Edward Snowden addresses crowd at Bitcoin2024 conference in Nashville
Whistleblower Edward Snowden gave a virtual keynote address about privacy and security at Nashville’s Bitcoin2024 conference Friday.
Tennessean reporters are inside Music City Center for the Bitcoin2024 conference, providing live updates here all day.
Trump’s speech delayed
At 2 p.m., as Donald Trump was scheduled to take the stage, a conference host said he is “not ready yet.”
The conference paused as the packed crowd awaited Trump.
Trump arrives in Nashville
Just after noon on Saturday, a conference official took the stage to inform the audience crowded into Music City Center that Trump has landed in Tennessee.
“The big man just touched down,” the conference official said.
− Hadley Hitson
Former President Donald Trump to speak
Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump will headline Bitcoin2024 at 2 p.m., on the third and final day of the highly-anticipated conference that has drawn an estimated 20,000 attendees to downtown Nashville’s Music City Center.
Trump’s appearance comes exactly two weeks after an attempted assassination attempt at his Butler, Pa., campaign rally.
Hundreds of crypto-industry insiders are on the agenda for the three-day event. Also speaking today are U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Brentwood, former Republican U.S. presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and industry leaders including MicroStrategy founder Michael Saylor and Bill Miller IV of Miller Value Partners, among others.
Trump gets a Bitcoin gift
BTC Media CEO David Bailey announced Saturday that he is gifting Trump a Bitcoin to “officially welcome” him to the Bitcoin community.
“It’s not a red-party thing, and it’s not a blue-party thing. It’s an orange party thing,” Bailey said. “And who better than Donald Trump to lead the orange party?”
All of Bitcoin’s branding is colored a shade of orange.
− Hadley Hitson
Surprise visitor makes a virtual cameo appearance
Minutes before Trump was set to take the stage, former presidential candidate Dr. Ron Paul spoke virtually to the crowd in conversation with Bitcoin conference host Pete Rizzo − eliciting a loud cheer and standing ovation.
“So privacy has been a big issue in what I’ve done in Congress; to emphasize the need because privacy,” Paul said. “That’s what liberty is all about: privacy. You’re an individual. You can do what you want with your money.”
Paul touted his proposed legislation to establish alternative currencies.
“I was a supporter very very early on,” he said.
Asked which presidential candidate he supported, Paul stopped short of making an endorsement.
“I don’t get into the personalities … I don’t deal with parties … I’ve met Trump. One thing about Trump, and this may be talking out of school, he might say ‘you shouldn’t be talking about our conversation,” but his personality was different. He was much more cordial than I ever believed, personally. It was different.”
There was a loud roar of applause when Paul concluded.
− Vivian Jones
Protest group makes noise
A large group of demonstrators marched past Music City Center around 1 p.m. Saturday protesting the recent rise in neo-Nazi activity in Nashville, including the harassment of five young boys last week as they busked downtown.
The group, which identified themselves as the Black Panther party, shouted at attendees gathered outside asking why they weren’t “speaking against it,” and “where they were for the children of their city.”
“We’re here today because of the Nazis antagonizing our children,” one member told the Tennessean, who asked only to be identified as a member of the Black Panther Party and the New Black Panther party. “They’ve been out here the last few weeks, and it’s not going to happen anymore.”
He pointed to the suddenly, drastically increased police presence. “The people in the city, they did nothing. But we know (the Nazis’) names now. We’re coming for y’all.”
Organizers stopped in front of the conference and presented the five young boys —Rontarious and Detonio Wilson, 14 and 10, Kamond Williams, 11, and Jaquial Forrest, 9 – who were harassed and chased by neo-Nazis in an incident denounced by Tennessee lawmakers earlier this week.
“We care about all the children of this city,” organizers shouted. “Where were you for ours?”
When asked to “walk with us if you oppose racism,” the conference crowd stood quietly. One man, walking past, scoffed.
“Who is this, Hamas?” he asked.
Elizabeth Williams, standing on the corner of 6th Ave And Demonbreun, held a cardboard sign with the name “Harris” scrawled on it in marker.
Williams, a longtime Nashville resident who immigrated from the UK, said she came out to show support for Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris − as well as the marching demonstrators because she “usually sits at home and stews over Trump.”
“I figured I could come out here and double stew, and do something about it,” she laughed. “I don’t have many avenues to speak out, but I can at least stand here on the street corner and tell people Nashville isn’t everything you’ve been seeing lately, with the Nazis. We’re better than that.”
− Angele Latham
T-shirts ask to ‘Free Ross’
Outside Music City Center, crowds thickened in anticipation for Trump’s arrival on Saturday afternoon. Secret Service officers could be seen darting around amidst an eclectic crowd of people wearing cowboy hats, suits, fringe, Bitcoin meme signs and a number of shirts encouraging attendees to “Free Ross, Vote Trump.”
Ross Ulbricht, of New York, was sentenced in 2015 to two life sentences for creating the “Silk Road,” a now-defunct digital dark marketplace used to anonymously buy and sell items, including a thriving illegal drug-sales network. It is widely known as the first functional use of Bitcoin.
At recent speeches, Trump promised to free Ulbricht “on Day 1.”
As crowds swirled, a box truck emblazoned with a “MAGA VP Support” message circled the block, with Trump and Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance’s face looming over the road with the Bitcoin-branded red laser eyes.
While loudly blaring Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” the truck promised MVP tokens for $20 and a sweepstakes for Trump-branded sneakers.
− Angele Latham
Ear bandages pay homage to assassination attempt
Andrew Gordon, a tax attorney from Chicago who specializes in cryptocurrency law, surveyed the crowd as he handed out square bandages, similar to the one he sported, to conference attendees in line.
The bandages, printed with the words “countrymen, lend me your ears,” paid homage to the bandage former President Trump wore on his ear after surviving an assassination attempt two weeks ago.
Gordon said he’s handed out around 500 bandages, and plans to hand out hundreds more.
“I’m excited to see Trump today,” he said, explaining his interest in merging politics and cryptocurrency. “I think taxes are probably the biggest crypto issue no one talks about.”
− Angele Latham
Sen. Blackburn hosts ‘Biscuits and Bitcoin’
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn held a “Biscuits and Bitcoin” campaign event on Saturday morning near the Music City Center featuring remarks from former presidential candidate and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who also spoke at the conference.
Other guests included Bitcoin supporter U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming, former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, and Knox County Mayor and likely 2026 gubernatorial candidate Glenn Jacobs.
“@VivekGRamaswamy knows investing in Bitcoin is investing in the future, and I’m glad to have him in Nashville today!” Blackburn shared in a social media post.
Earlier this month, Blackburn’s campaign announced it would accept donations contributed in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency.
“Great to meet the brilliant @VivekGRamaswamy today and I appreciate his support for our great state of Tennessee 🇺🇸,” Skrmetti wrote in a social media post.
− Vivian Jones
First Cybertruck bought with crypto makes appearance
Blocks around the Music City Center were bustling with cryptocurrency signs and hats for sale three hours ahead of former President Donald Trump’s speech scheduled for this afternoon.
Around 11 a.m., a Tesla Cybertruck decorated with Bitcoin logos drove down Demonbreun Street. The truck is owned by THORChain, a decentralized network to facilitate exchange of cryptocurrencies without relying on a centralized intermediary.
The Bitcoin’d Tesla Cybertruck, designed for its debut at the Bitcoin 2024 conference, is the first Cybertruck purchased with cryptocurrency in an effort to increase integration of cryptocurrency into mainstream transactions.
An increased police presence is evident outside the building, with trailers of mounted Metro Police horses and rows of MNPD vehicles around the building.
− Vivian Jones
Setting the scene
By 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Secret Service agents and a few hundred variations of red “Make America Great Again” hats were scattered throughout Music City Center.
Some read “Bitcoin Made In America,” “MAGA” and “Make Bitcoin Great Again.”
A long line of conference-goers waited to get inside the event. Security officials told attendees that they will not ”clear the room” ahead of Trump’s speech.
“Once you’re in, stay in,” one security official said.
Meanwhile, rumors swirled online that SpaceX, Tesla and Memphis-based xAI founder Elon Musk would make an unscheduled appearance.
David Bailey, CEO of conference organizer BTC Media, posted on X: “Just want to be clear, if anyone acts up during any speech today I’ve asked security to remove them immediately. We’re on a mission today.”
While excitement for the GOP presidential nominee’s arrival buzzed downtown, several crypto investors at the conference said they planned to leave before Trump takes the stage. Some said it was a form of “protesting.”
“I’m more of a libertarian, so I’m not here for that,” attendee Johnny Miles said.
Miles said he wasn’t interested in the politics around Bitcoin unless they made his investments more valuable. However, his wife Lisa Miles said she plans to stay alone. It will be her first time hearing from a former president, and she plans to vote for Trump in November.
Edward Snowden, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Russell Brand draw packed crowds Friday
On Friday, presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy Jr., celebrity Russell Brand and famous political dissident and government-surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden stole the show.
Kennedy Jr. won thunderous applause for promising to not only build up a U.S. reserve of at least 4 million Bitcoins, if elected, but to also make Bitcoin transactions unreportable to the Internal Revenue Service.
“I am a huge supporter of Bitcoin,” Kennedy Jr. said. “I put most of my wealth into Bitcoin.”
He also took aim at Trump.
“I understand that tomorrow President Trump may announce his plan to build a Bitcoin Fort Knox and authorize the U.S. government to buy a million Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset,” Kennedy Jr. said. “I welcome President Trump’s new enthusiasm for Bitcoin. But he’s only weeks into the Bitcoin dialogue.”
Snowden delivered a virtual speech from exile in Russia, decrying the “fundamentally unfair” power system in America. He urged attendees to push back against “the systemization of technologies designed to order our lives for the benefit of the institution.”
His face, with his characteristic thin-rimmed glasses, was projected on the stage against a two-tone blue background.
“Look at the economy. There’s an increasing concentration of resources into fewer and fewer hands,” Snowden said. “You play by their rules or you don’t play at all, and that should be changing.”
He urged stronger data privacy protections.
“When they have your transaction history they have your life history,” he said. “We’re all running on a treadmill. For what? Right now, we’re doing it for the likes, trying to get approval, acceptance. We need to start cooperating instead of competing to find our way out of this hole that’s not this election — it’s this system.”
Brand, a comedian and actor who has a popular talk show on Rumble and who publicly faced several sexual-assault allegations last year, took to the stage with conservative social-media platform Rumble founder and CEO Chris Pavlovski.
“No one should be mediating your connection to God or your connection to money or your connection to free speech,” Brand said, promoting decentralized technology platforms. “Bitcoin epitomizes above all else decentralization, transparency, open communication and the possibility for new human relationships.
“This is not just a digital form of the Gold Rush but this is a set of systems through which we may bypass our atrophying corrupt hypocritical systems of government, big tech, media. The loss of moral authority that they are experiencing is deserved,” Brand said.
Traffic, travel delays expected for Trump security
On Friday afternoon, Metro Nashville Police Department told residents to expect travel delays on Saturday afternoon as part of security precautions for former President Donald Trump’s Nashville visit.
“Expect intermittent traffic delays in the areas of BNA & downtown Sat afternoon for the security of Former President Trump. If you are catching or meeting a flight Sat afternoon, please allow for extra travel time,” MNPD posted on X.
Bitcoin2024: High-powered lineup, security on tap
The U.S. Secret Service is managing security for the event, which organizers said has been increased.
Bitcoin2024 spokesperson Kristyna Mazankova said conference security was upgraded following the assassination attempt against Trump: “Prior to Saturday’s events in PA, our security and production teams were already working closely with the Secret Service to incorporate additional measures for President Trump’s attendance in Nashville.”
A U.S. Secret Service spokesperson said the agency would not provide any details regarding security plans for Trump’s Nashville appearance.
“The safety and security of our protectees is the U.S. Secret Service’s top priority,” the spokesperson told The Tennessean. “Out of concern for operational security, the Secret Service does not discuss the means and methods used for our protective operations.”
How much are Bitcoin2024 tickets? A lot
Basic ticket packages start at $699 — for only exhibit hall and main stage access — and $3,999. Attendees get a 21% discount for paying with Bitcoin.
But that’s just the start.
VIP “Whale Pass” tickets for the three-day conference are priced at $21,000 per person and include access to VIP lounges, all-inclusive food and beverage service, an after-party pass and exclusive panels.
And many attendees are seeking out upscale events around town after hours.
Weekend events and related parties are expected to take place at the Westin Hotel rooftop bar, the Twelve Thirty Club, 5th + Broadway’s Skydeck, AVA rooftop on Broadway and Oak Steakhouse.
Tickets for a fundraising reception event for Trump’s presidential campaign are going for $844,600 per person. It’s a discounted $60,000 a person to snap a photo with him and attend a reception.
Donald Trump Jr. is hosting a catered meet and greet event in collaboration with the Trump campaign, where he will be joined by political commentators Candace Owens and Camryn Kinsey. The event is at the L27 rooftop lounge at the Westin hotel, and tickets cost $3,000 per person or $5,000 per couple.
Republican politicians make a spash at Bitcoin2024
Trump’s keynote appearance at Bitcoin2024 two weeks after a deadly public assasination attempt at his campaign rally won the conference’s biggest headlines.
But, even before Trump’s arrival, a strong political contingent of Republican and libertarian legislators and celebrities was notable.
Snowden commented on the influx of politicians on Friday.
“I notice we have a lot more political representation here. They fight us, then they try to get us to love them,” he said. “Cast a vote but don’t join a cult. They are not our tribe. They are not your personality. They have their own interests. Don’t give yourselves to them, even if you have to vote for them.”
What’s drawn legislators and crypto-industry insiders together in Nashville?
Many crypto supporters emphasize the shared values of freedom and deregulation. But it also signals that the industry represents a significant voting bloc.
“Politicians follow votes,” BitcoinIRA cofounder Chris Kline said. “These are the same reasons they make stops in battleground states like Wisconsin, Ohio and even Nevada and Arizona. Bitcoin is no longer a niche interest group.”
Bitcoin’s stance as inherently apolitical is changing as the industry seeks consistency and acceptance in federal regulation.
Earlier this year, Trump pivoted on his critical Bitcoin views to embrace digital currencies. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden vetoed legislation that crypto leaders said would have improved their abilities to work with traditional banks.