Trump to Head Bitcoin2024 Conference in Nashville: Live Coverage

Staff Reports
| Nashville Tennessee

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump will headline the Bitcoin2024 conference this afternoon, the third and final day of the highly anticipated conference that has drawn an estimated 20,000 attendees to the Music City Center in downtown Nashville.

Trump’s appearance comes exactly two weeks after an attempted bombing at his campaign rally in Butler, Pa., and is scheduled to deliver a speech at 2 p.m.

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 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and industry leaders including MicroStrategy founder Michael Saylor and Bill Miller IV of Miller Value Partners, among others.

Edward Snowden, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Russell Brand drew crowds on Friday

On Friday, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., celebrity Russell Brand and famed political dissident and government surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden stole the show.

Kennedy Jr. drew thunderous applause for promising not only to create a U.S. reserve of at least 4 million bitcoins if elected, but also to ensure that bitcoin transactions would not be reportable to the Internal Revenue Service.

“I’m a huge supporter of Bitcoin,” said Kennedy Jr. “I have most of my wealth invested in Bitcoin.”

He also took aim at Trump.

“I understand that tomorrow President Trump could announce his plan to build a Bitcoin Fort Knox and authorize the U.S. government to purchase one million Bitcoins as a strategic reserve asset,” said Kennedy Jr. “I welcome President Trump’s renewed enthusiasm for Bitcoin. But the dialogue on Bitcoin is only a few weeks old.”

Snowden delivered a virtual speech from exile in Russia, denouncing America’s “fundamentally unjust” system of government. He called on attendees to oppose the “systematization of technologies designed to order our lives for the benefit of institutions.”

His face, framed by distinctive thin glasses, was projected on stage against a two-tone blue background.

“Look at the economy. More and more resources are concentrated in fewer and fewer hands,” Snowden said. “You play by their rules or you don’t play at all, and that needs to change.”

He called for stronger data privacy protection.

“When they have your transaction history, they have your life history,” he said. “We’re all running on a treadmill. Why? Now we’re doing it for likes, trying to get approval, acceptance. We need to start collaborating, not competing, to find a way out of this hole that is not these elections – it’s this system.”

Brand, a comedian and actor who hosts a popular talk show on Rumble and who publicly faced several sexual assault allegations last year, took the stage with the founder and CEO of conservative social media platform Rumble, Chris Pavlovski.

“No one should mediate your connection to God, your connection to money, or your connection to free speech,” Brand said, promoting decentralized technology platforms. “Bitcoin embodies decentralization, transparency, open communication, and the possibility of new human relationships.

“This isn’t just a digital form of gold rush, but a set of systems by which we can bypass our failing, corrupt, hypocritical systems of government, big tech, media. The loss of moral authority that they’re experiencing is deserved,” Brand said.

Traffic and travel delays expected due to Trump security

On Friday afternoon, the Metro Nashville Police Department advised residents that travel delays could occur Saturday afternoon as part of a precautionary measure ahead of former President Donald Trump’s visit to Nashville.

“Expect occasional traffic delays in the BNA and downtown areas Saturday afternoon due to former President Trump’s safety. If you are catching or meeting a flight Saturday afternoon, allow for additional travel time,” MNPD wrote on X.

Bitcoin2024: Powerful Offer, Security at Your Fingertips

The U.S. Secret Service is responsible for security at the event, and organizers said they have beefed up security measures.

Bitcoin2024 spokeswoman Kristyna Mazankova said security at the conference had been enhanced following the assassination attempt on Trump: “Prior to Saturday’s events in Pennsylvania, our security and production teams worked closely with the Secret Service to implement additional security measures in the event President Trump was in Nashville.”

A U.S. Secret Service spokesman said the agency would not release details about security plans for Trump’s speech in Nashville.

“The safety of our protectees is the highest priority of the U.S. Secret Service,” a spokesman told The Tennessean. “Due to operational security, the Secret Service does not discuss the means and methods used in our protective operations.”

How much are Bitcoin2024 tickets? A lot

Basic ticket packages start at $699 — which includes admission to the Exhibition Hall and Main Stage only — and $3,999. Attendees receive a 21% discount for paying with Bitcoin.

But this is just the beginning.

VIP “Whale Pass” tickets for the three-day conference are priced at $21,000 per person and include access to VIP lounges, full catering, after-party access and exclusive panels.

And many attendees seek out exclusive events taking place in the city after work hours.

Weekend events and side events are expected to take place at the Westin Hotel Rooftop Bar, Twelve Thirty Club, 5th + Broadway Skydeck, AVA Rooftop on Broadway and Oak Steakhouse.

Tickets to Trump’s presidential campaign benefit cost $844,600 per person. There’s a $60,000-per-person discount to take a photo with him and attend the party.

Donald Trump Jr. is hosting a catered meet-and-greet in partnership with the Trump campaign, where he will be joined by political commentators Candace Owens and Camryn Kinsey. The event will take place at the Westin’s L27 rooftop lounge, and tickets are $3,000 per person or $5,000 per couple.

Republican Politicians Are Making a Ruckus of Bitcoin2024

Trump’s keynote speech at the Bitcoin2024 conference, two weeks after the public attack at his campaign rally, was the center of media attention.

But even before Trump arrived, there was a strong representation of political parties, including Republicans and libertarians, as well as celebrities.

Snowden commented on the influx of politicians on Friday.

“I’ve noticed that we have a lot more political representation here. They fight us and then they try to make us love them,” he said. “Vote, but don’t join a cult. They’re not our tribe. They’re not your personality. They have their own interests. Don’t give in to them, even if you have to vote for them.”

What attracted Nashville lawmakers and cryptocurrency industry insiders?

Many cryptocurrency advocates emphasize shared values of freedom and deregulation. But that’s also a signal that the industry represents a significant voting bloc.

“Politicians are following the votes,” said BitcoinIRA co-founder Chris Kline. “These are the same reasons they’re holding out in key states like Wisconsin, Ohio, and even Nevada and Arizona. Bitcoin is no longer a niche interest group.”

Bitcoin’s inherently apolitical stance is changing as the industry seeks consistency and acceptance of federal regulations.

Earlier this year, Trump turned away from his critical views of bitcoin to embrace digital currencies. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden vetoed legislation that cryptocurrency leaders said would improve their ability to work with traditional banks.