Las Vegas Bitcoin 2026 Conference Day 1 Highlights

From April 27 to 29, Bitcoin 2026 was held at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, USA. The conference is expected to attract over 30,000 global attendees and more than 200 exhibitors, engaging in in-depth discussions on the latest trends and technological innovations in Bitcoin and blockchain.

This event has invited over 500 speakers, including Strategy Founder and CEO Michael Saylor, Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, and other industry leaders. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins will also be in attendance, marking the first time a sitting SEC chairman will participate in a Bitcoin conference. Additionally, CFTC Chairman Mike Selig will join the discussion.

BlockBeats will provide real-time updates on the conference highlights and key points. The following are the latest developments:

White House Chief Cryptocurrency Advisor: Major Announcement on "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" Plan to Be Released in the Coming Weeks

On April 28, as U.S. lawmakers push to formally enshrine Trump's "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" into law, White House Chief Cryptocurrency Advisor Patrick Witt hinted that a "major announcement" regarding the reserve's next steps will be made in the coming weeks.

Speaking at the Bitcoin 2026 conference held in Las Vegas, Witt, as the Executive Director of the President's Digital Asset Advisory Committee, stated that he and his team have been advancing the work related to the strategic Bitcoin reserve.

He stated, "The President signed an executive order last year for the strategic Bitcoin reserve, and we have since been researching the specific mechanisms needed to implement the plan and the necessary legal interpretations to ensure the correct execution of the scheme and protect digital assets on the government's balance sheet, especially Bitcoin."

Arthur Hayes: Bitcoin Expected to Continue Rising, End-of-Year Target Price Around $125,000

On April 28, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes stated at the Bitcoin 2026 conference, "I am more optimistic about Bitcoin's prospects. AI will replace a large number of knowledge workers, potentially causing the banking system to suffer credit losses in the hundreds of billions, similar to the subprime mortgage crisis. However, the U.S. is now in a wartime state, with the new national defense budget set to increase by about 50% to $1.5 trillion. The U.S. government will not cut spending but instead will print money on a large scale."

The enhanced supplementary leverage ratio rule, which took effect on April 1, allows banks to hold less reserves and more treasuries. S&P Global estimates this will unleash approximately $1.3 trillion in additional lending capacity within the banking system, mainly for defense-related companies and AI infrastructure. The money multiplier effect of bank lending is around 3, ultimately creating about $4 trillion in credit.

Chair nominee for the Federal Reserve, Powell, plans to shrink the Fed's balance sheet while simultaneously easing bank regulations, enabling commercial banks to take on treasuries and repurchase agreements. The net liquidity impact is neutral, but the monetary creation entity shifts from the central bank to commercial banks. The newly created credit volume will exceed the credit volume disrupted by AI, hence Bitcoin is expected to continue its upward trend, with a year-end target price of around $125,000.

Full speech: "Arthur Hayes Latest Speech: From AI Deflation to War-time Inflation Bullishness, Bitcoin Year-End Target Price $125,000"