Being bold is the new currency
With the rise of digital tender taking the world by storm, convention founder David Haslop says the Coast has found itself in a unique position to cash in on the growing interest around the likes of Bitcoin
THERE will be no suits, no ties and no stuffy boardrooms at this business conference. Instead, it’s all about Bitcoin billionaires, nightclubs and afterparties. It’s crypto, baby. And the Gold Coast is where it’s at.
The city will play host to the country’s first international crypto convention this September, with some of the world’s biggest – and richest – names of the digital currency market in attendance.
Already organiser David Haslop, founder of the Crypto Den trading education platform, has had to double the space he’s booked at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre and he’s had so many sponsors come aboard he’s actually reduced ticket prices … which, of course, can be paid in crypto.
A former tradie and father of two young children, this 33year-old is a living example of just why crypto has become so popular … and why the Coast is its perfect match.
He left his home in Bathurst more than a decade ago to build a better life here on the Glitter Strip … and then left his job on the tools as a chippie to build his dream career as a crypto investor. David, whose Crypto Den has more than 50,000 members, says he’s part of a generation wh ich
wants to make its own rules, which is why so many invest in new technologies – and why so many of these start-ups make their home on the Coast.
He says the crypto industry is creating a jobs boom – with a recent report showing a quarter of a million Aussies could be employed in the industry by 2030 – and the city is poised to be its capital.
“It really is a whole culture,” he says.
“That’s why the Australian Crypto Convention makes perfect sense here. We’re not about Powerpoint presentations and suits and ties … we’re about excitement and fun – even though we’re serious about this industry.
“There’s no intimidation factor here, no ego … we don’t have to play by the old rules anymore, we can make our own. We want to work hard by day and then afterwards we’ll party hard at Nineteen (at the Star).
“The vibe of the Coast is the vibe of crypto … it’s about giving something new a go and having fun doing it.”
Judging by recent comments from Mayor Tom Tate, whom David is inviting to the convention, it seems the crypto king’s sentiments are on the money.
Mayor Tate last month said he wanted to get council into the non-fungible tokens (NFT) business, selling digital representations of its existing art and sculpture collection in a bid to fund the next stage of the cultural precinct’s expansion and generate income for the artists.
NFTS are similar to property title deeds and allow a person to buy an image, its copyright, licensing and digital reproduction rights while the original owner retails the physical asset. Crypto-currency is needed to buy the images.
David says part of the convention’s purpose is to help people understand not just crypto but NFTS, the metaverse and blockchain technology so that they can, literally, get
invested. He says some of the world’s biggest names in crypto will be speaking at the convention, including Michael Saylor, the billionaire co-founder of business intelligence software company Microstrategy, which owns more Bitcoin than any other corporation in the world.
“This is the future, without a doubt,” he says.
“When people hear ‘crypto’ they just think Bitcoin but there’s so much more to it. That’s what this convention is all about, teaching everyone about everything cryptic.
“We’ve got some big personalities and identities in the crypto world who will be speaking. We’re trying to make as big an impact as we can so we can really educate as many people as we can.
“Part of that education is teaching people this is not some magical internet coin that you can buy a unicorn with. As with any investment or industry, there is risk.
“But it’s a very young industry so there is huge potential for growth. Right now the global adoption of crypto is still only at five per cent – yet major financial institutions like ANZ are already invested.
“It’s not too late to learn … and there is a lot to learn.”
David says while Bitcoin in particular is in a slump right now, it’s all about the overall trend of crypto … and longterm, he believes the only way is up. Despite his confidence, he has a warning for all potential investors.
“My top tip is don’t spend a single cent until you’ve done enough research to understand what crypto is and what it does,” he says.
“I don’t want people buying a damn thing until they understand it. That’s my number one tip.
“My second tip is the old cliche: never invest more than you’re willing to lose.
“I started with $30 in Coinspot and made $150 … I thought, ‘well, that was easy’. I
We don’t have to play by the old rules anymore, we can make our own ...
did that a few more times and thought I was a genius.
“Then I lost it all because I got ahead of myself. That’s when I realised there is a future here, but I need to understand it. So I spent five years educating myself and teaching myself how to trade.
“I started my own company to help others understand the technical analysis and how to read markets, and eventually I made enough from my business and my trading to quit my day job on the tools. Now I’m doing what I love and living where I love now, and that’s incredible.
“I live and breathe crypto, I’m that guy. I’m only invested in Bitcoin and Ethereum, but I trade in the smaller currencies daily and I’m passionate about it.
“It’s fascinating, it’s liberating and it’s fun.”
David says he decided to organise the Australian Crypto Convention simply because it was something he wanted to attend.
He says he still can’t believe he’s the first one to set up this exhibition, but it makes perfect sense that it would finally happen on the Gold Coast.
“I was searching to see where a convention like this was in Australia … and there wasn’t one,” he says.
“So I figured, I’ll do it myself. It was a bit of a gamble, especially organising it during a pandemic when rules and regulations were changing daily .. but it’s paid off.
“We’ve had huge interest not just from investors or people interested in investing but from start-ups in the crypto world, there are so many based here on the Gold Coast.
“This really is an industry that this city is getting in on at the ground floor. And it’s only going up.
“It’s great that we have a mayor who sees that potential too.
“I want this convention to be an annual event … and who knows, maybe one year soon we’ll be including a tour of HOTA’S NFT gallery."
It’s the Gold Coast, baby … anything can happen.