With 25,000 attendees, Bitcoin 2022 started off with a bang in sunny Miami Beach. Still a majority of young men, this year’s convention saw a sharp increase in female and older participants. The conference included those who were new investors, as well as those who have long worked in the financial sector and, more generally, in fintech.
“From the reports I’ve seen, the big news coming out of this conference is the breadth of support for Bitcoin… people from all walks of life are converging around the idea that a universal, decentralized currency is a necessity of the 21st century,” said Richard Gardner, CEO of Modulus, a US-based developer of ultra-high-performance trading and surveillance technology that powers global equities, derivatives, and digital asset exchanges.
“I think when people see government converge with Big Tech to effectively shut down donations surrounding the trucker protest in Canada — regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, it is easy to think… ‘Gee, if they can do it to them, they can do it to me, too,’” said Gardner.
“Cryptocurrencies offer something that works outside of the traditional system. It gives power to the individual rather than a governing body. Beyond that, in a topsy-turvy economic and political climate, folks are looking for ways to diversify their portfolios. Cryptocurrencies have become a political football, in some ways, but their strategic value transcends any one political party or ideology,” noted Gardner.
Modulus is known throughout the financial technology segment as a leader in the development of ultra-high frequency trading systems and blockchain technologies. Modulus has provided its exchange solution to some of the industry’s most profitable digital asset exchanges, including a well-known multi-billion-dollar cryptocurrency exchange. Over the past twenty years, the company has built technology for the world’s most notable institutions, with a client list which includes NASA, NASDAQ, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Barclays, Siemens, Shell, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Cornell University, and the University of Chicago.
According to a Fox Business report, one attendee said bitcoin is about “democratizing money as we know it” and “removing power from central banks,” especially where necessary to flout authoritarian leaders and when fiat currencies are experiencing high inflation.
“I think, symbolically, one of the great things to come out of this conference is the diversity of opinion and worldview that was able to come together to support Bitcoin. Politically, speakers included Wyoming Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis, as well as Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Then there were thought leaders like University of Toronto professor and clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson, as well as sports figures like Aaron Rodgers and OBJ. It is clear that digital assets are a big tent movement,” said Gardner.