BTC143: Local Bitcoin Education & Meet-ups w/ Rod Roudi (Bitcoin Podcast)
Aug 16, 2023
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Rod Roudi, the founder of Bitcoin Park in Nashville, shares his journey from local meetups to creating a vibrant hub for Bitcoin enthusiasts. He discusses the importance of grassroots education and community building in fostering Bitcoin adoption. The conversation highlights innovative approaches to engage policymakers and promote Bitcoin awareness. Roudi also reflects on key takeaways from the recent Bitcoin Lightning Summit, emphasizing collaborative efforts and a robust local community that empowers entrepreneurs and drives innovations in the cryptocurrency space.
The creation of Bitcoin Park in Nashville has helped foster grassroots Bitcoin adoption in the community through monthly topic-focused meetups and a community-supported campus.
Bitcoin Park in Nashville offers dedicated buildings and amenities such as a bar, co-working space, and event space to support Bitcoin adoption, entrepreneurship, and collaboration in the city.
Bitcoin Park actively engages with policymakers to educate them about Bitcoin's values and potential impact on the local community, aiming to drive Bitcoin entrepreneurship and attract developers and entrepreneurs to Nashville.
Deep dives
Creating a Bitcoin Meetup in Nashville
The podcast episode discusses the creation of a Bitcoin meetup in Nashville, Tennessee. The meetup started with a small group of 20 people and has since grown to include monthly topic-focused meetups with up to 100 attendees. The success of the meetups led to the establishment of Bitcoin Park, a community-supported campus in Nashville. Bitcoin Park serves as a home for Bitcoiners to work, learn, collaborate, and build. It offers various amenities and features, including dedicated spaces, AV equipment, and even a Lightning Summit. The meetup and Bitcoin Park have attracted a diverse range of Bitcoin enthusiasts, including investors, entrepreneurs, and developers, fostering grassroots Bitcoin adoption in the Nashville community.
The Evolution of Bitcoin Park
Bitcoin Park in Nashville has undergone significant growth and development since its inception. It started with informal meetups on park benches and evolved into more structured, topic-focused events. The success of these events led to the need for a dedicated space for Bitcoin enthusiasts. In June 2022, Bitcoin Park opened its doors as a community-supported campus. The park features dedicated buildings with a bar, co-working space, event space, and rooms for recording podcasts and content creation. It aims to foster Bitcoin adoption, entrepreneurship, and collaboration in Nashville and attract talent and developers to the city.
Engaging with Politics and Bitcoin Entrepreneurship
Bitcoin Park has become actively involved in the political landscape of Tennessee and Nashville. The aim is to educate policymakers about Bitcoin and its potential impact on the local community. The park views Bitcoin as a tool for freedom and strives to support local Bitcoin adoption and entrepreneurship. Engaging with politicians allows for the dissemination of information about Bitcoin's values, including censorship resistance and permissionless freedom money. Bitcoin Park believes that driving Bitcoin entrepreneurship in Nashville will compound the city's talent and attract more developers and entrepreneurs to the Bitcoin space.
The Monthly Bitcoin Brainstorm with Ark Invest
Bitcoin Park has teamed up with Ark Invest to create the Monthly Bitcoin Brainstorm. This is a podcast-style episode featuring discussions around various Bitcoin-related topics. The first episode focused on building and scaling in the Bitcoin space, with participants including Preston Pysh, Jack Mallers, and Kathy Wood. The Monthly Bitcoin Brainstorm aims to curate meaningful conversations and provide valuable insights to high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional investors. Bitcoin Park and Ark Invest plan to release a new episode each month, covering different Bitcoin-related topics.
Future Plans and the Bitcoin Conference
Bitcoin Park is preparing for future events, including the Bitcoin Conference, which is expected to bring over 20,000 attendees to Nashville. While Bitcoin Park's capacity is limited, the team aims to make the park a member-focused space and continue hosting regular meetups, bitdevs, and workshops throughout the year. Bitcoin Park is eager to drive further Bitcoin adoption in the local community and believes that Nashville has the potential to become a hub for Bitcoin entrepreneurship and innovation. The team also continues to welcome and engage with various Bitcoin builders, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts who visit the park.
Preston Pysh and Rod Roudi talk about how Rod participated in a local Bitcoin meetup in his hometown and took things to the next level by creating an entire park that has attracted numerous developers and Bitcoin builders to the city.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:
00:00 - Intro
02:17 - How did Rod run the initial Nashville Bitcoin meet-up?
09:23 - What is the mission at Bitcoin Park?
09:23 - What should people consider for their own local meet-ups?
14:19 - Is it important for people to engage with policymakers about Bitcoin?
27:24 - What were some of the key takeaways Rod had from the recent Bitcoin Lightning Summit in Nashville?
47:55 - What is Rod doing with Cathie Woods' Ark?
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