Prologue: An Intern's First Bitcoin Conference
My name is Jenna Montgomery. You might have read some of my news articles here before, or seen me on the Bitcoin Magazine TikTok. Today, I want to switch it up and give you an inside look at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas through my eyes as an intern — hired just one month before the conference, with little knowledge about Bitcoin beforehand and never attending an event like this before. This is a raw reflection of what I experienced over three days, and why I believe you should absolutely attend the next Bitcoin conference.
I got off the plane, threw my suitcase in my hotel room, and went to see the convention center as all the finishing touches were being added. The expo hall was huge, beautiful, and fun — where I would soon meet so many new people, make friends, and shake hands with people I admired. I'll never forget walking in and seeing the main conference stage, The Nakamoto Stage, for the first time. The giant room with a symphony and endless rows of chairs, soon to be filled with thousands of passionate Bitcoiners, made me realize Bitcoin 2025 wasn't just a conference — it felt like something bigger, an actual community and a place of countless opportunities.
The conference is split into three days: Industry Day, General Admission Day 1, and General Admission Day 2. Industry Day was tailored for professionals, investors, and founders focused on Bitcoin businesses. General admission days were for the casual Bitcoiner, and those were the days when I really felt the energy exploding around the convention center.
Industry Day: Bitcoin Payments and Political Signals
Walking into the expo hall early on Industry Day, I was overwhelmed by vendors setting up tables, booths, stages, and even a rock climbing wall (thank you CleanSpark). The expo hall seemed to go for miles, with a long orange carpet weaving through the venue. I looked up and saw a huge UFO hanging from the ceiling, two Bitcoin-themed Cybertrucks off to the side, a talking robot, and many interesting booths. In the art exhibit, a giant inflatable Bitcoin Puppet stood among artworks worth well over one bitcoin (over $100,000). Every good revolution has good art, and seeing talented artists pour their hearts into their work helped me believe Bitcoin is the future.
I was stationed at the Bitcoin Magazine news desk with the AV team, where I had a perfect view of everything. I spent all day every day writing news articles based on speeches and keynotes on the Nakamoto stage, and filming TikToks with attendees. Working in front of the news desk was one of my favorite things — every speaker had an electrifying personality. After each talk, the live stream would cut to the news desk for expert analysis, which was incredibly fun to watch live and experience first-hand.
The talks on Industry Day kicked off with Dan Edwards from Steak 'n Shake, the first major fast-food chain in America to accept Bitcoin Lightning payments. He revealed that "Bitcoin is faster than credit cards, and when customers choose to pay in Bitcoin, we're saving 50% in processing fees." That statistic opened my eyes to the benefits of Bitcoin as payment. I think Steak 'n Shake may start a trend of other big companies accepting Bitcoin.
Another big highlight was Senator Cynthia Lummis confirming that President Donald Trump supports her Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act. Senator Marsha Blackburn added, "Many of our allies follow what we do. If we lead, others will follow. This is vital to our economic future." Later, Donald Trump Jr. took the stage with Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski and revealed that Trump Media Group (TMTG) and Truth Social are backing Bitcoin with a $2.5 billion treasury. Trump Jr. said, "We're seriously on Bitcoin. This isn't a phase. This is foundational to the future." Chris Pavlovski agreed: "The floodgates are opening. Bitcoin isn't just an idea anymore — it's strategy." White House Executive Director Bo Hines stated, "We are well on our way to becoming the Bitcoin superpower of the world. This is not partisan. This is a revolution in our financial system." He ended: "Bitcoin is truly the golden standard. We want as much as we can possibly get."
I also attended the Women of Bitcoin Brunch. As a woman in the industry, this was the highlight of the conference for me personally. I met amazing people and was welcomed with open arms. In a beautiful ballroom with orange and pink feathers and balloons, showgirls danced, we laughed, and had an amazing time. Lyn Ulbricht (mother of Ross Ulbricht) introduced her new nonprofit "Mothers Against Cruel Sentencing" and gave an emotional speech. Calli Bailey, co-founder of BTC Inc., shared her growth story. The energy in the room was powerful — surrounded by strong women, I felt inspired and at home.
Industry Day ended on an incredible note, laying a solid foundation for the upcoming general admission days.
General Admission Day 1: Vice President and a World Record
Wednesday morning, I woke up at 4:00 AM and walked to the expo hall, already seeing Secret Service around and attendees lining up. I helped volunteer at registration for the 35,000+ attendees. Everyone knew the Vice President was in the building. When JD Vance took the Nakamoto stage, the crowd roared. "It's great to be here with Bitcoin at $108k and to be Vice President of the United States," he said. "This isn't just a conference of people. This is a movement." Vance made clear that Bitcoin is in the future of the U.S., and he is the first Vice President to ever hold Bitcoin. He added, "We're done with ambiguity. We're here to build a regulatory framework that lets Bitcoin thrive." After his speech, the energy in the expo hall was indescribable — music, DJs, refreshments, laughter, mind-blowing exhibits.
This day also featured an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most Bitcoin payments in one day. The Bitcoin Magazine store truck sold merchandise via Lightning Network, with all transactions going toward the attempt. Ryan Cohen, CEO of GameStop, confirmed a big treasury play, announcing, "We currently own 4,710 Bitcoin." He explained GameStop's reasoning for buying BTC as a reserve asset. New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced plans to create a "BitBond," accept Bitcoin for taxes, and use blockchain for birth certificate verification — a huge step for adoption. Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Mike Ho, and Matt Prusak also spoke. Eric Trump said, "Everybody wants Bitcoin. Everybody is buying Bitcoin." Prusak added, "We're stacking sats like crazy."
Toward the end of the day, the Guinness record was broken: over 4,160 Bitcoin payments in 8 hours. I participated myself and had so much fun paying in Bitcoin. I also did TikTok interviews around the expo hall, asking attendees for price predictions. That evening, I rushed back to the news desk to write about Saifedean Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard. He projected that 1 USDT might soon trade above $1 USD as Bitcoin-backed reserves outpace dollar ones, and predicted the USD era is ending, with Tether eventually redeemable directly in BTC. I left the conference feeling like a new person.
General Admission Day 2: Regulation, Mining Ambitions, and 21 Ways to Wealth
On the final day, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce kicked things off with honesty: "Regulatory uncertainty lets bad actors hide and pushes good actors out. That has to end." On memecoins she said, "If you're expecting to buy a memecoin and become a billionaire — buyer beware. Be an adult." On Bitcoin: "People deserve the ability to transfer value on their own terms. We need to protect that." Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino revealed that Tether owns over 100,000 Bitcoin and said it's "very realistic" that Tether could become the largest Bitcoin miner in the world by year-end, outpacing public mining giants. He even played with the idea of an AI agent with a non-custodial wallet holding Bitcoin and working for you. Lyn Alden presented data on the U.S. economy, showing the fiscal deficit has surged past 7% of GDP while unemployment remains low. She said, "Bitcoin is the mirror of this system — and the best protection from it."
Jack Mallers, CEO of Strike and Twenty One Capital, dropped big news: Strike is rolling out a Bitcoin-backed loan system with interest rates between 9-13%. He compared Bitcoin's volatility to Tesla and Apple, concluding, "What other asset could possibly be better than Bitcoin?" He ended with, "Life is short. Take the trip. But with Bitcoin, you just get to take a better one." Then came Michael Saylor, CEO of Strategy. His presentation was my favorite of the whole conference. He presented his "21 Ways to Wealth" in simple terms. He said, "This speech is for you. I've traveled the world and told countries, institutional investors, and even the disembodied spirits of our children's children why they need Bitcoin." His tenth point: "Just because you can do a thing doesn't mean you should. If you invest in Bitcoin, there's a 90% chance it will succeed over five years. Don't confuse ambition with accomplishment. Come up with a strategy — and stick to it."
The final speaker, Ross Ulbricht, brought the house down. After spending over a decade in prison, he spoke emotionally: "We are all on equal footing with Bitcoin." He thanked supporters: "When I was silenced, you spoke up." His call to stay united even when we disagree was powerful: "Those that oppose decentralization and freedom love it when we are divided." His story showed what's at stake and why we fight for a system no one can shut down. Ross ended the conference with love and strength.
As everyone left and booths were taken down, I stood watching. The Cybertrucks, decorations, displays all disappeared. I felt a sense of peace and satisfaction. I had written news articles, filmed TikToks, and mingled. I left Vegas the next day, not wanting to go. In the plane I thought, "I've gotta come back." At the Bitcoin conference, you meet genuine people who care about you and the future. You'll have fun, dance, laugh, and exchange hugs saying, "Same time next year?" If you are a student, intern, older, younger, rich or poor, make it a goal to attend The Bitcoin Conference. You won't regret it. You'll find your people and the truth that Bitcoin is money, and Bitcoin is the future. Join us for Bitcoin 2026.