CoinFest–the first decentralized convention about decentralized currencies–will be returning for 2016. Known for its open source and free-to-attend nature, as well as the cryptocurrency-only rule, the community decided to move the date from February to April.
CoinFest is building off of the success of CoinFest 2015, when it spread from Canada to being a worldwide celebration. The CCFR brought the decentralized festival to Moscow and St. Petersburg, despite the ongoing Bitcoin ban in Russia. A blockchain-based registration system was demonstrated in Colombia and Ghana, and Mr. Bitcoin made an appearance in Argentina. There was also the first CoinFest Satoshi Square in Kiev, and a Bitcoin ATM shipped to Botswana.
CoinFest 2016 begins on April 5th, the rumored birthday of Satoshi Nakamoto. Decentralization activists around the world are encouraged to organize promotional activities until the weekend, when the parties and conferences are expected to take place. The celebrations end Sunday April 10th, with the conclusion of the weekend.
At least 15 cities are already confirmed to be participating as of the time of writing. Most of them are thanks to returning organizers, such as in Africa, Eastern Europe, and the founding city of Vancouver. Some new cities have already joined the cause, however, with 2 new nodes in the American Midwest thanks to Alpha BTC and an additional newcomer in Denmark.
So far, no specific information is available about precise dates and the nature of activities. Contests, prizes, parties, seminars, and presentations can all be expected, and the number of participating cities is likely to grow significantly in the months ahead. Over the previous years, it has expanded from 1, to 3, to almost 20 locations, a growth rate which suggests mass global participation for CoinFest 2016.
To accommodate this growth, the founder has chosen to step back from his position as the main organizer for CoinFest Vancouver. Instead, the focus will be on planning the technological foundation for CoinFest’s decentralized autonomous organization, while continuing to operate the main CoinFest website and coordinate the global effort.
To begin this transition, multisignature wallets have been established for the decentralized management of finances. CoinFest Vancouver requires 7 of 10 parties to sign a transaction, while CoinFest Africa has banded together with a 4-of-6 multisig address to help raise much-needed funds. CoinFest International will soon transition to a 15-signature wallet.
No platform has yet been chosen for the CoinFest DAO, but likely candidates currently include the Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains. The market for DAO applications is still emerging, so the founder has chosen to focus on the logic underlying CoinFest’s structure. The end-goal is the complete removal of central authority.
Planning is still in the preliminary stages, so those who wish to be involved are welcome and encouraged to reach out. As CoinFest is free and non-profit, volunteer organizers and sponsors are required to sustain its operations. Visit www.coinfest.org for details.