This is an opinion editorial by Federico Rivi, an independent journalist and author of the Bitcoin Train newsletter.
Disclaimer: BTC Inc. is the parent company of Bitcoin Magazine, and the Bitcoin Conference.
Bitcoin Amsterdam was a popular event in a symbolic city.
For a long time the European Bitcoin community had hoped for an inclusive event that addressed Bitcoin without scaring off newcomers. A Bitcoin-only event with talks and panels not too technical, accessible to a non-expert audience, was missing in Europe, and Bitcoin Amsterdam, for the first time, addressed this.
Amsterdam is the European symbol of freedom: Soft drugs are tolerated and sex workers are legalized. For this reason, the Dutch capital is an object of tourism from all over the continent. It is an ideal choice of location to talk about a tool steeped in libertarian culture.
Here’s five lessons I learned from Bitcoin Amsterdam.
1. The Lightning Network: The Future Is Already Here
It is often pointed out that the Lightning Network is still experimental. True, the protocol has only been in operation for four years and the amount of development that characterizes it is typical of technologies in an evolutionary phase, but it can be said today that Lightning works well for its intended purpose.
At Bitcoin Amsterdam it was possible to buy anything in bitcoin — food, drinks, alcohol and gadgets — via Lightning. Merchants were provided with the Lightning wallet from IBEX Mercado — the payment sponsor of…
