The Bitcoin 2022 conference started with a muffled bang. On the one hand, it generated several headlines and got people talking. On the other, the valuable content wasn’t there. And they mentioned “crypto” way too often in those first-day talks. The event is supposed to be a Bitcoin-only conference. And, while it was live and the organizers can’t control everything that happens on stage, it was too much.

Deemed “Industry Day,” the first batch of talks weren’t available for the general public. Only Industry and Whale Pass holders could attend. Everybody could stream it, though, and we immediately saw the improvements in that area. There’s a news desk with rotating industry experts that offer commentary on every talk. The news desk serves as a connector and helps with the general TV-like montage of the show.

On the Nakamoto Stage, podcaster Stephan Livera served as the general host, presenting every person that participated. The livestream averaged 3000 viewers for most of the day. Besides that main stage, there was a Mining Stage and an Open Source Stage. The first one was streamed and the second wasn’t, but the video is already up on YouTube. Since everything was simultaneous, this article will only cover what happened on the Nakamoto Stage. 

Besides the heavy presence of the word “crypto,” another heavily promoted idea was “stablecoins over the Lightning Network.” It seemed to appear in every panel, regardless of the topic it was supposed to be about. It was suspicious. The day before, Lightning Labs announced their Taro proposal. which seeks to accomplish just that. The Lightning Labs PR team got Taro into every news outlet, but, could they also affect a whole conference with hundreds of individual participants? 

BTC price chart on Bitbay | Source: BTC/USD on TradingView.com

Biggest News From Bitcoin 2022’s First Day

• The headline of the day is that President Bukele canceled his keynote speech. “I have just made the hard decision of canceling my participation in the conference due to unforeseen circumstances in my home country that require my full time presence as President of a Nation,” Bukele said in a letter. “We stand in solidarity with the Salvadorian people during these difficult times,” the Bitcoin 2022 official account responded.
• The NFL team Tennessee Titans will now accept bitcoin for certain transactions. At first, they will sell season tickets, rent suites, or even receive payment for sponsorships in BTC. It’s possible that in the future all small transactions in the stadium will be bitcoin-powered. Bitcoin Magazine assisted them in the endeavor.
• Miami Mayor Francis Suarez kick-started the conference by saying “the next president of the United States has to be a pro-Bitcoin candidate,” and that the USA needs to “integrate bitcoin into every aspect of our society.” He also unveiled the now world-famous Miami bull:
• With a controversial keynote that called for regulation, Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary “predicted that Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies will become the 12 sectors in the S&P 500.” For an in-depth look, check out the Bitcoinist article about his presentation. 
• The art exhibit looks phenomenal. Check this small sample out:

Tweeting about the subject, artist Brekkie declared “The Bitcoin Renaissance is HERE.”

More Bitcoin 2022 To Come

There’s much more Bitcoin 2022 coverage coming. Our editor Tony Spilotro is on the grounds, taking everything in. And we’re watching the livestream closely, waiting for the news to report. Also, as we did last year, we’ll link and comment on selected panels, keynotes, and talks.

Keep your eyes on Bitcoinist for the play-by-play narration and posterior analysis.