Opening Remarks

As the co-founder and chief executive officer of BTC Inc., David Bailey is an industry leader and evangelist for the decentralized future. Since 2013, BTC Inc has grown to offer critical intelligence, brand-building expertise and technical incubation specialized for the Bitcoin ecosystem, as well as industry-leading projects like Bitcoin Magazine, the Bitcoin 2022 conference, and Carrot. The company now operates in multiple countries and its brands are quickly becoming household names.Bailey sits on the board of advisors for the University of Alabama.  He was managing partner at 402 Digital Partners, which is one of the earliest Bitcoin funds.  He is currently general partner of UTXO Management; and is an active angel investor in the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Simon is the President of Metaplanet Inc., a publicly traded company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Metaplanet is undergoing a strategic transformation, leveraging Bitcoin as its principal treasury reserve asset. Metaplanet utilizes excess cash flow and implements accretive corporate governance, including financial management strategies such as debt and equity financing, to further its Bitcoin accumulation.

Simon has been an active investor in the digital asset ecosystem since 2014. He started his career at Goldman Sachs in Tokyo as an equity derivatives trader. He was a co-founder and Chairman of Red Planet Hotels, a regional hotel company focused on Asia’s value hotel sector. Prior to founding Red Planet Hotels, Simon served as the Chief Executive Officer of Evolution Capital Public Company Limited, a real estate asset management company listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. As President of Metaplanet, Simon is responsible for spearheading the company's new Bitcoin investment strategy, guiding its overall direction, raising capital, and managing investor relations. He graduated from Harvard University with an AB in Applied Mathematics. Simon is an active member of YPO, the premier global organization of chief executives.