Bitcoin 2025 Draws 35,000 Attendees, Showcases Mainstream Adoption

Bitcoin 2025, held from May 27-29, 2025, at the Venetian Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, marked a significant milestone as the largest Bitcoin conference to date, attracting 35,000 attendees. This event highlighted Bitcoin’s transition from a niche interest to a mainstream financial phenomenon, drawing a diverse array of speakers including Vice President JD Vance, White House Crypto Czar David Sacks, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor, UK Reform Party leader Nigel Farage, and Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was recently pardoned. Their presence underscored the growing political, economic, and cultural significance of Bitcoin.

The conference was marked by several major announcements that signaled Bitcoin’s increasing integration into the global financial system. GameStop announced its purchase of Bitcoin for its corporate treasury, while Pakistan expressed its intent to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. New York City Mayor Eric Adams unveiled plans to launch “BitBonds” backed by Bitcoin, and Trump Media & Technology Group raised $2.5 billion to acquire Bitcoin. Additionally, Tether announced the launch of a Bitcoin mining operation. These developments underscored Bitcoin’s shift from a speculative asset to a strategic cornerstone for corporations, governments, and municipalities.

Arthur Hayes, the former CEO of BitMEX and founder of Maelstrom, reiterated his prediction that Bitcoin could hit $1 million by 2028, driven by unrelenting global liquidity. Hayes argued that the Federal Reserve’s steady interest rates do not signal an end to loose monetary policy, pointing to the U.S. government’s fiscal challenges, including mounting debt and efforts to reduce trade deficits, which he believes will force capital controls and push foreign capital out of U.S. markets. He expects the government to inject liquidity through unconventional means, such as increasing the balance sheets of Fannie and Freddie and allowing banks to buy U.S. Treasury bonds with “infinite leverage.” Hayes’ thesis hinges on liquidity as the primary driver of risk assets like Bitcoin, cautioning that simplistic metrics like M2 money supply do not capture the nuanced ways governments create credit.

Grant Cardone, a real estate tycoon, author, and educator, brought a pragmatic yet visionary perspective to Bitcoin 2025. His journey with Bitcoin began in 2013 when he accepted 100 BTC as payment for a speaking gig, which is now worth over $10 million. Cardone’s advice for onboarding newcomers is to give them a bit of Bitcoin and provide regular updates, believing that skin in the game is the best way to draw people into the Bitcoin ecosystem. He shared a poignant regret: had he converted his real estate cash flows to Bitcoin years ago, they’d be worth $3.2 billion today. This realization led him to create funds that blend institutional-quality real estate with Bitcoin holdings, aiming for a 50-50 split by year four. Cardone cautioned against over-leveraging Bitcoin, warning that institutions could exploit over-leveraged investors through margin calls. He also envisioned a “Fannie Bit” model that combines long-term mortgages with Bitcoin’s liquidity and real estate’s illiquidity for a “perfect marriage” of assets.

Dan Tapiero, founder of 10T Holdings and 1RoundTable Partners, offered an institutional perspective, viewing Bitcoin as a macro asset akin to gold. Tapiero pinpointed summer 2023 as a turning point when BlackRock’s Larry Fink reversed his skepticism and embraced Bitcoin, culminating in the January 2024 ETF launch—the most successful in history. Tapiero’s funds, managing $1.5 billion, invest in growth-stage crypto companies like eToro, Deribit, and Circle. He believes that Bitcoin’s appeal as a “venture asset” is more common than a currency or gold substitute, predicting that initial exposure often snowballs into broader exploration of the digital asset ecosystem. Tapiero also addressed institutional adoption, noting that many traditional investors still don’t own gold due to its lack of yield, making Bitcoin’s appeal as a “venture asset” more common than a currency or gold substitute. He’s optimistic about the space’s growth, with over 120 companies valued above $400 million and another 100 between $100-400 million, offering ample opportunities for his growth-stage investment strategy.

Bitcoin 2025 was a testament to the asset’s evolution from a cypherpunk dream to a geopolitical and financial force. Hayes sees it riding a wave of global liquidity, Cardone envisions it as a complement to traditional assets, and Tapiero views it as a macro staple fueling a broader ecosystem. Their insights reflect Bitcoin’s multifaceted appeal: a hedge against fiat debasement, a portfolio diversifier, and a foundation for institutional involvement. With governments, corporations, and municipalities now embracing Bitcoin, the conference underscored a reality: Bitcoin isn’t just here to stay, it’s reshaping the future of finance.