You have to realize the Bitcoin Conference is a giant networking game to "have a seat at the table". I've attended it twice, had a great time, but realized what it is quickly. That being said, to my friends that are attending especially for work or even pleasure, please have fun, but raise your awareness and speak out when you can. At best, this event is entertainment and incredible connections with brilliant humans. And worst is what it's become, a big shiny platform for the elite class of politicians, bankers, and regulators, Bitcoin was made to rescue us from. While champions of Bitcoin and freedom are sent to PRISON for contributing to privacy by writing code, a fed that wants to ensure no one else tries that again is speaking at the main stage, you can't make this stuff up. The centralization of one big bitcoin club creates a culture of mainstream, and that's exactly how you get a controlled narrative pushed by the wrong people. This is the evolution of a big industry (Big Bitcoin?) that once was as punk and grassroots as can be. And now it's become a machine to influence where capital and attention gets directed. And it's directed at things that make that big club money, not improving Bitcoin's attributes to empower humanity. Bitcoin's social layer is proving to be our biggest weakness. Because up top, these big networks always have a self-reinforcing pressure that makes going against the grain extremely risky. It's the same evolutionary mindset of going against your tribe, the risk of being outcasted then dying off is high. Your favorite and biggest figures in Bitcoin know very well that their sponsors, conference invites, guest appearances, and investments all depend on this. None of them will callout and boycott David Bailey and the conference for what it is because of this. But it's simple. Anything anybody does that does not improve Bitcoin's decentralization, privacy, security, self-custody, and grassroots community - eventually becomes a grifter in the space to make money. Remember that Bitcoin doesn't have central servers, so reject them at the social layer like your node would in the protocol layer. We should never idolize and let the big stages get this influential. Direct your energy more to meetups, regional conferences, and projects you can see benefiting your life as a Bitcoiner.