The first in a series of Dash conferences in Venezuela received over double the expected attendees, as over a thousand have registered for the rest of the conferences.
This year, a series of 12 conferences in Venezuela was funded by the masternode network, scheduled to take place every month in Caracas. The first conference took place this week, and over twice the projected number of attendees came. Eugenia Alcalá Sucre, Dash Caracas lead and organizer of the conference, was very impressed with the turnout:
“The turnout was MUCH MORE than expected. We initially aimed for 80 people, but soon realized we had underestimated people’s interest in the subject. We confirmed 120 people, but actually near 170 showed up, so we had to make quick arrangements in the conference hall so they could participate”
According to Alcalá, continuing interest in these conferences has grown immensely, with over 1,015 attendees already pre-registering:
A comprehensive introduction to Dash
According to Alcalá, the conference included a full immersion into the world of Dash and digital currency, from setting up wallets to interactions and presentations with experts and supporting groups:
“We had a team receiving the attendees, and giving them a folder with a sheets to take notes, a pen, an instructive to set up their Dash Wallets, and a paper wallets with 10 USD in Dash. Then they got into the hall, where they watched a welcome video, where they also got instructions for their wallets (phone and paper). They also could interact with our invited artist Ronald Alberto Andara Arteaga who accepts Dash for his artwork and who also made Dash stickers and sold them during the event (with Dash, of course). Also they got to know Regala una Sonrisa, the first Venezuelan non-profit organization to accept donations in Dash.
Afterwards, they listened to the conference given by Jaime Sandoval, about what is blockchain technology and what are cryptocurrencies. Then they enjoyed coffee and cupcakes while they did some networking. And finally, I spoke about Dash’s features and governance system, and I lead a group exercise, where they generated ideas by answering the following question: how to establish a win-win relationship between Venezuela and Dash for entrepreneurship? They shared their ideas on Twitter, using the hashtag #dashccs (some may have used #dashcaracas)”
No anticipation of a future crackdown by authorities
In other parts of the world, China in particular, cryptocurrencies have come under high scrutiny from more authoritarian regimes, as it can pose a threat to central banking systems and financial control. Despite the remarkable success of the conferences so far, however, Alcalá sees little risk from government taking exception to the Dash outreach:
“I really do not think so. I believe the ones that are in danger in my country are miners (regrettably), they have to work clandestinely. Actually, I hope all of this helps accelerate the creation of good regulations in Venezuela regarding cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies, because it could be a way of saving us from total bankruptcy as a nation. I truly believe be could become productive again, and I believe every Venezuelan can benefit from it.”
