Dash had a strong presence headlining the Voice & Exit conference, setting up 113 new Dash wallets and creating a real micro-economy.

Held in late May in Austin, Texas, Voice & Exit is a conference dedicated to promoting human liberty in ways outside of the old paradigm of political action. This includes a heavy emphasis on blockchain technology and other approaches to decentralizing the world in the future, making cryptocurrency a natural fit. According to Voice & Exit co-founder Max Borders, the Dash presence was integrated well with the event:

“Dash fit seamlessly into a crowd of people dedicated to the “criticize by creating” mantra. We have had nothing but great feedback on your presence there. What hit home for me was that we’re no longer talking about how to make positive social change, but people now have opportunities to jump in right on site.

In terms of the Dash Team — somehow you guys have found the magic. You are liberators without being doctrinaire and you integrated with a really diverse crowd by putting the belief in your mission first. When you lead with value of your tech in real people’s lives, people get it and it resonates.”

Dash was the premier sponsor of the event as one of a series of conferences sponsored to target the liberty movement, and had a panel discussion as well as a speech by Dash-sponsored independent journalist Ben Swann. Dash also had a table at a prime location in the venue, from where volunteers engaged with attendees, which included a Dash ATM.

Dash wallets with $20 of Dash given to 113, nearly 25-30% of attendees

Particularly noteworthy of the event was the Dash team’s strong effort at engaging with as many attendees as possible, and setting them up with wallets. Overall, 113 Dash wallets were set up and loaded with the user’s first $20 in Dash, which they were then encouraged to use for purchases. According to the event’s co-founder Seth Blaustein, this accounted for a significant chunk of the event, around 25-30%:

“I really loved walking into the venue and immediately seeing buzzing activity around the dash space. People were engaging in setting up a new wallet, talking about how crypto works, or just resting on a couch in the Dash space and charging devices. I also felt that there was so much happening with the interviews. Every time I walked through that space there were badasses talking about the future–Toni Lane Casserly, Christopher David, etc. It was awesome to see.”

While many of the event’s attendees had heard of Dash before, few were active users, and most had many questions about how the currency worked and misconceptions to be cleared up. Dash volunteer Lauren Wickline saw a personal approach as the best way to engage with new potential users and create a more positive impression:

“I was surprised by how many people had already heard of Dash, even if they didn’t own any yet. While sponsoring these types of events is certainly a positive for Dash’s name recognition and our community, it’s clear that the most value came from the attendees simply being able to engage with us at our booth one-on-one and feel comfortable asking questions.”

With all new wallets set up, there was a preliminary one-on-one interaction as the Dash team attempted to engage meaningfully with as many as possible to ensure a value beyond simply receiving free Dash.

Local business and the event store itself experienced dozens of Dash purchases

In addition to simply distributing wallets to new users, several options were present on-site for new users to experiment with spending their Dash. The Voice & Exit store accepted Dash for products, including books and t-shirts, and leveraged the Anypay point-of-sale system to accept them as seamlessly as possible. Additionally, one of the food trucks on site accepted Dash as well:

Reportedly, a single lunch break reportedly reaching over 10 purchases with Dash at the food truck. The Voice & Exit store reported 25 purchases with Dash, a total value of nearly $400 total.

Dash has name recognition, but needs more in-depth exposure

As demonstrated at Voice & Exit, Dash has a decent brand recognition in the cryptospace as well as associated movements. However, most have a limited understanding of its offerings and differences. Wickline believes that engaging one-on-one, and explaining in-depth while using non-intimidating and “newbie-friendly” language, has the greatest chance of success in turning on a new potential to Dash:

“Researching cryptocurrencies is hard when you’re first starting, and the internet is filled with confusing jargon like keys, blocks, proof-of-work, and hodl. Engaging with people’s crypto curiosity in person helps to bridge that gap and encourages people to learn more and ask more questions. And as many of us have seen, the more a person learns about cryptocurrencies, the more likely they will be advocates and users of Dash!”

According to Dash event co-organizer Allan Demarest, Dash’s basic transaction advantages were of interest, as well as the growth and depth of the decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that is the Dash network, in particular the new legal structures coming to help give the network a shape in the present world:

“Instant and private transactions of course, and there was a lot of interest in the first and longest running DAO. Some conversations led into the innovative legal structure of the DAO and how that leads to big possibilities like the recent announcement of Dash Ventures. Overall, they were excited by the foresight of Dash’s impressive list of innovations and the potential they bring.”