Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Freedom Tech Summit, BTCPay Server Day, and BTC Prague in Czechia 🇨🇿.
Looking back at the photos, I think it’s the most I’ve smiled at any conference, partly relief (cries in African passport) and partly the experience itself.
As an African, going to such a conference isn't usually something you decide on a whim. You have to think about the visa process, document collection, waiting, and then hoping immigration doesn’t become a second interview despite already having a visa.
Thankfully, the Czech visa process was smooth, and immigration was refreshingly easy. It was also the first time I didn’t get held up for long checks at a European border.😅
This made me even more grateful to the Btrust team for creating opportunities like these. The team really invests in growth, either through mentorship, connections, conference support, and learning opportunities. Being able to connect with the global ecosystem and learn from people doing incredible work is something I never take for granted. The team also supported me throughout the visa process, alongside Lea Petrasova and Martin Kuchař, and I really appreciate that.
The Freedom Tech Summit and BTCPay Day were great opportunities to benchmark what is happening across the Bitcoin development ecosystem and understand what people are building, discussing, and prioritizing. I found myself looking at many things through the lens of events like #BtrustDeveloperDay and other initiatives that Btrust supports. One of my favorite parts was the design track at the Freedom Tech Summit, which placed a strong emphasis on the human experience in Bitcoin.
Then came BTC Prague, which honestly blew my mind! The conference attracted thousands of attendees and featured 66 sponsors, which is remarkable in what many would describe as a bear market. Beyond the talks, I was fascinated by the attention to detail: the branding, the social media campaigns before, during and after the conference, the PR, booth activations, and the overall event experience. There was so much to learn just by observing how everything came together.
Across all three events, the people stood out the most. I got to reconnect with friends, meet people I'd only known through online conversations, and build new relationships. Community has played such an important role in both my career and personal life, so moments like these remind me why I value it so much.
It was a great week of learning, connecting, and getting inspired. Looking forward to carrying those lessons into the work we do at Btrust and hopefully making it back to Prague someday.🧡
