Around here, we don’t stop at the glass ceiling.

We keep rising. 🌆✨🤝

This Canada Crypto Week, SheCrypto and New Friendship Tech are joining forces for an evening of networking, community, and celebration ~ 44 stories above Toronto.

Join us at Bisha, a Luxury Collection Hotel, for great conversations, new connections, incredible views, and a night designed to bring together founders, builders, investors, creators, and friends from across the blockchain ecosystem.

The Evening

7:00–10:00 PM
Mister C

Start the night with SheCrypto and Women In Bitcoin + Blockchain Fund networking with some unstoppable New Friendship Tech vibes.

Connect with members of the SheCrypto and New Friendship Tech communities - meet new people and enjoy a relaxed lounge atmosphere before heading upstairs for the after-party.

We will have SheCrypto cameras on-site so you can share your blockchain stories, which will appear on our socials newsletter and blog (interviews from 8-10 p.m.)!

10:00 PM–2:00 AM
KŌST Rooftop After-Party

Then, at 10 p.m., we’re taking the celebration to the roof for an New Friendship Tech after-party!

Located 44 stories above Toronto’s Entertainment District, KŌST offers sweeping skyline views, an incredible look at the CN Tower, music, energy, and the perfect setting to close out the night.

Event Details

Bisha, a Luxury Collection Hotel
80 Blue Jays Way
Toronto, Ontario

Co-Hosted By

Kelly Ann Collins
SheCrypto

Eric Spivak
New Friendship Tech

I really appreciate Eric for working hard to make this happen. He’s been amazing! 🤝✨

Whether you’re attending Blockchain Futurist Conference, ETHWomen, or in town for Canada Crypto Week, come join us for an evening of unforgettable views, and endless possibilities!

Bring your friends. Bring your ideas. Bring your best rooftop energy. ✨

—» RSVP now!

💫 Let’s keep shining, keep building!

SheCrypto is powered by the people (yep, that’s you 🚀). Want the alpha and the vibes delivered straight to you? Smash that subscribe button.

Subscribe now

All SheCrypto content/events is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Not financial advice. Always DYOR.

We loved this interview! Karla is great!

Enjoy!

Best,
Kelly Ann

In this episode:

• How Karla went from fashion branding in Amsterdam to leading brand at a LatAm stablecoin company

• Why crypto companies all look the same, and what fashion people see that techies miss

• Making a payments platform feel human when your customers move billions

• Why compliance should be your creative team’s best friend

• Building for Latin America: fragmented economies, real missions, and financial freedom

• Being a citizen of the world, and how a cross cultural lens becomes a marketing edge

• The live 23andMe reveal: Kelly finds out she’s part Dominican 🇩🇴

• Lightning round: pen and paper, theme walks, and why the future of crypto is female

• Spanish language SheCrypto content coming soon

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome and Meet Karla Troncoso

01:10 From Fashion and Beauty to Crypto

06:03 What Fashion Teaches You About Branding

09:45 Day to Day at a LatAm Payments Startup

11:44 Making Crypto Approachable and Human

15:27 Building for Latin America

19:36 Citizen of the World: The Cross-Cultural Edge

23:49 Kelly’s 23andMe Reveal

24:45 Lightning Round

29:04 Where to Find Karla and Capa

Want to bring SheCrypto to your event?

We partner with conferences and companies ready to put more women in the room, and on the stage. Reach out and let’s make it happen. kac@shecrypto.org

💫 Let’s keep shining, keep building!

SheCrypto is powered by the people (yep, that’s you 🚀). Want the alpha and the vibes delivered straight to you? Smash that subscribe button.

Subscribe now

This episode and all SheCrypto content is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Not financial advice. Always DYOR.

They’ve been called the fastest-growing corner of finance. Platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi are making headlines every week, and everyone from sports fans to political junkies is suddenly “trading” their opinions.

But this week’s guest is looking at the boom through a different lens: ethics.

On the latest episode of SheCrypto, Laura and I sat down with Gina Antoniello, a professor at NYU’s Tisch Institute for Global Sport, where she serves as academic director and teaches go-to-market strategy at the intersection of sports and business.

Gina’s résumé reads like a tour of the sports business world. Before entering academia, she held roles with the Golden State Warriors, the Brooklyn Nets, and the XFL. Today, she researches and teaches at what she calls the intersection of ethics and enterprise, which is exactly where our conversation lived.

Because here’s the tension she named, and it stuck with me:

Sports betting and prediction markets are among the fastest-growing areas of modern finance, attracting institutional capital, legal battles, and a rapidly expanding cultural footprint. And, in her words, the sector is growing on the back of addiction.

She cited a Fortune report on the numbers: Americans wagered around $167 billion on sports in 2025 alone, and roughly a quarter of sports bettors show signs of being unable to control their gambling. As Gina put it, addiction doesn’t just destroy savings. It destroys relationships and, in the worst cases, lives. These aren’t abstract statistics. They’re real people.

That’s a rare thing to hear from someone working inside this industry, and it’s why this conversation is worth your time, regardless of how you feel about prediction markets.

Her Project: SafeBets

Gina is currently applying her go-to-market expertise to SafeBets, an early-stage prediction platform she is helping develop alongside her teaching.

In the episode, she walks us through how the model is designed to work. Instead of users wagering their own money, the platform gives new users tokens to make predictions. The company says its returns are intended to come from trading against pricing inefficiencies across other prediction markets rather than from participants losing to one another.

Gina frames it as an attempt to create an alternative to the addiction-driven model, allowing people to express their convictions and participate in collective intelligence without putting their own capital on the line.

We asked the questions you’d want asked: Where does the money actually come from? How are winners paid? And how does the platform define the questions people are predicting on?

Her sports analogy here is a good one: Even experts can’t agree on how to define a “sports fan,” illustrating why ambiguity in prediction questions remains a real, unresolved industry problem.

It’s still early days for the venture. As with anything new in this space, do your own research before participating in any platform or token. That goes double for anything involving a future token offering.

💫 Let’s keep shining, keep building!

SheCrypto is powered by the people (yep, that’s you 🚀). Want the alpha and the vibes delivered straight to you? Smash that subscribe button.

Subscribe now

This episode and all SheCrypto content is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Not financial advice. Always DYOR.

I love a good hidden signal.

The flashy stuff gets the headlines. Price crashes, liquidations, celebrity predictions. But some of the most useful information in this market lives in quiet little metrics that most people never look at.

This week, one of those quiet metrics did something it has never done before.

Bitcoin has traded at a discount on Coinbase compared to Binance for 50 consecutive trading days, according to CoinGlass data (as of July 7). That’s the longest stretch since the Coinbase Premium Index started being tracked. The previous record, set earlier this year between January 16 and February 24, was 40 days.

So what does that actually mean? Let’s break it down. ⬇️

First, What Is the Coinbase Premium?

Bitcoin trades on exchanges all over the world at the same time, and the price can differ slightly between them.

Coinbase is the main venue for American investors, especially institutions. Binance serves the global market and doesn’t operate in the US. The Coinbase Premium Index measures the price difference between Bitcoin on Coinbase and Binance and is widely used as a proxy for U.S. spot demand.

When the number is positive, Bitcoin costs more on Coinbase. American buyers are showing up and paying up. Because U.S. institutions often deploy billions of dollars through regulated exchanges, like Coinbase, their activity can have an outsized impact on market trends.

When it’s negative, Bitcoin is cheaper on Coinbase. US demand has been weaker than demand on offshore exchanges.

One negative day is noise. Fifty in a row is a story.

The Story Behind the Streak

The streak began on May 19. Several factors likely contributed, with sustained ETF outflows appearing to be one of the biggest.

June saw one of the largest monthly waves of spot Bitcoin ETF outflows since the funds launched, reflecting a sharp pullback in institutional demand.

Several industry data providers reported roughly $4.5 billion in net outflows from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs during June, making it one of the largest monthly withdrawals since the funds launched in January 2024. They also showed assets under management falling to roughly $74 billion from peaks above $150 billion.

Persistent ETF outflows likely contributed to weaker demand on U.S. exchanges, which coincided with the prolonged negative Coinbase Premium. Bitcoin gets cheaper on Coinbase relative to the rest of the world, and the premium goes negative.

Fifty consecutive negative readings suggest U.S.-based buying has remained consistently weaker than global demand.

Historically, sustained positive Coinbase Premium readings have often accompanied strong bull markets, reflecting periods when U.S. investors were consistently willing to pay more than the global market. Likewise, extended negative stretches have frequently appeared during weaker phases of the cycle. Like any indicator, though, it works best alongside other signals rather than in isolation.

Then Came July 2.

Here’s where it gets interesting.

On July 2, US spot Bitcoin ETFs pulled in $221.7 million, their first positive day after 10 straight days of outflows, and their biggest single day in about two months.

Two things sparked it. New Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, speaking at the central banking forum in Portugal, said inflation risks had eased, one of his clearest indications yet that the Fed could begin taking a less hawkish stance. And the June jobs report came in soft, with only 57,000 jobs added versus roughly 115,000 expected, easing fears of another rate hike.

Bitcoin bounced from around $58,000 at the start of the month to above $64,000 by July 6 before cooling back toward $62,000. It has since climbed back to around $64,000.

Even so, a single rebound doesn’t erase a 50-day trend. The Coinbase Premium remained in negative territory at the time of writing, suggesting U.S. demand has yet to fully recover. Still, the recent ETF inflows could be the first real crack in the wall.

What I’ll Be Watching

The June inflation report lands July 14, and the Fed meets July 28 and 29. A cooler print gives Warsh room to stay dovish. A hot one probably puts the pressure right back on.

Whether ETF inflows can string together weeks, not days. A few green sessions may simply be a bounce. Several consecutive positive weeks would be a genuine demand turn.

The premium itself. If US buyers really are coming back, this index should grind toward zero and eventually flip positive. That flip, when it comes, has historically been one of the better early signals that a new leg is starting.

And the regulatory front. Regulatory uncertainty, including the delayed CLARITY Act, is another factor institutional investors continue to watch.

Why I Think This Matters

At SheCrypto, we talk constantly about financial education, and this is exactly the kind of thing I mean.

You don’t need a Bloomberg terminal or a trading desk to follow the Coinbase Premium Index. It’s free, it’s public, and it tells you something surveys and hot takes can’t: whether the biggest pool of capital in the world is actually buying or actually leaving.

Learning to read signals like this is how you stop reacting to headlines and start understanding markets. That skill is available to everyone. Especially us.

Not financial advice, as always. Just one more tool for the toolkit.

So I’ll leave you with the question I keep asking myself: is July 2 the start of the turn, or just a breather in the streak?

I’d love to hear what you think.

Talk soon!

Best,
Kelly Ann Collins

Note: All SheCrypto content is for informational and entertainment purposes only.
Not financial advice. Always DYOR.

Happy Weekend, everyone!

This week felt like the deep breath before something big. And honestly? We’ve been using every minute of it.

Here’s your roundup. ⬇️

📰 The News You Actually Need

A few things worth knowing from this week, in under a minute:

Bitcoin bounced. After dipping to around $58,000 at the start of the month, BTC climbed back above $64,000 before settling in the low $62,000s. Not a moonshot, but a welcome relief rally. Now, it’s back at 64K!

US Bitcoin ETFs finally saw green. On July 2, spot Bitcoin ETFs pulled in $221.7 million, their biggest single day in about two months and the first positive day after 10 straight days of outflows. One day doesn’t make a trend, but it’s the first crack in a very long wall. (I wrote a whole piece on the signal behind this if you want to go deeper.)

Two dates to circle. The June inflation report drops July 14, and there’s a CLARITY Act hearing scheduled for July 17. Both could set the tone for the rest of the summer.

Okay, news done. Now the fun stuff.

🎙️ What We Published This Week

Laura Leparulo came on the show, and the origin story is everything. She is head of marketing at Blockchain Futurist Conference, and she joined us to share how Canada’s largest Web3 event actually began: with her sister Tracy’s microfinance program in Kenya, a nightmare of overseas payment fees, and a discovery called Bitcoin. We also got into why they’ve kept the event stubbornly community-first while lost of conferences went corporate. If you’re heading to Toronto (or wish you were), listen to this one first. (Oh, and we still have a few tickets left!)

Also, we’re heading to Asia. Bitcoin Asia hits Hong Kong August 27 and 28, and if you’re planning to attend, consider grabbing your ticket through the SheCrypto link in our recent post. A portion of every ticket supports our work sending women to conferences, at no extra cost to you. 💜

And if you missed it, we made merch. Hats, shirts, and a lamp that glows pink when the market pumps. A percentage of every purchase keeps SheCrypto going. 🧢💡 Email kac@shecrypto.org if you would like a hat, shirt, lamp, mug. We’ve got you!

Coming very soon: a conversation with a creative director who went from fashion branding in Amsterdam to leading brand at one of LatAm’s fastest growing stablecoin companies. It includes a live ancestry plot twist I’m still not over. Stay tuned. 👀

🚀 One Week Until Blockchain Futurist

In just over a week, Blockchain Futurist Conference takes over Toronto (July 21 and 22), and I could not be more ready.

This is Canada’s largest Web3 and AI gathering, bringing together more than 10,000 attendees, 250+ speakers, and everyone from protocol builders and founders to policymakers and the big banks. It’s all part of Canada Crypto Week, and the conversations this year center on exactly the things that matter: regulation, stablecoins, real adoption, and the AI and blockchain convergence.

BREAKING NEWS - WE’RE THROWING A PARTY. Details coming soon. Subscribe now to get the invitation deets!

A few things on my personal list:

The ETHWomen sessions (always the most packed room at the event, and that tells you something). The SheFi breakfast. The NFT gallery featuring more than 120 artists. The invite-only regulation briefing bringing Canadian policymakers to the table. And, yes, you can literally take a free water taxi to the venue with skyline views the whole way. This conference does not miss!

The full story of how this event came to be is in this week’s episode with Laura Leparulo. It’s a great listen before you go.

And here’s the part I’m most excited about: we’re going all-in.

I will be on the podcast stage, bright and early Tuesday with Chris Champion.

We will also be doing a full recap after the event, and booking women for interviews all week. If you can’t be in Toronto, we want you to feel like you were in the room anyway. That’s the whole point of SheCrypto.

Stick to our socials for updates.

🎟️ Want to Come? We’ve Got You.

If you’re anywhere near Toronto on July 21 and 22, come find me. Seriously. I’ll be there with our community, and I’d love to meet you.

Even better: we have a limited number of complimentary conference tickets through the Women In Bitcoin + Blockchain Fund. Email tickets@shecrypto.org and grab one while they last.

Get your passport ready. Get in the room. That’s what we’re all about. 💫

So tell me: what are you most looking forward to hearing about from Blockchain Futurist? Hit reply or drop it in the comments. I read everything.

Talk soon!

Best,
Kelly Ann Collins

Note: All SheCrypto content is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Not financial advice. Always DYOR.

Just about two months after the European Union’s landmark Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation officially came into full effect, Europe’s blockchain industry is entering a new chapter.

And this September, many of the people leading that transformation will be in one place.

The European Blockchain Convention (EBC12) returns to Barcelona September 16–17 for what is expected to be Europe’s first major institutional gathering in the post-MiCA era. As an official media partner, SheCrypto is thrilled to be joining the event to bring our community interviews, insights, and behind-the-scenes coverage from one of the most important blockchain conferences of the year.

For years, conversations around digital assets focused on whether governments would regulate crypto. Today, that conversation has changed. MiCA is now fully in force across the European Union, and the focus has shifted toward implementation, institutional adoption, licensing, tokenization, stablecoins, and what compliant blockchain innovation looks like at scale.

That’s exactly what EBC12 is designed to explore.

Held at Barcelona’s Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, the conference is expected to welcome more than 5,000 attendees from 90+ countries, along with 300+ speakers representing banks, regulators, asset managers, infrastructure providers, startups, and policymakers.

Even more notably, organizers expect representatives from 80 of Europe’s top 100 banks, a significant increase from approximately 50 participating last year.

Europe Is Setting the Pace

While many jurisdictions around the world continue developing their digital asset frameworks, Europe has taken a major step forward by implementing one comprehensive regulatory structure across member states.

That clarity is already influencing institutional activity.

Recent developments include Deutsche Börse’s reported $200 million investment in Kraken, while Santander’s digital bank, Openbank, has expanded crypto trading services across Germany and Spain. These institutions—and many others—will be part of the discussions taking place in Barcelona.

Rather than traveling across multiple financial centers including London, Paris, Frankfurt, Zurich, and Barcelona, EBC brings much of Europe’s digital asset ecosystem together under one roof for two days of networking, dealmaking, and collaboration.

A Speaker Lineup Built for Institutional Adoption

This year’s program features leaders from some of the biggest names in finance and digital assets, including:

• Emma Landriault, Head of Kinexys Labs at J.P. Morgan

• Mohamad Zaraket, Head of Digital Assets Strategy EMEA at BNY

• Kathleen Wrynn, Global Head of Digital Assets at Invesco

• Victor Jung, Vice President, Digital Assets & Currencies at Hamilton Lane

• Previn Singh from Fidelity

• Colin Payne, Head of Innovation at the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority

Sessions will cover topics including:

• Real-world asset (RWA) tokenization

• Stablecoins

• Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)

• Institutional capital allocation

• Regulatory frameworks

• Market infrastructure

• Digital asset custody

• The future of compliant blockchain finance

Beyond the keynote sessions, attendees can participate in more than 10,000 pre-arranged one-on-one meetings, a dedicated Buy Side Breakfast for institutional investors, and extensive networking opportunities throughout the event.

Why SheCrypto Is Excited

One of our favorite parts of covering conferences is bringing our community beyond the stage.

As an official media partner, SheCrypto will highlight emerging trends, share conversations from across the ecosystem, and showcase the women and leaders helping shape the future of blockchain.

Whether you’re an investor, founder, policymaker, developer, or simply curious about where digital assets are headed next, EBC12 represents one of the year’s biggest opportunities to hear directly from the institutions building that future.

We’ll see you in Barcelona. 🇪🇸💜

Note: All SheCrypto content is for informational and entertainment purposes only.
Not financial advice. Always DYOR.

SheCrypto is a reader-supported publication.
To receive new posts and support my work, consider
becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Subscribe now

With fewer than 50 days until Bitcoin Asia 2026, the region’s largest Bitcoin-focused conference is quickly taking shape—and if it’s already on your calendar, now is the time to grab your pass before prices increase on July 18.

Current pricing (through July 17):
⚡ General Admission: $88 → $98
⚡ GA+: $187 → $197

The event returns to Hong Kong’s Convention & Exhibition Centre on August 27–28, bringing together Bitcoin builders, investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, developers, and institutions from across Asia and around the world.

If you're planning to attend, consider purchasing your ticket through SheCrypto's link. A portion of every ticket sold helps support our work to expand access, education, and opportunities for women in Bitcoin and blockchain - at no additional cost to you. 💜

Programming this year includes dedicated tracks on Bitcoin for Corporations, open-source development, mining, networking, and institutional adoption, alongside one of the strongest speaker lineups the conference has assembled to date.

New Speakers Join an Already Impressive Lineup

Two newly announced speakers highlight just how global Bitcoin has become.

Brian Hoonjong Paik

Brian Hoonjong Paik is the Co-Founder and CEO of SmashFi, a company building what it describes as the world’s first intelligent Bitcoin savings account. His work focuses on helping long-term Bitcoin holders put their assets to work while maintaining a Bitcoin-first approach to saving and wealth creation.

As more companies build financial products specifically around Bitcoin—not just crypto broadly—expect conversations around Bitcoin-native finance, long-term saving strategies, and the next generation of financial infrastructure.

Anndy Lian

Anndy Lian brings a very different perspective.

A bestselling author and longtime blockchain advisor, Lian serves as Chief Digital Advisor to Mongolia’s Productivity Organization and has spent years working with governments, regulators, and institutions throughout Asia on blockchain strategy and digital asset adoption.

His sessions typically bridge technology, public policy, investment, and regulation—making him one of the more interesting voices for anyone watching how governments across Asia are approaching Bitcoin.

The Lineup Keeps Growing

These additions join an already stacked roster featuring names including Balaji Srinivasan, David Bailey, Simon Gerovich of Metaplanet, Justin Sun, Gracy Chen of Bitget, Mark Yusko, Irene Gao of Bitmain, Stephan Livera, Jeff Walton, and dozens of founders, investors, developers, researchers, and policymakers shaping Bitcoin’s future.

Why We’re Watching

One of the biggest trends in Bitcoin right now isn’t just price.

It’s geography.

Some of the most interesting conversations around mining, treasury strategies, regulation, payments, and institutional adoption are increasingly happening across Asia. Hong Kong continues positioning itself as a major digital asset hub, making Bitcoin Asia one of the best places to hear directly from the people building the next phase of the ecosystem.

If last year’s event was any indication, expect major announcements, plenty of networking, and conversations that continue long after the stages go dark.

If you’re planning to attend, don’t wait too long.

Order now. Ticket prices increase July 18. And, extra bonus, when you purchase with our link, a portion of ticket proceeds will support SheCrypto, which is a U.S.-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Note: All SheCrypto content is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Not financial advice. Always DYOR.

As marketing director of Blockchain Futurist Conference (and co-founder of ETHWomen!), Laura has been instrumental in its growth into one of North America’s largest gatherings for blockchain, Web3, AI, and emerging technologies.

Since launching in 2018, the conference has become known for its immersive venues, high-energy networking, and conversations with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Vitalik Buterin, Charles Hoskinson, and Eric Trump.

Laura’s background spans global event production, marketing, media relations, sponsorships, and attendee experience, with technology events held in cities across the globe from Toronto, New York, and Chicago, to Sydney, Rome, and Bangkok.

And, through ETHWomen, which takes place alongside Blockchain Futurist Conference, she has also helped create more opportunities for women to connect, learn, and build careers in Web3.

This week on SheCrypto, Laura joined me and co-host Laura Suárez León to talk about how it all started, and the origin story is one of my favorite parts of the whole conversation.

The story begins with her sister, Tracy Leparulo, in Kenya.

Tracy was running a microfinance program there through her university, teaching women the basics of starting a business and saving money. When she returned to Canada and tried to keep the program going, she hit a wall: sending money overseas was a nightmare. Her search for a better way led her to Bitcoin, then to Ethereum, which was being built in Toronto at the time.

She organized Canada’s first Bitcoin Expo, in 2014, volunteered to help the early Ethereum community run its first event, and then, in 2018, launched what would become the country’s largest Web3 gathering: Blockchain Futurist Conference.

Since then, the event has been wildly successful, and, in 2024, it was acquired by Emerald, America’s largest producer of B2B trade shows - which just made it even cooler with the original team continuing to run it.

Laura also opened up about something we talk about constantly at SheCrypto: access.

While plenty of conferences have drifted toward corporate pricing, Futurist has stayed stubbornly community-first. (They even launched a free ticket program with us here at SheCrypto!) As Laura put it, this technology was supposed to level the playing field, and the events around it should, too. We compared notes on how hard it can be to get event access for people who are building but aren’t backed by a Fortune 500 badge, and it made me appreciate their approach even more.

And then, there’s the magic of the event itself.

The venue is unlike anything else in the conference world. It takes place at Rebel Entertainment Complex and Cabana Pool Bar, which is the largest day club and nightclub complex in North America, with a multi-million-dollar stage, 250 feet of LEDs, lounge-style sponsor booths, and an outdoor cabana where, as Laura says, the deals get made. This year, attendees can even arrive by water taxi, courtesy of sponsor Tetra, with a skyline view of Toronto on the way in. Are you ready for it?

Blockchain Futurist Conference returns to Toronto July 21–22.

Bringing together more than 10,000 attendees, 250+ speakers, 200+ partners, and 100+ media organizations for two days of innovation, networking, and the future of digital technology, Blockchain Futurist Conference a part of Canada Crypto Week.

Here are few things at the top of my personal list:

• the ETHWomen sessions (always packed, and Laura’s favorite, too)

• the podcast stage (Psst! I’ll be ON IT Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. with Chris Champion. Come and hang with us!)

• the SheFi breakfast

• the invite-only regulation and compliance briefing bringing Canadian policymakers to the table

• some Pudgy Penguin action

• the NFT gallery featuring more than 120 artists (with a metaverse gallery for those attending from afar)

• the AI and blockchain bootcamp for beginners

• the Cayman Finance rum bar,

• and yes, a certain giant Pepe cottage lounge you’ll have to see to believe.

Honestly, I am so psyched. It’s been a minute since I was in Toronto, and I have been ready to go back. Between Canada Crypto Week, Blockchain Futurist Conference, all the side events, and catching up with friends from around the world, it’s one of those trips where every hour feels packed with opportunities to learn, connect, and have fun.

A huge thank you to Laura and the entire Blockchain Futurist Conference team for welcoming me and SheCrypto back year after year. It’s been amazing to grow alongside this event and to help bring more women into the room.

Planning to attend? SheCrypto and the Women In Bitcoin + Blockchain Fund will be onsite both days and we would love to connect! Message me on Telegram @itskac.

Need a ticket? Email tickets@shecrypto.org to request a complimentary conference ticket while supplies last.

We can’t wait to see you in Toronto … and in the future. ✨

XxOo,
Kelly Ann Collins

Note: All SheCrypto content is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Not financial advice. Always DYOR.

Every once in a while, something gets announced that makes me stop scrolling.

This week, that was Open USD, or, a the cool kids on X are calling it … OUSD.

On Tuesday, June 30, Open Standard announced a new U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin. My first thought? Okay ... another stablecoin.

Then I started digging in.

The more I read, the more I realized this isn’t just another company launching another digital dollar. The model itself is trying to do something different, and that’s why so many people across crypto are paying attention.

Here’s what stood out to me. ⬇️

Instead of one company issuing the stablecoin and keeping most of the revenue generated from the reserves, Open USD is being built as a shared ecosystem. After a small fee to cover operations, the interest earned on those reserves is designed to flow back to the companies using and growing the network.

Governance is shared, too.

Open Standard operates the project independently, but its partners have seats on the board. That’s a very different approach than we’ve seen from most of the major stablecoin issuers.

And there are already a lot of partners.

What also caught my attention is that Open USD isn’t positioning itself primarily as another trading asset. The focus is payments and moving money globally. Minting and redeeming OUSD will be free, there won’t be artificial volume caps, and the goal is to create infrastructure businesses can actually use to build.

The network isn’t live yet. It’s expected to launch later this year, beginning on Solana, with Base and Stellar planned to follow.

Why I Think This Is Worth Watching

For years, the stablecoin market has largely been dominated by Tether (a.k.a. USDT).

Like most issuers, Tether keeps the majority of the revenue generated from the reserves backing its stablecoin. That’s been the standard model across much of the industry.

Open USD is asking a different question: What happens if the economics are shared?

The companies helping grow the ecosystem also participate in the returns generated by the reserves. Whether that ultimately works remains to be seen, but I appreciate seeing teams experiment with new incentive structures instead of simply copying what’s already been done.

Why It Matters Beyond Stablecoins

One thing I find myself thinking about more and more is who gets to help build the next generation of financial infrastructure.

At SheCrypto, we talk constantly about creating more access, more education, and more opportunities for people who haven’t always had a seat at the table.

When governance and incentives are shared instead of concentrated, there’s at least the possibility for more builders, more startups, more global participation, and, hopefully, more women helping shape the future of finance from the beginning rather than being invited in later.

Will Open USD accomplish all of that?

No one knows yet.

But I like seeing projects challenge assumptions instead of accepting that things have to work the way they always have.

What I’ll Be Watching

Now comes the real test.

Will major payment companies actually integrate it?

How transparent will reserve management and governance be?

Will the shared yield model change how companies decide which stablecoin to support?

The announcement alone sparked a lot of conversation across the industry. While it’s difficult to attribute market moves to any one event, Circle’s (CRCL) stock was closely watched following the news as investors weighed what Open USD could mean for the future of stablecoins.

Note: Circle is the company behind USDC, the second-largest stablecoin in the world. Open USD is a separate project and is widely viewed as a potential competitor to Circle’s business model.

Also worth noting (NFA): Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest purchased approximately $17.8 million of Circle (CRCL) stock around the same time the stablecoin conversation heated up. While that doesn’t necessarily mean the purchase was driven by Open USD, it does suggest institutional investors continue to see opportunity in the stablecoin space.

My takeaway? We may be entering the beginning of some friendly stablecoin wars. Instead of competing only on trust and liquidity, projects are starting to compete on economics, partnerships, governance, and distribution. That’s a much more interesting story than simply launching another digital dollar.

Whether Open USD becomes a major player or not, I think it’s an important reminder that crypto is still evolving. We. Are. Still. Early. The infrastructure we’re going to rely on over the next decade is being built right now, and conversations like this help shape where it’s headed.

I’d love to hear what you think. Is the consortium model the future of stablecoins, or do you think the traditional issuer model still makes more sense?

Talk soon!

Best,
Kelly Ann Collins

Note: All SheCrypto content is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Not financial advice. Always DYOR.

This week, crypto markets showed signs of stabilization after a difficult period.

Bitcoin recovered from levels near $58,000 earlier in the week and pushed back toward the $61,000–$62,000 range by Friday.

The move was supported by a short squeeze, with more than $450 million in short positions liquidated in a 24-hour period on one day.

Price Action and Market Moves

Ethereum and Solana outperformed Bitcoin during the recovery. Ethereum posted gains of around 9–10% over the past few days in some sessions, while Solana extended its weekly advance to nearly 18% at points during the week. Both assets benefited from improved risk sentiment and stronger buying interest compared to Bitcoin.

Stablecoin Developments

One of the more significant developments was the launch of Open USD (OUSD), a new dollar-pegged stablecoin introduced by Open Standard on June 30. The project is backed by a consortium of over 140 companies, including Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, BlackRock, and Coinbase. Unlike traditional stablecoins where the issuer typically retains most of the yield from reserves, Open USD is structured to share those returns with its partners. While still in its early stages, the launch has drawn attention as a potential shift in how institutional stablecoin infrastructure could develop.

Traditional Finance Moves On-Chain

Another notable move came from Robinhood, which officially launched its own Arbitrum-based Layer-2 blockchain. The platform is planning to use the network for tokenized stock trading and expanded DeFi offerings. This marks one of the more direct steps by a major traditional brokerage into building its own on-chain infrastructure.

Institutional Activity

On the institutional front, Bitcoin spot ETFs saw a return of inflows after 10 consecutive days of outflows. More than $221 million flowed into Bitcoin ETFs on July 2, marking the first positive day in nearly two weeks. Additionally, BlackRock transferred more than 20,000 BTC (worth approximately $1.22 billion) to Coinbase over four days, though the specific purpose of the transfers has not been confirmed.

Wrapping Up the Week

Overall, the week was characterized by attempts at recovery rather than a decisive trend. While price action improved and some institutional flows returned, sentiment remains cautious as the market digests recent volatility and watches how new infrastructure projects, particularly in stablecoins and tokenization, begin to take shape.

What stood out to you this week? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

All SheCrypto content is for informational and entertainment purposes only.

Not financial advice. Always DYOR.

In this episode:

• What changes when you attend a major conference without media obligations

• The “spam” email that turned into a Prague Castle VIP invitation

• Watching Jack Mallers line up for the Q&A like everyone else

• The sold-out SatoShe women’s event: 80 women and one clear message about demand

• How women are showing up, connecting, and leading at global blockchain events

• Why access to the highest rooms is still unevenly distributed, and the fund working to change it

• An open invitation: partner with SheCrypto to bring women to your main stage

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction to SheCrypto and Co-Hosts

• 06:43 The Unfiltered BTC Prague Experience

• 14:12 The Shift in Women’s Presence in Crypto

• 18:05 Lessons Learned and Bringing It Home

Resources & Links:

• SheCrypto
  → https://shecrypto.org

• BTC Prague
  → https://btcprague.com

• Yaeunda Pou
  LinkedIn → https://linkedin.com/in/yaeundapou
  X → https://x.com/yaeunda

• Laura Suárez León
  LinkedIn → https://linkedin.com/in/laurasuarezleon

  X → https://x.com/laissu
  Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/lauraisuarez

• Kelly Ann Collins
  LinkedIn → https://linkedin.com/in/itskac
  X → https://x.com/itskac
  Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/kellyann.xyz

• SheCrypto
  LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/shecryptohq
  Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/shecryptohq
  X → https://x.com/shecryptohq
  Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/SheCrypto
  TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@shecryptomedia
  Threads → https://www.threads.com/@shecryptohq
  

Want to bring SheCrypto to your event?

We partner with conferences and companies ready to put more women in the room, and on the stage. Reach out and let’s make it happen. kac@shecrypto.org

💫 Let’s keep shining, keep building!

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This episode and all SheCrypto content is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Not financial advice. Always DYOR.

There are Bitcoin conferences.

And then there are the rooms where decisions get made.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend Bitcoin for Corporations (BFC) NYC 2026, an invitation-only symposium that brought together approximately 250 corporate decision-makers - CFOs, corporate treasurers, capital allocators, operators, institutional investors, and Bitcoin infrastructure leaders - for a day of focused discussions at The Glasshouse in Manhattan.

Presented by Metaplanet, which “isn’t just a bag,” or box, “of Bitcoin,” according to Dylan LeClair, Managing Director of Bitcoin Strategy at Metaplanet, the event wasn’t designed for spectators. It was built for the executives actively evaluating and executing Bitcoin treasury strategies.

The event itself described the moment perfectly:

“Institutional interest in Bitcoin is accelerating, from corporate treasuries to digital credit and capital markets. BFC in NYC is where the institutions leading that shift convene.”

That message carried through every keynote, panel discussion, and conversation throughout the day.

Unlike many Bitcoin events where the spotlight often falls on market cycles or price action, BFC NYC focused on execution. The conversations centered on treasury strategy, balance sheet optimization, digital credit, capital markets, institutional infrastructure, governance, lending, and long-term corporate planning.

Walking through the venue, one thought kept coming to mind:

Bitcoin has entered the boardroom.

A Different Kind of Bitcoin Event

The symposium’s intentionally smaller format created a noticeably different atmosphere.

Instead of thousands of attendees moving between multiple stages, executives and institutional leaders shared a single room, creating opportunities for meaningful conversations throughout the day.

Networking wasn’t an afterthought. It was part of the program.

From discussions overlooking the Hudson River to conversations between sessions, the event encouraged connections between the people building the next phase of institutional Bitcoin.

Four Themes Defined the Day

1. Treasury Strategy Has Become the Conversation

The biggest shift wasn’t Bitcoin itself.

It was the language surrounding it.

Rather than debating whether companies should own Bitcoin, discussions focused on implementation:

• Treasury management

• Corporate governance

• Capital allocation

• Balance sheet optimization

• Shareholder value

• Long-term financial strategy

One panel, “Maximizing Bitcoin on the Balance Sheet,” brought together Joshua Lim (FalconX), Himanshu Sahay (Arch Lending), Hunter Albright (SALT Lending), and Jay Pollak (VerifiedX) to discuss how organizations are thinking about Bitcoin as a strategic corporate asset rather than a speculative investment.

🔍 SheCrypto Spotlight: Wall Street’s Message Was Clear

Another standout discussion brought together leaders from BlackRock, Barclays, and BitGo to examine why corporate Bitcoin adoption is moving from early adoption to broader institutional implementation.

The conversation explored several themes shaping today’s market:

• BlackRock discussed why Bitcoin adoption is becoming increasingly difficult for institutions to ignore.

• IBIT now reflects a roughly 50/50 mix of institutional and retail investors, highlighting growing institutional participation.

• Barclays addressed the maturation of digital asset markets and why traditional financial institutions are becoming more engaged.

• Speakers emphasized the growing need for digital credit markets, investable issuers, and stronger financial infrastructure to support long-term corporate adoption.

• The panel also reflected on the broader evolution of Wall Street’s perspective on Bitcoin, including Larry Fink’s well-known shift from skeptic to supporter.

The discussion reinforced one of the symposium’s central themes: the conversation has evolved from “Should institutions consider Bitcoin?” to “How do institutions implement Bitcoin responsibly?”

Watch the talk now.

2. Infrastructure Is Catching Up

Another recurring theme was infrastructure.

Institutional adoption doesn’t happen with one company buying Bitcoin.

It requires custody, lending, accounting, compliance, liquidity, treasury tools, governance frameworks, and trusted service providers.

That ecosystem was visible throughout the symposium.

Companies represented included Strategy, Metaplanet, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, FalconX, Kraken Institutional, Crypto.com, Treasury, Strive, SALT Lending, Arch Lending, VerifiedX, PublicSquare, Nakamoto, Avalon Labs, OrangeBTC, UTXO, Capital B, Byte Federal, Mangrove, LQwD, GIGA, and many others—all contributing different pieces of the institutional Bitcoin landscape. Oh, and, shameless self-plug, me, repping SheCrypto and the Women In Bitcoin + Blockchain Fund (which has sent more than 2,000 women to conferences for free in the past year). :)

3. Digital Credit Is Emerging as the Next Frontier

One of the day’s most interesting discussions focused on “Underwriting Digital Credit: Collateral, Structure, and Discipline.”

The panel featured Dan Hillery (True North), Jeff Walton (Strive), Tyler Evans (UTXO), and Alexandre Laizet (Capital B), who we have been seeing everywhere these days, exploring how Bitcoin-backed lending and digital credit markets are evolving.

The conversation reflected a broader trend: Bitcoin is no longer viewed solely as an asset to hold. Increasingly, it’s becoming part of a larger financial system built around collateral, liquidity, and disciplined capital management.

4. Institutional Adoption Is Accelerating

BFC NYC wasn’t just about U.S. companies.

It reflected a growing international movement.

With Metaplanet serving as presenting sponsor and leaders from around the world participating, the symposium highlighted how corporate Bitcoin adoption is expanding beyond any single market.

As George Mekhail, Managing Director of Bitcoin for Corporations, said ahead of the event:

“Corporate Bitcoin is no longer an emerging thesis; it’s an operating reality for hundreds of public companies worldwide.”

Who Was in the Room?

BFC NYC brought together executives and leaders from organizations across the institutional Bitcoin ecosystem, including:

• Strategy

• Metaplanet

• BTC Inc.

• Bitcoin for Corporations

• BitGo

• Fidelity Digital Assets

• FalconX

• Kraken Institutional

• Crypto.com

• Treasury

• Strive

• SALT Lending

• Arch Lending

• VerifiedX

• True North

• UTXO

• Capital B

• PublicSquare

• Nakamoto

• Avalon Labs

• Byte Federal

• OrangeBTC

• Mangrove

• LQwD

• GIGA

• Samara Asset Group

• Paystand

• Prenetics

• MELIUZ

• mNAV

• XCE

• OnNexus

The speaker lineup included executives from those companies, along with leaders such as Simon Gerovich (Metaplanet), David Bailey (Nakamoto), George Mekhail (Bitcoin for Corporations), Amanda Fabiano (Nakamoto), and others contributing to the growing institutional Bitcoin movement.

I also bumped into Treasury’s CMO, Laura Peijs, and its CEO, Khing Oei, who are both super impressive, building Europe’s leading Bitcoin treasury company.

- > Check them out.

Final Thoughts

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from BFC NYC wasn’t any single announcement.

It was the realization that the conversation has evolved.

The language of institutional Bitcoin increasingly mirrors the language of traditional finance: treasury strategy, capital allocation, governance, digital credit, infrastructure, and long-term planning.

The event’s tagline described it best:

“Where digital assets and traditional finance converge.”

If BFC NYC is any indication, Bitcoin’s next chapter won’t be written solely by traders or technologists.

It will also be written in boardrooms, treasury departments, and executive meetings—by the leaders deciding how Bitcoin fits into the future of corporate finance.

Your wallet. Your rules. Your moment.

You don’t need permission to take up space in this place.

Subscribe now

Who’s in Prague?

Before the conference chaos kicks off, come slow down with us over strong coffee and warm pastries. We’re serving alpha, caffeine, and community — no gatekeepers, just good vibes.

It’s low-key, high-vibe. Pull up a chair.

On the menu: 🧇 Fresh pastries ☕ Strong coffee 💬 Chill convo before the chaos

When: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 · 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Where: Fat Cat — Old Town, Prague Jalovcová 235/2, 110 00 Praha 1-Staré Město. Inside Hotel Palác U Kočků (Palace At the Cats), a short stroll from the Hard Rock Cafe and the Prague Astronomical Clock.

👉 Save a spot: https://luma.com/cdromowj

👯‍♀️ All women and folks with chill HODL vibes are welcome.

Hosted by Kelly Ann Collins and Laura Suárez León. Sponsored by the Women In Bitcoin Fund and SheCrypto. Questions? DM us on Insta! @SheCryptoHQ

BTC Prague has a special place in my heart. 🧡

It’s where the idea for the Women In Bitcoin + Blockchain Fund really started to take shape - in 2024 - after I met so many brilliant women (and men!) from around the world who believed Bitcoin, and the power of blockchain, should be for everyone.

Since then ...

• We’ve helped 2,000+ women attend major Bitcoin and blockchain conferences and events at no cost, opening doors to education and opportunity.

• We launched SheCrypto, a platform by Unstoppable Future Corporation that amplifies the voices, stories, and achievements of women, as well as industry leaders, like Brock Pierce, across the ecosystem.

• Our newsletter made its way into the top 30 “Rising In Crypto” stars!⚡(No shame in my game ... subscribe now!)

This year, I’m so thrilled to head back to where it all began with new stories to tell, an even bigger mission, and our BTC girl crew. ✨

If you’re attending BTC Prague, let’s connect. We’d love to meet potential podcast guests, partners, sponsors, and anyone passionate about the future of finance.

It’s funny how a single conference can spark an idea that grows into a movement.

Who’s joining us? Let’s go!

Cheers!
Kelly Ann Collins

Your wallet. Your rules. Your moment.

You don’t need permission to take up space in this place.

Stay in the Loop

Back the Movement

Big news, SheCrypto fam: we are officially an Official Media Partner of NFC Summit 2026 ~ one of Europe’s most exciting Web3 and digital art conferences, happening June 4–6 in Lisbon, Portugal!

And because this partnership is about more than a logo on a website, we negotiated something for you: 50% off tickets using code NFCSHCRPT20 (valid for 20 spots only, so don’t wait).

👉 Grab your discounted ticket here

Why This Partnership Matters to Us

At SheCrypto, everything we do comes back to one mission: bringing more women into Web3 ~ to learn, to build, to grow their careers and businesses, and to take their seat at the table in an industry that is still writing its rules.

NFC Summit has expressed its own commitment to expanding access to the Web3 ecosystem, and that shared value is why we said yes to this partnership. We believe events like this one are where careers change, collaborations start, and the next generation of Web3 leaders discovers what’s possible.

The more women who walk through those doors, the better the space gets — for everyone.

What Is NFC Summit?

NFC Summit is widely regarded as one of the most forward-thinking Web3 conferences in Europe. Now in its fifth edition, it’s not just a conference ~ it’s a three-day festival-style experience where digital art, blockchain innovation, and culture collide.

This year, NFC Summit takes over Unicorn Factory Lisboa in Lisbon’s Beato Innovation District, with programming across four stages and immersive art installations spanning the entire venue ~ from a four-floor Art Factory to outdoor container galleries.

The 2026 program includes:

• Keynotes, panels, talks, workshops, debates, and fireside chats across four dedicated stages

• A site-wide digital art program curated in collaboration with 100 collectors, including large-scale installations and curated exhibitions

• Gaming startup competitions

• Live performances and immersive experiences blending physical and digital worlds

• Side events and networking opportunities throughout Lisbon

Speakers and curators confirmed for 2026 include:

• John Karp — Founder of NFC Summit, Web3 and NFT visionary

• Pauline Foessel — CEO of 100 Collectors; curator bridging traditional and digital art globally

• Rani Jabban — Director of Art

• Ramzi Amairi — Tech Banking Lead at Natixis, advising global fintech and crypto innovators

• Grida — Digital artist known for surreal, geometric NFTs exploring nature and technology

• Seth Goldstein — Blending engineering, art, and NFTs through kinetic sculptures and Bright Moments DAO

• Arthemort (Brian Beccafico) — Digital art visionary and founder of Artcrush

• Benny Redbeard — Digital artist and Web3 culture contributor

• Seung Hyun Lee — Founder of CoinEasy, helping global Web3 projects enter the Korean market

• And many more builders, collectors, and creators shaping the next decade of the space

Whether you’re a collector, creator, founder, or just starting to explore Web3, there is something here for you.

We’ll Be There ~ and We’ll Bring It Back to You

Our team will be at NFC Summit covering the event from the inside. After the conference, watch for our full recap on SheCrypto ~ featuring highlights, key takeaways, and the conversations that mattered most. Because not everyone can make it to Lisbon, and no one in our community should be left out of the loop.

Your Exclusive 50% Discount ~ Don’t Miss It

This code is for our community only, and it’s valid for just 20 spots:

Code: NFCSHCRPT20

To redeem:

1. Visit the NFC Summit ticket portal

2. Click “Get Tickets”

3. Select “NFC Summit 26 - Media Ticket” at checkout

4. Enter your code

The event is June 4–6 in Lisbon. If you’ve been looking for a reason to go — this is it.

Questions? Reach out to us at tickets@shecrypto.org or find us on all the usual channels. See you in Lisbon!

Your wallet.
Your rules.
Your moment.

You don’t need permission to take up space in this place.

Stay in the Loop

Back the Movement

Ali Tager, communications lead at NCA and host of the Crypto, Explained podcast, joins Laura and me, fresh off the conference circuit - SXSW, Bitcoin and XRP in Vegas, and a blockchain stop in Miami - to break down what 10,000 U.S. crypto holders told The Harris Poll this year. Spoiler: the findings hit different.

Here’s what the data actually shows:

• Crypto ownership jumped from 1 in 5 to 1 in 4 U.S. adults in a single year - that’s 67 million people

• 12 million new Americans entered the market in the past year alone (the combined population of NYC + LA)

• Women are the fastest-growing segment - 42% of new holders identify as female, up from 34% among earlier adopters

• Older Americans are joining too: 28% of new holders are 55+, double the share from prior years

• The average holder has less than $5,000 on chain - and more than half of all holders earn under $150K (per our chat with Ali)

• 41% send crypto to friends and family (up from 31% in 2025), 40% shop and pay with it, and 19% donate to charity

• 87% of holders are actively using crypto - up from 80% last year

• 54% say crypto has increased their financial independence (up from 49%)

• 77% say crypto has had a positive impact on their lives - vs. just 3% who say negative

• 83% feel proud, 81% feel confident, and 78% feel empowered about their financial lives

• 90% plan to buy more crypto in the next year; 72% plan to spend it; 65% plan to send it to friends or family

• 69% of holders trust crypto - edging out the 65% who trust traditional banking

• 76% want their bank to let them buy and manage crypto alongside regular accounts

• 82% expect the overall crypto market to grow over the next 5 years

• The South holds the biggest share of crypto holders at 38% - not Silicon Valley

And, a few stats worth adding to round out the picture:

• The 87% active usage rate (up from 80%) - a powerful signal of crypto moving from buy-and-hold to daily utility

• The 90% purchase intent and the breakdown of how people plan to use crypto next year (buy, spend, send, donate, pay employees)

• The “paying employees” stat - 37% of holders plan to send crypto to employees, which is a huge signal for the future of payroll

• 76% want bank integration - not to replace banks, but to work alongside them

• 82% bullish on the 5-year market outlook

• The trust gap between crypto (69%) and traditional banking (65%) - that one deserves its own moment

• The emotional impact stats: 83% proud, 81% confident, 78% empowered

• The gaming surge (20% → 28%) and property tokenization growth (15% → 19%)

• Regional breakdown: South 38%, West 27%, Northeast 18%, Midwest 18%

This is crypto going from novelty to normalcy - and the SheCrypto community has been ahead of this curve all along.

Want to dig into the full report? → https://nca.org/resources

They called it a boys’ club.
The data disagrees.

Join the women rewriting the story - one block at a time.

Stay in the Loop

Back the Movement

Let’s start with CoinDesk’s own words.

On CoinDesk’s Consensus 2026 event page, it describes its official events like this: “verified venues, confirmed guest experiences, and direct integration with the Consensus attendee community.”

These are, by Consensus’ own definition, the events they stand behind.

So here is what CoinDesk stood behind at Consensus 2026 in Miami. … Naked and near-naked women used as entertainment. Men - professional attendees at one of the largest crypto conferences in the world - urinating on themselves. Content so graphic that when attendees tried to post footage on LinkedIn, the platform’s own moderation systems flagged it as NSFW and suppressed the posts.

Read that again.

LinkedIn - the professional networking platform - decided that content from CoinDesk’s official, verified, stood-behind Consensus event experience was too explicit for a professional audience.

And, as of today, May 18, 2026, CoinDesk has issued no meaningful public statement addressing what happened at its official event.

As of today, the photos, like the ones here, are still circulating on social media.

And Consensus Wasn’t Even the First Time.

If the Miami afterparty felt like it came out of nowhere, consider what happened just two years earlier across the Atlantic.

At the S+DAS London conference in 2024, crypto custody firm Copper, chaired by Lord Philip Hammond, the former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, hosted a party where people were served sushi off the bodies of half-naked female models. This was reported in detail by The Times of London. A major national newspaper. A major crypto firm. A former government minister’s name attached to it.

There was some outrage. Some posts. Then the industry moved on - apparently, straight to Miami. London 2024. Miami 2026. Two events, two countries, one industry - and the same message: women are scenery.

“London 2024. Miami 2026. Two events, two countries, one industry - and the same message: women are scenery.”

The pattern isn’t subtle. These aren’t fringe incidents. They’re happening at events organized by, or directly connected to, some of the biggest and most visible names in the entire crypto ecosystem. And the silence that follows each one is its own kind of answer.

It’s Not Just Offensive.
It Has Real Consequences.

Here’s what gets missed every time someone waves things like this off as “just a party.”

The afterparty is not separate from the conference. The party is business. And women are being priced out of it. The relationships that turn into funding rounds, advisory roles, co-founder conversations, and job offers - a huge chunk of them happen after hours. Over drinks. In exactly these rooms.

When those rooms are designed to make women feel like they’re part of the entertainment rather than part of the industry, they leave early. They don’t come back next year. They steer clear of the whole circuit. And quietly, without a single dramatic confrontation, the network closes. The deals happen without them. The industry keeps its shape.

We hear from women in crypto constantly - in DMs, in our emails, in our community, in hushed conversations at side events - about which conferences feel safe and which ones feel like you need to stay alert, stick with people you trust, and get out before it gets weird. That constant calculation is exhausting. And, it is absolutely keeping talented women out of rooms where they belong.

“The afterparty is not separate from the conference. The party is business. And women are being priced out of it.”

Crypto Said It Was the Great Equalizer.
The Parties Say Otherwise.

We’ve heard the pitch a thousand times. Crypto is permissionless. Decentralized. Your wallet doesn’t have a gender. Bitcoin is for everyone. No gatekeepers. No old boys’ networks. Just code and opportunity, open to all.

And then the afterparty happens, and the ideology dissolves.

The gap between what crypto claims to be and what its culture actually looks like at its marquee events is enormous. And it has downstream consequences that go way beyond bad vibes. Culture shapes who builds the technology. Who funds it. Who it gets built for. What problems it actually prioritizes solving.

Women hold a massive share of global wealth and financial decision-making.

Women in underbanked regions stand to gain enormously from DeFi done right. Women investors consistently demonstrate stronger long-term performance. And yet crypto - the movement that was supposed to dismantle old financial power structures - has spent a decade recreating some of the worst aspects of the culture it claimed to replace.

The numbers tell a story of slow but undeniable momentum: women now make up roughly 26% of global crypto investors, up from a fraction of that just a few years ago, and female-driven volume on crypto exchanges surged over 118% in 2025 alone - outpacing men's 99% growth over the same period. Among Gen Z women, ownership has jumped to 35%, up from 22% just two years prior. In the U.S., women now account for 44% of new wallet registrations. The direction is clear.

And here's the stat that should stop everyone in their tracks: according to the 2026 State of Crypto Holders Report by the National Cryptocurrency Association (NCA), "When you separate those who bought crypto for the first time in the past year from those who entered the market over the previous 15 years, the two groups look strikingly different. The newer wave is more likely to be female, with 42% of recent purchasers identifying as women compared to 34% among earlier adopters."

The future of crypto is being written by women - the industry just hasn't caught up yet.

And that gap isn’t just ironic; it’s expensive.

Women control an estimated $31 trillion in global consumer spending. They are the fastest-growing segment of crypto buyers. They hold assets longer and panic-sell less. They are, by nearly every measure, the kind of investor and user this industry should be aggressively courting - and the businesses that recognize that soonest will have an enormous competitive advantage over those that don’t.

When the culture at crypto’s biggest events is actively signaling that women don’t belong at the table, that is not just a moral failure - that is a strategic mistake with a price tag attached and compounding consequences. Products built without women in the room fail to serve women. Protocols designed by all-male teams miss use cases that matter to half the planet. Teams without diverse leadership miss the use cases that will define the next wave of adoption. And in a market this competitive, that kind of self-inflicted blind spot doesn’t stay invisible for long.

The talent pipeline problem and the culture problem are not separate issues. One is causing the other. And the people running this industry on the wrong side of that equation will be the ones who pay for it.

Let’s Also Talk About the Women In The Room

We want to be clear about something - because this conversation can’t happen without it. The women performing at these events are not the problem. We are not angry at them. Not for a second.

Let's be honest about how women end up in these positions. It's not a lack of ambition or intelligence - it's a lack of access.

Women - especially young women, especially women without access to the networks and capital that crypto insiders take for granted - often have very few options that pay that well, that fast. That is a systemic reality. It is not a personal failing. And it deserves to be named plainly rather than glossed over.

When the professional world consistently undervalues women, underpays them, and shuts them out of the rooms where real money is made, survival economics take over. These are women who are often just as sharp, just as driven, and just as capable as any man closing deals in that same room - they just never got the same on-ramp. That's what SheCrypto is here to change. We want every woman who has ever felt like her only currency was her body to know: your mind is worth more. Your ideas have value. And there is a community ready to back you.

The frustration here belongs entirely with the organizers of this event - the executives who stood in that room and thought: yes, this is the right vibe for our industry event. I am personally annoyed at the “bro” culture that has decided, over and over again, that the best way to celebrate success is to turn women’s bodies into décor, into serving platters, into entertainment for a room full of men who are there to chat about financial decisions. Every time a crypto firm books women as props at an industry event, it makes it harder for women to be taken seriously as professionals in the same room.

There is a direct line between those two things. When women’s bodies are literally on the table at a crypto event, every woman trying to get a seat at that table has to work twice as hard to even be seen as a colleague - versus a part of the entertainment. Events like these poison the professional environment for every woman in the building - whether she’s there to perform, to network, to pitch, or to invest.

“Every time a crypto firm books women as props at an industry event, it makes it harder for women to be taken seriously as professionals in the same room.”

The women in crypto who are building companies, managing funds, writing protocols, and growing communities don’t want to be on the table. They want a seat at it. And right now, the industry keeps setting the table in a way that makes that seat feel unwelcoming, unsafe, and, frankly, insulting.

That has to stop. Not because we’re asking nicely. Because the data makes it an existential question for the industry’s own future.

A Direct Word to CoinDesk - and Copper

CoinDesk: you help to define the narrative of this entire industry through your journalism and your events. Consensus is your flagship. You own the branding, you approve the partners, you wrote the language about standing behind verified experiences. So own this one, too, and then actually do something about it.

Copper: you operate at the institutional level, where the professional tone for this industry gets set and signalled to the rest of the market. A former UK Chancellor chairs your board. You serve sushi off women’s bodies at industry events. Those two things cannot coexist with any claim to institutional credibility.

The fact that no one in either room stopped and said, “Should we maybe not do this?” is the entire problem in miniature. When behaviour is this normalized, it stops registering as a choice. That is precisely the moment when it matters most to make a different one - and most revealing that you didn’t.

This Is Exactly Why SheCrypto Exists.

We are not here to ask the existing power structures to be kinder.
We are not here to petition CoinDesk to throw better parties.
We are here to build something different - from the ground up, on our own terms.

SheCrypto is the platform built for women who are already in crypto, almost in crypto, and everywhere in between. Every week, our newsletters deliver news, analysis, and industry coverage that doesn’t treat women as an afterthought - including the founders, builders, investors, and operators that outlets like CoinDesk consistently overlook. Because the women shaping this industry deserve to be on the record, not just in the room.

SheCrypto also partners with industry events to get women through the door - with credentials, not as decoration - and then shows up alongside them, so there’s never that moment of walking into a sea of strangers and wondering where to stand. There’s a gang. You’re in it. If something gets weird you always have someone to call.

For women who want to go deeper, SheCrypto also hosts workshops and meetups that meet members where they actually are - whether that’s understanding your first wallet or structuring a deal. The education is practical, the connections are real, and nobody is networking with an angle.

SheCrypto is not a women’s auxiliary to the main event. SheCrypto is the main event - a professional community that takes women in crypto as seriously as the bros should have from the start.

Women are already in this industry. Already building, already investing, already grinding. They are not waiting for permission. They just deserve spaces that don’t spend the evening reminding them that many of the people in the room see them as guests in someone else’s house. When industry events treat women as props, it is a recruitment problem, a retention problem, a talent problem, an innovation problem, and a credibility problem - all at once.

SheCrypto is our answer to every single one of those.

This is a refund request waiting to happen.

Consensus isn’t cheap. Tickets, travel, hotels - attendees invest serious money to be in these rooms. They attended to network, build, and grow. CoinDesk gave them an afterparty LinkedIn flagged as NSFW.

It’s also a failure to set an example for men.

Good men in this industry showed up to do business - and were handed an environment that normalized exactly the culture they should be pushing back against. The next generation of men in crypto is watching and learning the standard. Right now, the industry’s biggest event is setting that standard in the worst possible way. Leadership isn’t just about what you build. It’s about what you allow. And CoinDesk allowed this.

That’s not a guest experience. That’s a refund request waiting to happen.

CoinDesk owes all of us an apology.

— Kelly Ann Collins
Founder of SheCrypto

You are not the décor.
You are the industry.

Join the community that’s building the crypto world
women deserve ~ and actually want.

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Back the Movement

In a recent conversation with SheCrypto, Ania shared her journey from traditional law into the world of blockchain, DeFi, and digital asset regulation, along with insights into the growing role women can play in the future of Web3.

As Chief Legal Officer at Nexus Mutual, Ania works across investments, compliance, GDPR, regulatory strategy, and complex recovery efforts tied to major industry events like FTX. But her path into crypto started with curiosity about innovation and the opportunity to help build new systems from the ground up.

Throughout the discussion, Ania explained how legal professionals are becoming increasingly important in Web3 as governments, companies, and decentralized platforms work to navigate regulation, security, and consumer protection while still encouraging innovation.

She also highlighted the unique role Nexus Mutual plays in the ecosystem, helping provide alternative coverage solutions for digital assets and decentralized finance users, an area that continues growing alongside the broader crypto industry.

For women considering careers in blockchain law, compliance, or regulation, Ania emphasized that the industry needs more diverse voices and perspectives.

“The legal work in crypto is complex but rewarding,” she said. “Women in blockchain can make a huge difference.”

The conversation also explored how emerging technologies, including AI tools, are helping legal and compliance teams work more efficiently in an increasingly global and fast-moving environment.

As blockchain adoption continues expanding worldwide, leaders like Ania are helping bridge the gap between innovation and regulation, while opening doors for the next generation entering the space.

Learn more about Ania: LinkedIn profile

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DYK? SheCrypto is an official partner of Bitcoin 2027.
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This month, Laura Suárez León and I have been working hard to expand SheCrypto’s global community across Europe and North America.

From Ibiza Tech Forum and Crypto Valley Conference in Switzerland, to Blockchain Futurist Conference in Toronto and European Blockchain Convention in Barcelona, we’ve got tickets!

As SheCrypto continues growing internationally, our mission remains focused on creating access, elevating women in Web3, and building meaningful connections through real-world conversations, events, and partnerships around the globe.

Last year, we helped more than 1,600 of our closest girlfrenz attend some of the hottest Web3 and blockchain events in the world. This year? We’ve got our sights set on 2,000.

Want in? Email tickets@shecrypto.org before they’re gone.

Let’s go!

Cheers,
Kelly Ann

SheCrypto is supported by the community, for the community!
Consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Subscribe now

Learn more about SheCrypto.
- SheCrypto’s mission -
- DYOR and read the disclaimer -

Want to connect?
💌 Email: partners@shecrypto.org
💬 DM: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram

DYK? SheCrypto is an official partner of Bitcoin 2027.
Lock in your spot before rates increase.

👉 Grab your discounted tickets here!

As the conference wraps, one theme stands out above the noise: crypto is no longer just something people debate … it is something more and more people are starting to use.

Ali joined SheCrypto on-site, right before she took the BTC stage, to share what she’d heard throughout the week, and through the NCA’s “Crypto Confessions” activation, a private video booth where attendees share unfiltered thoughts.

Across both this activation in Vegas and NCA’s previous one at SXSW, a clear pattern emerged: the crypto audience is not one group … it is three:

• Skeptics shaped by headlines and uncertainty

• Curious newcomers who want in but do not know where to start

• Confident users already integrating crypto into their lives

Not hype. Not uniform excitement. But real, evolving engagement. And that evolution is backed by data.

The National Cryptocurrency Association is leaning into that shift - prioritizing access over complexity.

Its focus is on building tools and sharing information that meet people where they are with:

• A weekly podcast: Crypto, Explained

• Beginner-friendly lessons modeled after Duolingo

• A hands-on wallet simulator where users can learn by doing, without risk

These may seem like simple ideas, but they are powerful - because, as Ali explained, confidence comes from clarity. And confidence is what turns curiosity into action. It is what moves people from watching to participating, from hesitation to real-world use.

And that shift is already happening, which points directly to what comes next.

The real takeaway from this year’s Bitcoin Conference? The future of crypto will not be decided by the loudest voices. It will be shaped by the people quietly learning, testing, and using it every day.

No hype cycle required.

SheCrypto is an official partner of Bitcoin 2027.
Lock in your spot before rates increase.

👉 Grab your discounted tickets here!

SheCrypto is supported by the community, for the community!
Consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Subscribe now

Learn more about SheCrypto.
- SheCrypto’s mission -
- DYOR and read the disclaimer -

Want to connect?
💌 Email: partners@shecrypto.org
💬 DM: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram