Santa Monica Launches Bitcoin Office and Largest Bitcoin Festival This October!
The city of Santa Monica, California, has made a significant move in the crypto space by establishing a Bitcoin Office aimed at providing education, identifying economic opportunities, and strengthening the city’s position as a hub for Bitcoin innovation.
The office is partnered with the nonprofit organization Proof of Workforce, which focuses on Bitcoin education for the workforce, unions, and pension funds.
The Santa Monica Bitcoin Office was established through a unanimous vote of the Santa Monica City Council on July 11, 2024. The office’s official website went live on August 8, 2024, but it did not provide any concrete details beyond announcing that the city would be hosting a Bitcoin festival in October.
The office is part of a community-based education initiative coordinated by the Proof of Workforce Foundation, an organization founded by Dominick Bei, a Santa Monica firefighter and former president of the firefighters union.
The office’s primary mission is to not only provide education, but also identify and facilitate Bitcoin industry partnerships that can support Santa Monica’s economic recovery and create new job opportunities.
The organization is not charging the city for its coordination efforts, and as a nonprofit, it is not required to disclose the identities of its donors.
Santa Monica will also be hosting the Peer to Peer Bitcoin Festival, an event that appears to be related to an event originally planned by Swan Bitcoin. Swan previously announced on August 5, 2024, that it was canceling the Pacific Bitcoin Festival that was scheduled to be held in Santa Monica. The cancellation follows the company’s decision to reduce its staff.
The event planned by Swan will be replaced with a smaller event on October 17. However, the event promoted by the city of Santa Monica is scheduled to take place on October 18, indicating that the city is continuing the spirit of the Bitcoin festival, albeit on a smaller scale.
