Bitcoin Magazine
Is Bitcoin Still a Sovereign Tool?
A new panel has officially been announced for Bitcoin 2026 titled “Is Bitcoin Still A Sovereign Tool?” featuring Matt Odell, Bruce Fenton, Luke Rudkowski, and BTC Sessions. The conversation will bring together these four voices who have spent years examining the intersection of Bitcoin, individual freedom, institutional adoption, and whether Bitcoin is staying true to its original ethos as adoption accelerates.
Matt Odell is an entrepreneur, podcaster, and venture capitalist best known for his Bitcoin privacy advocacy and working in freedom technology education for over a decade with guides, workshops, and even training activists on how to use Bitcoin. He is a managing partner at Ten31, the largest Bitcoin technology investor in the world, and co-founder of OpenSats, Bitcoin Park, and the Bitcoin Policy Institute.
Bruce Fenton has been involved in Bitcoin since 2012 and is the founder and host of the Satoshi Roundtable, now in its 12th year — an invitation-only annual retreat for leading CEOs, developers, founders, and academics in the Bitcoin ecosystem. He previously served as Executive Director of the Bitcoin Foundation and organized the first Dubai Bitcoin Conference in 2014.
Luke Rudkowski is an independent journalist and founder of We Are Change, a grassroots media outlet who has covered Bitcoin through the lens of government overreach, financial freedom, and decentralization for over a decade.
BTC Sessions, the online handle of Ben Perrin, runs the world’s longest-running and most-watched Bitcoin-only educational YouTube channel, focused on self-custody, privacy, and making Bitcoin accessible to everyday users.
The panel will cover whether Bitcoin’s core promise of individual sovereignty has been preserved as institutional adoption, government reserves, and corporate treasuries have entered the space, and what it means for the everyday Bitcoiner. It takes place April 28 at 5:30 PM on the Nakamoto Stage at Bitcoin 2026, The Venetian Resort, Las Vegas.
Bitcoin 2026 is Returning to Las Vegas
Bitcoin 2026 will take place April 27–29 at The Venetian, Las Vegas, and is expected to be the biggest Bitcoin event of the year.
Focused on the future of money, Bitcoin 2026 will bring together Bitcoin builders, investors, miners, policymakers, technologists, and newcomers from around the world. The event will feature a wide range of pass types, including general admission passes designed specifically for those new to Bitcoin, alongside premium passes for professionals, enterprises, and institutions.
With multiple stages, immersive experiences, technical workshops, and headline keynotes, Bitcoin 2026 is designed to serve both first-time attendees and long-time Bitcoiners shaping the next era of global adoption.
Past Bitcoin Conferences in the U.S.
Bitcoin’s flagship conference has scaled dramatically over the past five years:
2021 – M