For the second year in a row, organizers are bringing industry players and business and political leaders to Tampa for the Florida Bitcoin & Blockchain Summit.
Billed as the state’s “first blockchain and fintech-focused event in Florida,” the summit takes place on Friday, November 4 at the Holiday Inn Westshore. Like last year’s event, held at the Amalie Arena, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor will kick off a full day of programming with a welcome address.
The mayor — and the top — made national headlines last year when Castor announced she would receive part of her salary in bitcoin, the supreme cryptocurrency. The recent industry-wide downturn, explained Chris Krimitsos, founder of Florida Bitcoin & Blockchain Summit (FBBS), helped eliminate the preponderance of speculators and “pluggers” that were clouding the space.
“I’m very excited to see where everyone is at, batten down the hatches and compare notes,” Krimitsos said. “There’s been a lot of turmoil in the markets lately, and we’ve got some really cool panels, like spotting opportunities in a bear market.”
Additionally, Krimitsos relayed his anticipation of hearing the latest from Cityverse. Joe Hamilton, platform network manager (and publisher of the Catalyst), will host a 16-hour panel titled “Making the Metaverse Local.”
The Tampa Bay Rays organization recently announced that it has acquired a stake in Cityverse, and Krimistos noted that Hamilton will announce a “new major investor” at the summit.
Gabe Higgins and Rosa Shores, founders of Blockspaces, are also guest speakers at the event. Krimistos also expects to hear important news from this company.
“So we have some big announcements that will be made on the spot that we can’t talk about,” he added. “But it will revolutionize the crypto space.”
ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood (right) and Embarc Collective CEO Lakshmi Shenoy talk at the 2021 event.
Kyle Kemper, Director of Solutions for RAZE, author and half-brother of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, will be the keynote speaker at the event. 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 remained 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 stands for.”
This year’s summit technically begins on Nov. 3 with a Thursday night celebration of Coinflip’s opening of a crypto center in Tampa, held at its headquarters 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. Photo provided.
The price of bitcoin — and most other popular cryptocurrencies — hit all-time highs in the last year, which Krimitsos says has sent people on and off the proverbial bandwagon on several occasions. He called it a “richer” year for those looking to get into the space and grow, as the industry condensed to “true blue” creators.
“Real players in space don’t care about fluctuations – they’re always playing,” Krimitsos pointed out. “People who care about fluctuations aren’t dedicated to space. They are determined to make a quick buck.
Not only does he think a bear market is the best time for newcomers to learn and invest, but Krimitsos noted that organizers are hosting an educational session at 8:30 a.m. on November 4, before Castor’s welcome speech.
Krimitsos said he was also looking forward to learning more about Tampa Bay’s emerging Web3 scene, the latest applications for NFTs, and learning about new industry regulations. He said the local Web3 community is hosting a charity luncheon 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 really excited to lock shields with the people who are really passionate about this space. And seeing people again and getting together…because financially, for a lot of people, it’s been hard.
He expects 300 to 400 people to attend the 2022 summit, about half of whom came to Amelie Arena last year. Despite the planned downsizing, Krimitsos said organizers were pleasantly surprised to attract so many people during a downturn in the market.
“It 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.
