The Network Effect of Bitcoin Education
Speakers/Moderators
Matt Mosich
Matt Mosich
But there was one thing I couldn't shake.
I started lifting at 8. Deep in Reddit nutrition forums by 13. Favorite movie was Pumping Iron. What does that teach you?
The long game.
But everywhere I looked, everyone played the now game. Ate, trained, spent like it. I couldn't understand it. And I didn't have a good answer for why everyone was wired different – until Bitcoin gave me one.
I lost my shirt in 2021. But instead of licking my wounds, I decided to learn more. And yes, I became obsessed. First with the possibility. Then with a question:
If we had a money that incentivized people to save instead of spend – how would that change how they live?
It was like everything I'd ever questioned might finally make sense. And I've been on a mission to contribute to that solution since – in the way I know best.
Speaking.
Too many smart people aren't seen as such. Their ideas never get considered because they can't get a room to believe in them. I've spent the last two years working to change that – coaching executives and founders to communicate under pressure, helping them show up on stage the way their ideas deserve. I've worked with Bitcoin main stage speakers on their preparation, helped clients moderate panels alongside some of the biggest names in the space, and prepared executives for interviews on the floor of the NYSE.
The Bitcoin community gave me a mission. This is how I give back.
Session
Overview
The Network Effect of Bitcoin Education brought together Matt Mosich with Larry Spraker, Zach Wischler, Gabriel Kurman, and Jimmy Kostro to discuss how Bitcoin education spreads through local communities, circular economies, meetups, and hands-on onboarding.
The conversation focused on meeting people where they are, whether they are investors, young savers, merchants, or people living under unstable financial systems. Speakers emphasized that effective Bitcoin education depends on understanding each person’s motivation before introducing broader ideas like self custody, sovereignty, and freedom money.
Panelists shared examples from BTC Isla, Denver, Argentina, Southeast Asia, Guatemala, and Peru, showing how Bitcoin education can support merchants, refugees, local leaders, environmental projects, and communities with limited access to reliable financial infrastructure.
A central theme was the network effect of education: one person learning Bitcoin can become an educator for others. The panel encouraged Bitcoiners to help grow that network by teaching practical skills, supporting circular economies, and inspiring new educators.
Good morning, day winners.
On November 10, 2022, something happened that many said caused a collapse. It also happened to be the same day that I attended my first Bitcoin conference. That morning I woke up, saw the news, and was a little bit shocked. I was wondering how the conference would be, but it seemed like I had this big sign on my face because nobody cared. I might have heard the word FTX three times. It was incredible.
That day, something magical happened for me. My conviction was forever sealed because I saw what was going on in the community. But if I had been at home, would that have happened? I don’t know. If I hadn’t been around all of you, would I be here? I don’t know.
Especially with the people we have here, they are creating those communities. They are educating people. They are helping people understand what Bitcoin really is. That’s what I’m excited to be here to say, and they’ll have an opportunity to share this with all of you.
To my right is Larry Spraker. Larry spent 40 years working in technology, with 20 years at the university level educating people before he retired to go all in on Bitcoin education, spending his time between New York and BTC Isla, a Bitcoin circular economy, where he teaches topics like Bitcoin 101.
To his right is Zach Wischler. Zach works at Casa. He created the Denver Bitcoin meetup, growing it from one to 60 members. He created the nonprofit Hub of Space and recently released a book called The Bitcoin Tao, 81 Verses on Bitcoin and Time.
To his right is Gabriel Kurman. Gabriel is an Argentine economist focused on Bitcoin as a social and economic development tool. He helped create the Bitcoin sidechain Rootstock. He also founded La Bitcoineta, a Bitcoin education vehicle that goes around. He also created the Institute for Bitcoin, Bitcoin in Comics, and Bitcoin for Humanity. He recently released the book Bitcoin Circular Economies.
And finally, Jimmy built the Bitcoin Chiang Mai center in Northern Thailand, with 500 members, the largest Bitcoin community in Asia. He works with Bitcoin communities across 11 countries, building relationships with universities and local governments, and hosts events that introduce people to Bitcoin who otherwise would not get exposure.
I’m Matt Mosich. I’m an executive communications coach helping Bitcoiners bring their message to the world.
I really wanted to give these people an opportunity because Bitcoin education is something we’ve all done. We’ve all had our successes. We’ve had our frustrations. But it’s meaningful work. I wanted to give each of these men an opportunity to say what drives them to do what they do. Larry, let’s begin with you.
I think I’ll start with a personal story. I have three grown children who are in their mid to upper 20s. To see the financial reality they’re growing up in compared to what I was doing when I was 20 is striking. I had an opportunity to buy a house in my late 20s. That is not the case for my kids. That’s sort of a first world problem.
What you’re going to hear from everybody up here is so much different. When I’m down at BTC Isla, I’m dealing with merchants where the money is not the world reserve currency we have the luxury of using in the U.S. They’re working for very modest wages. Many of them don’t have bank accounts. They may be running a taco stand on the street corner. For them, having better money is super important.
Then you get into other things that Jimmy and others are going to talk about beyond circular economies, where Bitcoin is truly money, freedom, and sovereignty. In an oppressed nation, you’re going to hear more about that. That is where the mission is.
What drives me is that I think the goal of fix the money, fix the world is more of a mission statement for me. We have to fix the money. What does that look like? It is getting Bitcoin to a Bitcoin standard, hyperbitcoinization, using money as a medium of exchange. What we have to do to get there is education.
So I challenge everybody to go out and educate, and not just educate, but inspire others to grow this network of educators. That’s how we get critical mass and get Bitcoin out there in a bigger way.
Good morning, everyone. Thank you for making it to the first panel of the day. Here are the committed Bitcoiners.
I think the fundamental drive is the belief I have that fixing money can fix the world. Before I was a Bitcoiner, I was a financial planner. I saw in real time over the years how inflationary effects keep people in the hamster wheel and perpetuate this cycle of work, work, work.
A big part of that is understanding that money is actually just a tool. The real thing that is purposeful is our time on Earth and the relationships we have in our families and communities. That’s exactly why we started Space in Denver.
As Matt put it, Denver went from one person all the way to, I think, 60-plus people at one of our largest meetups. It’s amazing that when you take that approach and make the point about the people, it is a lot stickier and people get it a lot quicker. It’s not about making money. It’s about giving yourself a better life for you, your family, and your community.
If we latch on to that, we can take this much further than just the rate of return and the compound annual growth rate that we all love.
I completely agree. I think this panel, and the work that Larry and Jimmy are doing, and what all the other Bitcoin circular economies do every day, is what makes Bitcoin different from fiat. If we just care about the speculative aspect of it, then we’re just the same thing with a different technology.
I grew up in Argentina. I’ve seen firsthand the problems and poverty that fiat creates. You feel a sense of responsibility when you know how much Bitcoin can transform these communities. If we can accelerate the adoption of sats across the Global South and the places that need it most, it will transform the world over the next 100 years.
Some people ask me whether Bitcoin is too concentrated. This is why we are helping Bitcoin circular economies, to make sure those who need it the most get as many sats as possible.
For many years, we’ve been thinking with different friends and builders about how we can make this available through education and technology. This is the reason we created Rootstock, to make sure that microfinance solutions can be built into Bitcoin infrastructure, and to make sure that people who might not be as technically savvy as we are can be protected and secure. Bitcoin infrastructure is the only one that can provide that.
That is the same passion that made us create La Bitcoineta, this fleet of educational vehicles that you’ll see here at the conference. There are 13 around the world. It is a decentralized project where we say, let’s take Bitcoin education to every corner of the world.
When we discovered the circular economies, we saw the incredible work that people are doing. It is not getting too much coverage. Bitcoiners probably here at this conference don’t even know they exist. I’m certain they are some of the most important projects in the world right now in the ecosystem.
This is how we can help give them more visibility and make sure these heroes inspire others. I really believe Bitcoin circular economies are kind of an oddity now, but this is how the world will look in a couple of decades.
We decided to write this book with their stories. The hope these stories gave me, and the purpose in life, is priceless. You see, as Larry was saying, that it can very quickly change when you fix the money. There is an immediate reduction in time preference, and so many non-monetary things change in these communities. They start caring about each other. They don’t want to migrate anymore. They want to take care of their nature.
It is super inspiring. I think it is very important to invite all of you not only to learn more about these projects, but also to visit them and spend there. These leaders spend so much time educating local merchants to accept Bitcoin. When you go there and buy with sats, it is the best way to support them. Let’s all go and visit the circular economies they are building.
Thank you, Matt, for the last few weeks really getting to know the work that we’re all doing. You took a lot of time to spend with each of us, and I really admire that about you. Thank you very much. It means a lot.
My name is Jimmy Kostro. We built one of the most active Bitcoin hubs in the world, certainly the most active one in Asia. We have 500 members. Our building only holds 100 people, so we meet people on Thursday, 50 to 75 people, about 100 Thai people on Saturday, and about 100 international people on Sunday. It’s totally awesome.
We reach out to 3,000 people each day with our Bitcoin education. We have a full staff of seven people and a co-founder of Bitcoin Chiang Mai.
When I think about what’s driving me, we live in a border region. I live 85 miles from Burma, 100 miles from Laos, and 100 miles from China. A lot of Burmese students come to us regularly, and their stories are heartbreaking. They escaped a war. Right now there is a civil war. It started in 2021.
They come to Thailand or other regions with their money, and they can’t go to the exchange you’re familiar with at the airport because they don’t want it. Imagine the loss of dignity. They’re also losing 20% to 25% of the value of their currency every single year. Imagine that.
They were just telling us this month at the university, because we work with universities and local government, that right now one student’s village is set on fire.
I was just telling the guys backstage, if we were to put on translation devices and take 100 random Laotian and Burmese people and put them in that Nakamoto room, they would think we were like Neanderthals. They would think we were cavemen, because to them, it’s money. They need to be able to get their money from one place to another, and they can’t. In fact, if they try to speak up about this, their family gets punished.
This inspires me. I don’t think it is necessarily my driver. My driver is that I know we have the solution. You know the location and the problem. Since I know the solution, and I have the capacity to help a region, to help Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma, Laos, Southern China, and Thailand, I believe that is a life worth living. That is the very best use of my time. I wake up every morning burning to help millions of people.
Well done. Jimmy, thank you for what you said. It has really been a pleasure to get to know these men. The reason is that 17 months ago, I became a dad. I was aware that it was going to be the hardest, best thing I’ve ever done, but I didn’t understand it until I lived it.
These men live the themes and ideas that we hear in the Bitcoin space. They see them firsthand. I’d love to throw it back to you guys to talk about the real moments you’re seeing, the hope and inspiration you’re able to push through to people, and the surprises you’re seeing. Jimmy, I’m going to pass it back to you.
Sure. In Burma, if you want to get money from the bank, the line might be 500 people long. Then you can only get $300. That’s all you can get out of your account. But if something else happens, at number 225 they cut you off and say, sorry, the bank can’t give you any more money today. This is devastating.
We see such crazy things in our region. It is almost hard to keep it all together when you hear these stories. I am surprised by many things. I’ve lived there for five years now. The strength of the native Thai Bitcoiners is remarkable. They work so hard, consistently educating people. They don’t give up, regardless of the circumstances.
I’m surprised by corporate social responsibility, where companies donate to things and Bitcoin education gets next to zero. I’m surprised by the massive opportunity in Southeast Asia for anyone to go and do this. It is less than a tenth of a percent of what you see in America. You could go to Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, or Vietnam. If you work remotely, you can save more sats and have a tremendous impact just because you showed up and you’re giving these people hope.
I’m surprised by many things, and I’m emotionally grateful for the opportunity to talk about it and let you know what’s really going on out there.
I’ll follow on the surprises. I’ll share two quick stories of things that surprised me when learning about Bitcoin circular economies.
One is Lake Bitcoin in Guatemala. They had a huge problem with pollution of the lake because people were throwing cooking oil on the ground. During the rainy season, all the oil was going into the lake. Elazar, who is leading the community there, decided to start filtering the oil. He transformed a diesel engine into a generator producing electricity and started mining Bitcoin.
Many of the problems we see in the current world are very much related to inflation and the problems of fiat without us realizing it. As soon as he could align the economic incentives with the ecological incentives, the whole community gathered together to collect oil, produce energy, and mine Bitcoin.
The other example that blew my mind was learning that in Peru, Motiv Peru, which is one of the most important circular economies in Latin America, was teaching Lightning technology in Quechua. You have these women who don’t speak English and don’t speak Spanish, which is the language in Peru. They were using Lightning in an English-denominated wallet. They didn’t even understand what the buttons said. They just knew which buttons to touch.
I asked, how do you teach them? They said, well, we just bought stuff from them. It goes from practice, and then they are interested in learning the theory behind it. It is incredible to see the creativity these educators have to take this technology to the people who need it the most.
Larry, we talked a lot about this specifically with you, about really understanding people’s why. Would you spend a moment and talk to us about meeting people where they are?
One of the big things I believe in is that when you’re educating people, there is a difference between educating normies, people who aren’t curious enough about Bitcoin yet, and people who are already involved and maybe interested in reading a book or taking a course. There are different whys. We have to avoid resistance early on and navigate their why.
We talk about freedom money. We talk about all the things we’re going through up here. But that’s our why. Fix the money, fix the world — that’s our why.
I’ll give you four quick examples. When I’m talking to people in my age group, Gen Xers and boomers, their why is, why should I invest a portion of my portfolio into this new asset you’re describing to me? For those people, we immediately talk about it being the best-performing asset in the last decade. We talk about the compound annual growth rate. We don’t start with freedom money. We want to get there, and we’ll ultimately take them there, but we initially start with facts they can’t push back on. Then maybe they ask a couple questions.
The next level is perhaps my kids, or anybody who is Gen Z or millennial and in their 20s or 30s. For them, it’s not investing out of a portfolio they’ve built over decades. It’s, hey Dad, how do I save? How do I use Bitcoin as a savings technology? We talk about that. We can talk about interest rates. We can talk about inflation. We can take them down the freedom money route a little quicker.
Then we go to our BTC Isla merchants. When I’m onboarding a merchant, their why is, why should I accept this as a form of payment, and what does it mean for me? It’s, well, you don’t pay a 3% credit card fee. It’s digital. It’s instant. And by the way, we’re going to drive Bitcoiners to your store or place of business and help bring you more business and help market it.
The final one gets back to the other point. When you are dealing with people like Jimmy is talking about, people in an oppressed nation, now the why is that this is truly freedom money. This is money you can save and discreetly put away. Maybe that’s your escape route. Maybe that’s how you opt out. It could also be a domestic violence victim, where this is the only way for them to put money away and get out of a situation.
The moral of the story is that when you’re educating people and orange-pilling them, think about meeting them where they are. What is their why? Lead with that and make your way to freedom money later.
Well said.
Zach, I wanted to ask you because on our call you were really passionate about how today there are many ways to get Bitcoin exposure, and how education really involves a shift, not just about what people think Bitcoin is, but what Bitcoin really is. I’d love to give you an opportunity to talk about that, because I think it’s a really important topic as we’re moving into this new world.
Coming from a traditional finance background, I came into Bitcoin for peer-to-peer permissionless money. Seeing it come full circle right back to custodial wrappers and all of these proxy exposure vehicles has made me question where we are missing it.
Like Larry said, part of it is that we’re quite fortunate in America to have all of these financial institutions, regulation, and the ability to structure financial products that you can put in your IRA. But all that said, it doesn’t quite solve the same problem. It may help you with inflation resistance, but it doesn’t give you the peer-to-peer permissionless money aspect.
A little anecdote about why I care so much about that is that in 2020, my bank account was frozen. I was actually already learning about Bitcoin, so talk about the right place at the right time. I had to pay rent during COVID, and I was asking, how do I do this? How could Chase Bank do this?
It was quite a process to get it unlocked. I swore that if I’m dedicating my finite life every day working for these infinite fiat tokens, and then I’m so willingly putting that out there for someone else to take from me, I don’t truly have sovereignty over the most valuable thing in my life, which is my time. That is the true finite asset, and you can never get more of it.
Over the years, I’ve seen the same mistakes happen. Name an exchange that has collapsed. There are dozens over the last few cycles, probably way more than dozens; I’m just not aware of all of them. You learn these lessons over time. We don’t have forever, and it is heartbreaking to see people go through preventable lessons from exchange collapses, buying products they don’t quite understand, or not understanding the risks involved.
Bitcoin has enough risks. There are so many unknowns, just like our world today. Who knows what’s happening with AI? The world is changing faster than it ever has. Adding risks on top of risks, with cloudiness over what you’re actually buying, is sort of antithetical to the point. The whole point in the very first part of the white paper was peer-to-peer permissionless cash. When you are not holding Bitcoin in a wallet, you can’t send it peer to peer, and it’s definitely not permissionless.
We really focus on the root principles of why Bitcoin was created. I think that is where you really start to unlock a lot of what Jimmy is saying. We are so fortunate in America to have the property rights we have, but we also have to take a step back and realize America is just a small part of the global economy. When you look at the global population, it is even much smaller than that.
What is so amazing about Bitcoin is that it is the same rules and the same values worldwide. It doesn’t matter where you live. It doesn’t matter your race, religion, net worth, or experience. It offers that promise and value to all who hold it on their own.
I think it’s important to go back to the basics and study why Bitcoin was created. It’s not a stock, although we are fortunate to have an easy way to get access to it if you really need it. The real value comes from using Bitcoin how it was intended.
Well said. We have time for one more question, one more example, one more story. This panel is about the network effect. Sometimes as Bitcoiners and Bitcoin educators, the tricky question is, what is really the impact of the one person, two people, or three people I can influence?
What I’ve heard from talking to these men is that they have seen that impact happen. They are seeing people educating people, and it really happens. I think you had a really good story on our call where you saw something like that happen. Could you share that with the crowd?
Real quickly, we recently did a Bitcoin 101 retreat on the island at BTC Isla. When we got done, we had a group chat, and I immediately got a video of one of my students onboarding a friend back home. They said, you lit a fire under us. We went home, made a plan the whole way home, and here I am setting up my friend with a wallet. I sent them the first sats. They’re now a Bitcoiner.
That is the ultimate inspiration you can have. I would challenge everybody that, in addition to educating, try to inspire others to become educators. That absolutely warmed my heart, and it was the perfect way to wrap up that weekend.
This is just the tip of what these men have to offer. Please come find them and talk to us. There is so much great work they are doing, and I’m inspired myself to be sitting here with them. Thank you all for being in attendance. It’s been lovely. Make it a great day.
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Bitcoin Adoption: From First Use to Everyday Reality
Speakers/Moderators
Brianna Honkawa d'Estries
Brianna Honkawa d'Estries
Brianna works with D++ on Bitcoin education through games, bringing hands-on Bitcoin experiences to people around the world. Together they are bringing that mission to Bitcoin Conference with a Mario Kart 64++ activation where players earn Bitcoin instantly to their Lightning wallet just by playing.
Brianna came to Bitcoin through its human rights potential and has stayed committed to that mission - getting more women, marginalized communities, and people from the places where Bitcoin is needed most into the industry as builders.
Isabella Santos
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She is the creator of BTC Isla, a real-world experiment proving that Bitcoin adoption must be bottom-up — not top-down. Through merchant onboarding, education programs, a Bitcoin Café, and on-the-ground storytelling, she documents what it actually looks like to build a parallel economy from scratch.
Isabella is also the co-founder of Get Based, a media company producing high-impact Bitcoin content and short-form tutorials for sovereign brands. Her work blends investigative storytelling, street interviews, and narrative-driven documentaries designed to wake people up from the fiat system.
Her focus isn’t price.
It’s sovereignty.
She believes Bitcoin is:
• a tool for saving human time and energy
• a hedge against systemic fragility
• a foundation for parallel systems
• and a bridge to healthier, freer communities
On Isla Mujeres, she has helped onboard dozens of merchants, organized Bitcoin meetups and retreats, and built a local ecosystem where people can earn, save, and spend in sats.
Her mission:
Prove that Bitcoin works — not on paper, but in real life.
Check Your Financial Privilege and Hidden Repression / The Bitcoin Tao
Alex Gladstein
Alex Gladstein
Check Your Financial Privilege and Hidden Repression / The Bitcoin Tao
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Alex Gladstein
Alex Gladstein
The Network Effect of Bitcoin Education
Matt Mosich
Matt Mosich
But there was one thing I couldn't shake.
I started lifting at 8. Deep in Reddit nutrition forums by 13. Favorite movie was Pumping Iron. What does that teach you?
The long game.
But everywhere I looked, everyone played the now game. Ate, trained, spent like it. I couldn't understand it. And I didn't have a good answer for why everyone was wired different – until Bitcoin gave me one.
I lost my shirt in 2021. But instead of licking my wounds, I decided to learn more. And yes, I became obsessed. First with the possibility. Then with a question:
If we had a money that incentivized people to save instead of spend – how would that change how they live?
It was like everything I'd ever questioned might finally make sense. And I've been on a mission to contribute to that solution since – in the way I know best.
Speaking.
Too many smart people aren't seen as such. Their ideas never get considered because they can't get a room to believe in them. I've spent the last two years working to change that – coaching executives and founders to communicate under pressure, helping them show up on stage the way their ideas deserve. I've worked with Bitcoin main stage speakers on their preparation, helped clients moderate panels alongside some of the biggest names in the space, and prepared executives for interviews on the floor of the NYSE.
The Bitcoin community gave me a mission. This is how I give back.
The Network Effect of Bitcoin Education
Speakers/Moderators
Matt Mosich
Matt Mosich
But there was one thing I couldn't shake.
I started lifting at 8. Deep in Reddit nutrition forums by 13. Favorite movie was Pumping Iron. What does that teach you?
The long game.
But everywhere I looked, everyone played the now game. Ate, trained, spent like it. I couldn't understand it. And I didn't have a good answer for why everyone was wired different – until Bitcoin gave me one.
I lost my shirt in 2021. But instead of licking my wounds, I decided to learn more. And yes, I became obsessed. First with the possibility. Then with a question:
If we had a money that incentivized people to save instead of spend – how would that change how they live?
It was like everything I'd ever questioned might finally make sense. And I've been on a mission to contribute to that solution since – in the way I know best.
Speaking.
Too many smart people aren't seen as such. Their ideas never get considered because they can't get a room to believe in them. I've spent the last two years working to change that – coaching executives and founders to communicate under pressure, helping them show up on stage the way their ideas deserve. I've worked with Bitcoin main stage speakers on their preparation, helped clients moderate panels alongside some of the biggest names in the space, and prepared executives for interviews on the floor of the NYSE.
The Bitcoin community gave me a mission. This is how I give back.
Cryptosovereignty / Bitcoin Circular Economies
Erik Cason
Erik Cason
Cryptosovereignty / Bitcoin Circular Economies
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Erik Cason
Erik Cason
Other
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Michael Saylor
Michael Saylor
Todd Blanche
Todd Blanche
Biography of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche
The Honorable Todd Blanche is the 40th Deputy Attorney General of the United States, overseeing the work of the 115,000 dedicated employees who fulfill the Department of Justice’s mission at Main Justice, the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals, ATF, and 93 U.S. Attorney’s Offices.
Todd began his career at the Department where he served for over fifteen years in a variety of capacities, including as a contractor, a paralegal in the Criminal Division, and at the United States Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York where he eventually became an AUSA and later a supervisor.
After leaving the Department, Todd worked as a criminal defense attorney that included representing President Donald Trump in three of the criminal cases brought against him in 2023 and 2024.
Following President Trump’s historic return to the White House, the President appointed Todd to work alongside Attorney General Pam Bondi to make America safe again. At the DOJ, Todd is working tirelessly to implement President Trump’s priorities that include confronting illegal protecting American businesses from fraud.
Todd has been married to his wonderful wife Kristine for nearly thirty years, is a father and grandfather.
Paul Atkins
Paul Atkins
Prior to returning to the SEC, Chairman Atkins was most recently chief executive of Patomak Global Partners, a company he founded in 2009. Chairman Atkins helped lead efforts to develop best practices for the digital asset sector. He served as an independent director and non-executive chairman of the board of BATS Global Markets, Inc. from 2012 to 2015.
Chairman Atkins was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as a Commissioner of the SEC from 2002 to 2008. During his tenure, he advocated for transparency, consistency, and the use of cost-benefit analysis at the agency. Chairman Atkins also represented the SEC at meetings of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets and the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Economic Council. From 2009 to 2010, he was appointed a member of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Before serving as an SEC Commissioner, Chairman Atkins was a consultant on securities and investment management industry matters, especially regarding issues of strategy, regulatory compliance, risk management, new product development, and organizational control.
From 1990 to 1994, Chairman Atkins served on the staff of two chairmen of the SEC, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt, ultimately as chief of staff and counselor, respectively. He received the SEC’s 1992 Law and Policy Award for work regarding corporate governance matters.
Chairman Atkins began his career as a lawyer in New York, focusing on a wide range of corporate transactions for U.S. and foreign clients, including public and private securities offerings and mergers and acquisitions. He was resident for 2½ years in his firm's Paris office and admitted as conseil juridique in France.
A member of the New York and Florida bars, Chairman Atkins received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1983 and was Senior Student Writing Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review. He received his A.B., Phi Beta Kappa, from Wofford College in 1980.
Originally from Lillington, North Carolina, Chairman Atkins grew up in Tampa, Florida. He and his wife Sarah have three sons.
Mike Selig
Mike Selig
Chairman Selig brings to the role deep public and private sector experience working with a wide range of stakeholders across agriculture, energy, financial, and digital asset industries, which rely upon and operate in CFTC-regulated markets.
Prior to his leadership at the CFTC, Chairman Selig most recently served as chief counsel of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Crypto Task Force and senior advisor to SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins. In this role, Chairman Selig helped to develop a clear regulatory framework for digital asset securities markets, harmonize the SEC and CFTC regulatory regimes, modernize the agency’s rules to reflect new and emerging technologies, and put an end to regulation by enforcement. He also participated in the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets and contributed to its report on “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology.”
Prior to government service, Chairman Selig was a partner at an international law firm, focusing on derivatives and securities regulatory matters. During his years in private practice, he represented a broad range of clients subject to regulation by the CFTC, including commercial end users, futures commission merchants, commodity trading advisors, swap dealers, designated contract markets, derivatives clearing organizations, and digital asset firms. Chairman Selig advised clients on compliance with the Commodity Exchange Act and the CFTC’s rules and regulations thereunder, including in connection with registration applications and obligations, enforcement matters, and complex transactions.
Chairman Selig earned his law degree from The George Washington University Law School and was articles editor of The George Washington Law Review. He received his undergraduate degree from Florida State University.
David Bailey
David Bailey
Eric Trump
Eric Trump
Mr. Trump also serves as Executive Vice President of The Trump Organization, where he oversees the global management and operations of the Trump family’s extensive real estate portfolio. This includes Trump Hotels, Trump Golf, commercial and residential real estate, Trump Estates, and Trump Winery. Known for his hands-on leadership and strong market instincts, he has played a key role in expanding the company’s presence across major U.S. and international markets.
A globally recognized business leader and public figure, Mr. Trump is a prominent advocate for Bitcoin and decentralized finance. He is a co-founder of World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform, and serves on the Board of Advisors of Metaplanet, Japan’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin.
Beyond his business activities, Mr. Trump has helped raise more than $50 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the fight against pediatric cancer, a philanthropic mission he began at age 21.
Mr. Trump earned a degree in Finance and Management from Georgetown University. He currently resides in Florida with his wife, Lara, and their two children. He is also the author of Under Siege, his memoir published in October 2025.
Jack Mallers
Jack Mallers
Cynthia Lummis
Cynthia Lummis
As the first-ever Chair of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Senator Lummis is the architect of the legislative framework shaping America's digital asset future. She introduced the landmark Lummis-Gillibrand Responsible Financial Innovation Act, the first comprehensive bipartisan crypto regulatory framework in Senate history. She co-authored the GENIUS Act — the first federal stablecoin law ever enacted — and introduced the BITCOIN Act, which would establish a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve of up to one million BTC. She is leading the Clarity Act, which will bring long-overdue regulatory certainty to the digital asset industry. She has also championed digital asset tax reform, including a de minimis exemption for small transactions and equal tax treatment for miners and stakers.
Known as Congress' "Crypto Queen," Senator Lummis represents Wyoming — a state she has helped build into one of the most digital asset-friendly regulatory environments in the nation. Before serving in the Senate, she served 14 years in the Wyoming Legislature, eight years as Wyoming State Treasurer, and eight years in the U.S. House. She is a three-time graduate of the University of Wyoming.
Her work represents a crucial bridge between traditional financial systems and the emerging digital economy, ensuring America leads the world in financial innovation while protecting the individual freedoms that define it.
Adam Back
Adam Back
Amy Oldenburg
Amy Oldenburg
David Marcus
David Marcus
Matt Schultz
Matt Schultz
Fred Thiel
Fred Thiel
Throughout his career, Mr. Thiel has consistently driven rapid growth and created substantial shareholder value. Prior to MARA, Mr. Thiel served as the CEO of two other public companies, Local Corporation (NASDAQ: LOCM) and Lantronix, Inc (NASDAQ: LTRX). He has successfully raised billions in equity and debt through private and public offerings, led companies through IPOs, executed high-value exits to strategic and financial acquirers, and implemented effective M&A and roll-up strategies.
Mr. Thiel attended the Stockholm School of Economics and executive classes at Harvard Business School, and is fluent in English, Spanish, Swedish, and French. Mr. Thiel is the Chairman of the Board for Oden Technology, Inc. and is active in Young Presidents’ Organization where he has led initiatives in both the FinTech and Technology Networks.
A recognized voice in the industry, Fred frequently shares his insights on energy and technology with major media outlets like Bloomberg TV, CNBC, and FOX Business, contributing to vital discussions about the future of these sectors.
Tim Draper
Tim Draper
He is a supporter and global thought leader for entrepreneurs everywhere, and is a leading spokesperson for Bitcoin and decentralization, having won the Bitcoin US Marshall’s auction in 2014, invested in over 50 crypto companies, and led investments in Coinbase, Ledger, Tezos, and Bancor, among others.
Afroman
Afroman
