The Bitcoin community continues to develop tools and services that could be helpful as Europe grapples with conflict, migration and government overreach.
The Bitcoin (BTC) community in Europe continues to be a voice in combatting social problems affecting the continent, according to podcast host Erik Dale.
The founder and CEO of the Northern Lightning conferences, which hosts several Bitcoin events across Europe, believes the continent’s Bitcoin community is fostering ideals that will be crucial to address ongoing conflict situations and social issues.
Speaking to Cointelegraph journalist Joe Hall during BTC Prague 2023 in the Czech Republic, Dale highlighted Bitcoin’s unique position to combat social and economic injustice in Europe, given the plethora of startups and companies building various tools for the preeminent cryptocurrency:
“Europe is a continent that faces challenges of war, of migration, of government overreach, and a lot of people see Bitcoin as a way to get out of Europe, as a form of exit, and I’m here to say that Bitcoin is also a voice.”
Dale believes that the wider Bitcoin community across Europe is building an “ecosystem of ideas” that could influence the continent’s development into the future.
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War remains a concern for the Bitcoin for Breakfast podcast host as the Ukrainian-Russian conflict rages on. While nation-states battle against each other, Bitcoin proponents also face an uphill battle in their campaign for the adoption of decentralized financial tools:
“I don’t think the battle for decentralization with Bitcoin will be any different. I think there will be parallels to it; we can probably look at the reformation and the very shaky compromises which led to religious wars and civil strife.”
Dale hopes to see Bitcoin become part of a new-age, peaceful monetary revolution, taking inspiration from the Czech Republic’s fight against nazism and communism in the past.
“It was a velvet revolution here in Prague that showed us just how peacefully we can throw off a seemingly entrenched and corrupt system like fiat or communism.”
Regulation of the cryptocurrency space has been a major talking point across Europe over the past two years, with the European Union taking steps to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework for the industry.
The Markets in Crypto-Assets bill is set to come into effect in 2024, introducing a host of requirements for cryptocurrency exchanges and ecosystem participants to use and trade cryptocurrencies on the continent.
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