Slovenia’s historic city of Maribor is the location for this week’s NiceHashX, a Bitcoin-focused conference organized by the eponymous hashrate marketplace. The two-day event, dubbed ‘the Bitcoin Conference on the Sunny Side of the Alps,’ comes at a pivotal moment for the world’s leading digital currency, which recently came within a whisker of surpassing its all-time high (ATH) price. Despite missing that dollar figure, BTC set a new record against the Euro.
NiceHashX will celebrate a decade of operations for NiceHash while also highlighting the appeal of Slovenia as a European crypto destination. Interestingly, the conference gets underway on Friday, November 8, just three days after what will be the fourth U.S. presidential election in Bitcoin’s history. Whoever claims victory, the result is sure to have an effect on Bitcoin, for better or for worse.
Slovenia in the Spotlight
With the second-highest number of blockchain startups after Switzerland and over 1,000 businesses already accepting BTC as payment, Slovenia is a major player in the European crypto space. So it’s only fitting that the first Bitcoin conference is going down in Maribor, a city named European Capital of Culture in 2012.
“We are delighted to welcome the world to discover how Slovenia is leading the way in European Bitcoin adoption,” says Vladimir Hozjan, CEO of NiceHash. “With 10 years of experience in this industry, we have witnessed phenomenal growth in the interest of using Bitcoin, here in Maribor and around the country. Join us as we celebrate, and witness Bitcoin in its purest form, used by everyday people, alongside some of the brightest speakers in the industry.”
Those speakers will include economist Saifedean Ammous, author of the bestselling “The Bitcoin Standard”, CASA CTO Jameson Lopp, former Cointelegraph reporter Joe Hall (Nakamoto), BTC Prague conference CEO Martin Kuchař, and Bitcoin FilmFest Co-founder Pierre Corbin. Discussions, meanwhile, will encompass topics such as European Bitcoin adoption, regulation, mining, and the future of exchange platforms.
Founded by two Slovenian students in 2014, NiceHash has also soft-launched a BTC payment solution with local merchants that will be demoed at the conference and in many of the city’s bars, restaurants, cafes, and shops.
Tickets for NiceHashX are still available, with prices ranging from a modest €21 to €2,100, the latter entitling holders to a VIP experience including premium networking opportunities. The event features three main stages, an expo area, and numerous side events such as a VIP dinner and music show.
Bitcoin at a Crossroads
While Bitcoin’s recent price action has stirred talk of uncharted territory and fresh ATHs, the looming U.S. election casts a sizable shadow. We can see the effect of this anticipation in market volatility metrics, with seven-day implied volatility having jumped to an annualized 74.4%, outpacing the historical volatility of 41.4%.
Previous election cycles have coincided with significant price movements, and with Bitcoin’s current technical setup, many analysts will be watching closely for potential post-election price swings.
For Slovenia, which already boasts attractions like BTC City in Ljubljana and the Satoshi monument, NiceHashX represents another step toward establishing itself as Europe’s go-to Bitcoin destination. As the crypto market waits with bated breath for the election results, this conference offers a welcome respite and a chance to focus purely on Satoshi’s gift to the world.