Events
Bitcoin 2023 – REVIEW
Miami Beach Convention Center hosts Bitcoin’s best and brightest for one last time.
May 18th – 20th, 2023
For the third consecutive year, Miami was the epicenter of all things Bitcoin. An estimated 15,000 people flocked to the Miami Beach Convention Center from all around the world for three days of education, debate and a showcase of innovation. The event featured many big name guests and speakers from all aspects of society including past and present US presidential candidates. The party-like atmosphere encompassed the message of hope and liberty that is felt throughout the Bitcoin community.
This year’s conference had a completely different vibe than the years past. While the electric energy was still there, the atmosphere was more serious than previous events. We saw big announcements from presidential candidates instead of celebrities who couldn’t explain the difference between Bitcoin and crypto. Instead of big celebrity speakers with little to do with the Bitcoin community, we saw individuals that focused more on the core values and rudimentary ideas of Bitcoin as a whole. Many of the speakers focused on the issues at hand as well as covering what we learned from the events of the past year. The entire conference felt less marketed and more organic, to the delight of OG bitcoiners.
Bitcoin 2023 kicked off in its usual fashion with Industry Day. This is the time when members of various Bitcoin industries announce new products as well as discuss future endeavors. It is also a great forum to discuss current states of the industries and predict future events and obstacles. Companies use this day to network and share ideas to help strengthen their respective industries. A separate ticket was needed to attend Industry Day.
GA day one featured an exciting lineup of speakers as well as a wide array of panel topics and discussions. As previously discussed, the vibe of the lineup was more business oriented than in previous years. While there were big names they were from the political side of society. A year after he introduced plans to create a Bitcoin city in El Salvador, Samson Mow was back to share plans of Ridwan Kamil in Indonesia. Now a governor and soon to be presidential candidate, Ridwan plans to start a large-scale Bitcoin mining campaign to boost the local economy. This is a huge deal for this area as it will help distribute wealth and energy while using its natural resources more efficiently. Senator Cynthia Lummis gave us an update of new legislation that will be introduced on protecting Bitcoin custody rights in the United States. Michael Saylor spoke to a standing room only crowd and fired everyone up on his bullish view of having Bitcoin on your balance sheets.
Probably the biggest speaker of the day was Robert F Kennedy. The 2024 presidential candidate chose Bitcoin 2023 to make his first public appearance. Here he explained the importance of Bitcoin being a decentralized money outside of the control of the government. He cited the government overreach we have seen recently with the trucker protests and Covid lockdowns and how Bitcoin can be a took to fight against these atrocities in the future. The speech concluded with the announcement that he is the first presidential candidate to accept Bitcoin as campaign contributions.
Day One also featured a great keynote address from former presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard addressing the corruption in government and politics, strengthening the case of Bitcoin as a safety net of liberty and freedom. Michael Lewis, author of “The Big Short”, spoke about his interesting research and time spent with Sam Bankman-Fried while researching him for a book. During this time was the downfall of FTX and his eventual arrest in the Bahamas. The day concluded with another passionate announcement from Strike CEO Jack Mallers. The big news was the expansion of strike to 65 new countries. These 65 new countries means that billions of more users can transfer money on the lightning network and not have to get ripped off by institutions and nation states.
Day two continued with a great panel about journalism and difficulty finding reliable truth in this day and age. Whitney Webb, Joe Hall and Luke Rudkowski discussed their difficulties of true investigative journalism in an ever growing centralized industry. Caitlin Long spoke about the banking industry and future difficulties of Bitcoin on ramps as the nation states have activated Chokepoint 2.0. Day 2 continued with more addresses from politicians as former senators Tim Ryan and David McIntosh introduced a PAC to help direct future education for the legislature that affects Bitcoin. Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy gave a keynote address explaining the corruption in government due to fiat currencies and how Bitcoin needs to be protected to fix this. Former Credit Suisse director Zoltan Pozsar addressed what happened in the ongoing banking crisis and how Bitcoin could have an effect on the remedy. Towards the end of day 2, Bitcoin Magazine head David Bailey announced that the conference would be moving its location to Nashville in the next year. He thanked the city of Miami for 3 great years but said it was time to move on to help the spread of hyperbitcoinization.
The expo center had many very unique and interesting pieces of history on display. The Mining Village had the museum of mining. The display took you through the history and evolution of Bitcoin mining. You had a chance to see the different kinds of mining and how they improved and adjusted to difficulty over the years. The guide did a great job of explaining each miner and its attributes. Next to the mining village was the gaming area. Chess and cornhole were set up for tournaments during the two GA days. There were also competitions where participants raced to set up hardware wallets to earn different prizes.
Just like the years past, different artwork was displayed in the art gallery. Artists far and wide put their creativity on display for the Bitcoin world to see. Most of the pieces were available for purchase and auction. There were also many pieces of art for display purposes only. There were many other unique items on display such as the Bitcoin Delorean, Fiat House of Cards and the Shitcoin Toilet. Guests got to be a part of the action in signing the Declaration of Monetary Independence. The giant display was posted in the center of the center and everyone had an opportunity to sign it and be a part of monetary history.
Many vendors filled the expo center to show off their products as well as network with the community. These vendors ranged from mining, exchanges, hardware and financial companies. They had much to offer with free giveaways and demos of their products. There was also the Bazaar section where Bitcoin companies could sell their products. The majority of these vendors accepted Bitcoin in promotion of a circular Bitcoin economy.
The conference introduced a new app for the event with some new features from years past.. The official app was very useful to follow the schedule and bookmark speakers to help plan your day. It also had a networking feature to help meet and contact new friends and associates at the conference. Each person had a personal QR code on their badge that was linked to the app. You could use this to keep in touch with people you met and also schedule meetings with vendors and individuals. The new and improved Bitcoin 2023 app was a great addition to the event.
As previously mentioned the conference will be moving to Nashville next year. David Bailey announced he is very thankful to the city of Miami for allowing them to host the Bitcoin community when no one else would during the Covid years. After three great years and some of the biggest events Bitcoin has ever seen they will go elsewhere to bring a larger range of promotion to liberty, freedom and all the virtues that Bitcoin brings. Next years event is scheduled for July 25-27, 2024. Tickets are already on sale for the event and can be purchased at https://b.tc/conference/2024.
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The Miami born app celebrated a major milestone with a seriously fun South Florida party, but 100,000 downloads are only part of what’s next.
September 26, 2026
Zéya had plenty to celebrate, and they definitely knew how to throw a party.
The Miami-born swapping app recently marked 100,000 downloads, and SFL Insider joined the celebration for a night that felt much more like a fun Miami get-together than a typical tech event.
The atmosphere was lively, social, and genuinely welcoming, which actually made a lot of sense once we learned more about what Zéya is trying to build. This isn’t supposed to be another faceless marketplace where you post something and hope a stranger buys it. Zéya wants swapping to feel social, easy and connected to your community.
And after spending the evening celebrating with the people behind it, that part of the concept clicked.
Because we all have stuff.
The dress you wore once. The bag you loved until you didn’t. The camera you were definitely going to learn how to use. The random purchase that seemed necessary at the time and has barely moved since.
Zéya’s question is pretty simple: Why keep buying more when someone nearby might want exactly what you already have?
Even better, the app is now getting ready to move beyond swapping just things.
Services are coming too.
And that could make Zéya a whole lot more interesting.
– Creative Director & Strategist: Kateryna Brovkova — @kate.directs – Event Photo & Video Coverage: Yoisker Palmi — @yoiskr7 – Zéya Team: Zéya — @zeya_app – Sounds by: Lacré Studios — @studioslacre
Swipe. Match. Swap.
The easiest way to describe Zéya is old school bartering with a very modern makeover.
You browse what’s available nearby, see something you want and connect with the person who has it.
Then you offer something of your own.
Swipe. Match. Swap.
If the values don’t quite line up, Zéya allows an optional cash top-up to help make the trade work. And now, you don’t necessarily have to swap at all.
Zéya’s new cash-only option is officially live, meaning users can purchase an item directly when they find something they want. That’s a pretty significant shift for an app that started with swapping at its core. You can still trade, add cash to balance out a swap, or now skip the trade altogether and simply buy.
In other words, Zéya is starting to look less like a traditional bartering app and more like a flexible local marketplace where you decide how you want to make the deal.
100,000 Downloads Is a Pretty Big Deal
Zéya has now officially surpassed 100,000 downloads across iOS and Android, an exciting milestone for a company that started right here in Miami.
Founder and CEO Mehdi Taifi sees that number as something bigger than just downloads.
“One hundred thousand downloads is exciting because it shows that swapping can become a real habit, not a last resort,” Taifi said.
That idea stuck with me.
We’re so used to thinking buy when we want something new. Zēya is trying to get us to think swap first.
Earlier this year, the company also closed a $2.45 million strategic growth round led by Storage Innovations LLC, helping support its next stage of development.
Judging by the energy at the celebration, Zéya certainly isn’t treating 100K like a finish line.
– Zéya Team: Zéya — @zeya_app – Founder: Mehdi Taifi — @medimeds – Event Photo & Video Coverage: Yoisker Palmi — @yoiskr7
Zēya 4.0 Makes the Whole Thing Easier
The company has also rolled out Zéya 4.0, designed to make getting from “I want that” to actually completing a swap much faster.
One of my favorite additions is the AI Listing Assistant, mostly because writing listings is probably the least exciting part of selling anything online.
Take a photo, upload it, and the app can generate the item name, description, and category in seconds.
Done.
The update also adds chat before making an offer, group chat, and a visual balance meter that makes it easier to see whether a proposed swap feels fair.
Zéya has expanded its categories too, including Baby & Toddler and Sports & Outdoors.
So that barely used handbag has value.
But so do the golf clubs in the garage.
And Now Zēya Is Moving Beyond Stuff
This might be my favorite part of what’s coming next.
Zéya is adding services.
That changes the whole idea of what you can bring to a swap.
Maybe you don’t have a designer bag to trade, but you’re an amazing photographer.
Maybe you tutor.
Maybe you’re a personal trainer, stylist, graphic designer, pet sitter or the magical person who actually knows how to organize a closet.
Your skills have value too.
The full details of how services will work are still to come, but opening Zēya to services takes it beyond simple bartering. It becomes more about exchanging value, whether that value happens to be sitting in your closet or comes from something you know how to do.
And suddenly the possibilities get much bigger.
It All Feels Very Miami
Maybe that’s another reason I enjoyed the celebration so much.
Zéya feels very Miami.
It’s social. It’s stylish. It’s a little entrepreneurial. And it revolves around discovering something you want without necessarily paying full price for it.
We can absolutely get behind that.
The party reflected that same energy. People were mingling, talking about the app and celebrating what is clearly a big moment for the team, but it never felt overly corporate or stuffy. It felt like a community celebrating something that started locally and is beginning to grow.
That seems especially fitting for a company that wants its marketplace to feel like a community too.
Swap, Don’t Shop
There is an obvious sustainability benefit to giving perfectly good things another life instead of constantly buying new ones.
But Zéya doesn’t make that feel like a lecture.
The appeal is much simpler.
You have things you don’t use. Someone else wants them. And chances are, they have something you want too.
Add AI-assisted listings, local discovery, cash top-ups, cash-only purchases, community features, and soon the ability to exchange services, and it starts looking very different from the bartering most of us remember.
Zéya’s tagline is “Swap Don’t Shop.”
After a fun night celebrating 100,000 downloads and getting a closer look at where the Miami company is headed next, we’re curious to see just how far people are willing to take that idea.
Because if swapping can be this easy and this social, maybe we really don’t need to buy everything new.
– Zéya Team: Zéya — @zeya_app – Venue: One K — @onek_socialbar
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Luli Fama celebrates its Paradise Found Cruise ’27 swimwear and resortwear collection with a luxury Miami launch at its Dadeland Mall boutique.
August 20, 2026
Miami swimwear favorite Luli Fama is stepping into Cruise ’27 with Paradise Found, a new swimwear and resortwear collection inspired by tropical escapes, exotic prints and effortless vacation glamour.
South Florida Insider has already taken a closer look at the Luli Fama Paradise Found collection, and it feels made for Miami.
The new Cruise ’27 collection combines the bold, body-confident swimwear Luli Fama is known for with elevated resort pieces designed to move effortlessly from the beach and pool to cocktails and dinner.
On Thursday, August 20, Luli Fama will celebrate Paradise Found with an exclusive evening at its newest Dadeland Mall boutique in Miami, complete with fashion, light bites, personalized surprises, and a luxe espresso martini bar.
Inside Luli Fama’s Paradise Found Cruise ’27 Collection
Paradise Found is inspired by the feeling of discovering a hidden tropical retreat.
Think lush landscapes, warm golden hour light, exotic patterns, and silhouettes made for somewhere beautiful.
The collection features Luli Fama signatures, including flattering ruched details, seamless construction, adjustable fits, and statement swimwear, alongside an expanded selection of resortwear.
We especially love the pieces that blur the line between swim and ready-to-wear.
Flowing dresses, sleek coverups, and body-skimming silhouettes make it easy to transition from a sun-drenched afternoon to an evening out without losing that relaxed resort feeling.
It is sensual, polished, and unmistakably Miami.
Luli Fama Brings Luxury Resort Style to Miami
There is a reason Paradise Found feels so natural in South Florida.
In Miami, resortwear is not reserved for vacation.
A swimsuit can become part of an outfit. A coverup can take you to lunch. A flowing resort dress can carry you from an afternoon by the water straight into cocktails and dinner.
Luli Fama has always understood that lifestyle.
Paradise Found takes it a step further, creating a Cruise ’27 wardrobe that feels as appropriate for a tropical getaway as it does for a weekend in Miami.
The campaign captures that mood beautifully, pairing the collection with palms, lush greenery, tropical architecture and the kind of sun soaked setting that makes you want to extend your vacation indefinitely.
Paradise Found Comes to Luli Fama at Dadeland Mall
Luli Fama will bring the world of Paradise Found to life on Thursday, August 20 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at its newest boutique at Dadeland Mall in Miami.
The intimate celebration will bring together invited guests, influencers, celebrities and media for an early look at Cruise ’27.
Luli Fama is also dressing invited guests in pieces from the brand, allowing the new collection to be experienced the way it was designed to be worn: in motion, styled and out for the evening.
Luli After Hours Espresso Martini Bar
Fashion is only part of the experience.
For the Paradise Found celebration, Luli Fama is introducing Luli After Hours, an Espresso Martini Bar inspired by the glamour of the collection.
Guests will be able to sip three specialty espresso martinis created for the evening.
The Luli Babe puts a polished spin on the classic espresso martini, while Golden Hour pairs salted caramel with edible gold shimmer. Miami After Dark takes a richer approach with chocolate hazelnut and a cocoa dust finish.
Along with cocktails, guests can expect light bites, curated details and a special personalized surprise.
The result feels less like a traditional retail event and more like checking into a private resort for the evening.
A Miami Swimwear Brand Celebrates at Home
For a brand with such a strong connection to South Florida, launching Paradise Found in Miami feels especially fitting.
Luli Fama has built its identity around colorful, confident swimwear and resort fashion with a distinctly tropical point of view.
Paradise Found carries that identity into Cruise ’27 while giving it a more elevated, escapist mood.
And with Luli Fama’s newest boutique now at Dadeland Mall, Miami shoppers have another destination to experience the brand in person.
After getting our own closer look at Luli Fama’s Paradise Found Cruise ’27 collection, we can safely say the name fits.
Paradise has officially been found, and this time, it is in Miami.
Check out the collection HERE
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