Mark Maraia

Most people who understand bitcoin know that there are two kinds of bitcoin. One is bitcoin, the asset which has a fixed supply and is quite volatile, and the second kind of Bitcoin, the network and protocol that maintains an immutable ledger that has never been hacked and is bullet proof, bomb proof and tank proof. It is my opinion that too much focus is placed on the asset and not nearly enough on the network, protocol and immutable ledger.

I attended the Bitcoin Freedom Festival in Uvita, Costa Rica from January 18th through 20th. It was a unique event that was unlike any bitcoin gathering I’ve ever attended. There were over 30 speakers during the festival so I won’t try to cover each but there was one session that stood out and it involved a panel of indigenous women all who spoke through a translator. This panel said two things on the final morning which captured the essence of the festival.

Over two hundred bitcoiners descended on Uvita from January 18th – 20th which is a popular seaside spot in Costa Rica. The Bitcoin Freedom Festival was billed as a spiritual gathering for those who celebrate freedom money, nature and sovereignty. What many bitcoiners are still discovering about this beautiful place along the southern Pacific coast is that Uvita and Dominical, {the town 18 km north} are the region known as Bitcoin Jungle.