Consensus 2024: Crypto, Politics And More
Thousands of people in the cryptocurrency community gathered in Austin, Texas last week to attend Consensus 2024. The annual blockchain conference hosted by CoinDesk attracted 15,000 attendees, up from last year’s 10,000.
While Consensus 2024 brought in more attendees, the overall vibe appeared more lively and optimistic in comparison to last year’s event. This was likely due to the upcoming presidential election in the United States, coupled with the recent spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange traded fund (ETF) approvals .
John Deaton, Candidate for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, told Cryptonews that Consensus last year was more “doom and gloom” due to the collapse of FTX and other crypto exchanges. Yet Deaton mentioned that this year’s event was different.
“This year, with everything that has happened – like the success we’ve had in the congress with voting and being able to defeat Elizabeth Warren and Gary Gensler on certain things – it’s a much more optimistic and positive atmosphere,” said Deaton.
The U.S. Senate Candidate added, “I think people now realize that blockchain technology is here to stay, crypto is here to stay and that this is a new asset class that will be adopted by the mainstream. People here are excited about that.”
Indeed, attendees at Consensus 2024 appeared interested to hear insights from U.S. government officials like Congressman Tom Emmer and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissioner Hester Peirce.
While crypto and politics was a hot topic of debate at Consensus, Congressman Tom Emmer stated during his keynote that cryptocurrency is not a partisan issue, but rather a question of supporting the administrative state or the individual.
“Both political parties are moving toward supporting
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