A panel exploring the benefits of Bitcoin for third sector organisations – featuring senior figures from leading British and global charities – has been announced for the UK’s first major Bitcoin conference later this month.
Save the Children, charity: water and Edinburgh Dog & Cat Home will appear at the Bitcoin Collective Conference in Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms on October 21-22, 2022 to discuss the impact of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency on charities.
Bitcoin Collective co-founder and CEO Jordan Walker said: “We’re thrilled to be welcoming some of the world’s most forward-thinking charities to the Bitcoin Collective Conference this month, to discuss how adopting Bitcoin has been beneficial to their fundraising efforts.
“There are many reasons why charities should seriously consider integrating Bitcoin into their fundraising, not least that as a decentralised digital currency each transaction is free from bank and transfer fees which eat into traditional currency donations.
“Bitcoin not only enhances fundraising, but also the distribution of aid money. Without having to wait for bank transfers, vital funds can be instantaneously provided wherever they are needed – free from delay or political influence.”
Delegates at the Bitcoin Collective Conference will hear from the charities as they explain how their operations have been bolstered by becoming early adopters of Bitcoin.
Decision makers from third sector organisations across the country will also have the opportunity to learn how to implement the foundational cryptocurrency into their own fundraising efforts.
Antonia Roupell, Web3 lead at Save the Children US, said: “Save the Children was the world’s first iNGO (international Non-Governmental Organisation) to accept a Bitcoin in 2013, to support our response to Typhoon Haiyan which devastated the Philippines.
“Since then, we have raised more than $2.5 million in Bitcoin to help fund Save the Children’s humanitarian work supporting children around the world. We now accept more than 80 cryptocurrencies and believe crypto has the potential to be a force for good and a force for financial inclusion.”
Hannah Bellamy, MD of charity: water, added: “At charity: water, we’re on a mission to bring clean water to every person on the planet, and to reinvent charity for a new generation. We make giving fun, easy and transparent. We invest 100% of the public’s donations in clean water projects and don’t spend a penny of public donations on operational costs.
“We launched the Bitcoin Water Trust so that people can have an even greater impact. All donations to the Trust are held until at least 2025. If the coins increase in value as expected, more people will receive clean water thanks to the BTC community’s generosity.”
David Mitchell, cryptocurrency and digital fundraising manager at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, said: “At Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, we’ve been fortunate to receive cryptocurrency donations from many generous blockchain projects and enthusiasts.
“Our pet food bank, which helps support 2,300 pets each month, was funded by the largest cryptocurrency donations made in Scotland. We’re big advocates of the technology and regularly speak with other charities about how to incorporate crypto into their fundraising.
“We were delighted when the Bitcoin Collective announced their conference would be on our doorstep here in Edinburgh, and we’re looking forward to taking part in this fantastic event.”
The Bitcoin Collective Conference is the UK’s first major Bitcoin event, bringing some of the world’s greatest Bitcoin advocates and thought leaders together with 750 delegates to learn and share insights into the cryptocurrency.
With many global speakers appearing for the first time in the UK, the Bitcoin Collective Conference provides the ideal opportunity for newcomers to the space and knowledgeable Bitcoiners alike to hear from leading experts through keynote speeches, panel discussions and networking opportunities. The event will also include an expansive exhibition hall.
Speakers at the inaugural conference include Adam Back, CEO and founder of Blockstream and creator of Hashcash which underlies Bitcoin’s technology; Lee Bratcher, president and founder of the Texas Blockchain Council; Natalie Brunell, host of Coin Stories and Hard Money; Bitcoin strategist and 30-year bond trader Greg Foss; and Dr Lisa Cameron MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Crypto and Digital Assets.
The Bitcoin Collective Conference powered by OKX takes place from October 21-22, 2022 at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. Tickets cost £149 and can be purchased in pounds sterling or Bitcoin from www.bitcoincollective.co.uk. Representatives from charities and third sector organisations can access discounted tickets at £50 using the code THIRD50.
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