all our mission to touch everyone’s life with this unique technology – but first we have to get through the war, to reach the peace and love.”

It was also great to see some of the conference’s special guests at the party too, including Peter Schiff. This was kind of a surprise to me, so I made sure to get some souvenir photos to impress my economist friends on Facebook.

Alas, we’re not all party pundits like Calvin Ayre, Craig Wright or Brett Banfe, and by midnight my old legs informed me they wouldn’t guarantee support (reporters don’t get much of a chance to sit down at conferences). So I took a cab back to the hotel, and let others drink and dance the rest of the night.

The next morning was all about packing up and heading to Heathrow, feeling pretty good about going home, and looking forward to doing it all again next year… only bigger and better.

See: London Blockchain Conference 2023 Highlights

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