Key Points
- LABITCONF 2026 adds artificial intelligence as major conference theme alongside Bitcoin
- Saifedean Ammous to make first South American conference appearance as keynote speaker
- Buenos Aires to unveil Satoshi Nakamoto statue joining six other global Bitcoin monuments
LABITCONF, Latin America‘s largest Bitcoin and blockchain conference, will add artificial intelligence as a major theme when its 14th edition opens in Buenos Aires on 30 October 2026, organisers announced.
The two-day event at BAFerial, formerly Costa Salguero, will feature Saifedean Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard, as keynote speaker. Organisers said this marks his first appearance at a South American conference. Ammous is regarded as one of the most influential voices in Bitcoin economics, known for his analysis of Bitcoin as a monetary system rather than a speculative asset.
The conference organiser said that this year agenda has expanded beyond traditional Bitcoin and blockchain focus to include a dedicated stage for artificial intelligence, showing the growing convergence of these technologies in financial services and automation.
Six simultaneous stages will cover topics ranging from introductory Bitcoin education to advanced coding, trading strategies and business applications, said the organised in a statement.
HODL theme
This year’s conference takes HODL as its central theme. The term, which originated as a misspelling of ‘hold’ in a 2013 Bitcoin forum post, has become shorthand for the strategy of holding Bitcoin through price volatility rather than selling during downturns.
Rodolfo Andragnes, LABITCONF organiser and founder of ONG Bitcoin Argentina, said the theme projects a philosophical approach to Bitcoin rather than price speculation.
“It’s about believing in the future of Bitcoin, not driven by the price, but by a different understanding of economics,” Andragnes said. “The orange pill, as we call it, is like taking that pill that opens our eyes and leads us to rethink the role of the State, banks, trust, the origin of value, and so much more.”
The ‘orange pill’ reference draws from The Matrix film, describing the moment when someone moves from scepticism about Bitcoin to active adoption, with orange representing Bitcoin’s brand colour.
A permanent self-custody space called ‘la Bitcoineta’ will offer attendees hands-on guidance on securing their own Bitcoin holdings. Self-custody refers to holding cryptocurrency in a personal wallet where only the owner controls the private keys, the cryptographic codes required to access and transfer funds, rather than leaving assets with an exchange or third-party custodian. Specialists from BitcoinAR will provide free consultations on generating keys, setting up wallets and planning inheritance structures for digital assets.
Satoshi statue
The conference will coincide with the unveiling of a monumental statue of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin whose true identity remains unknown. The installation at Parque de la Innovación will place Buenos Aires alongside Lugano in Switzerland, Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte in El Salvador, Tokyo, Hanoi, Miami and Wall Street in New York as cities with public tributes to Bitcoin’s creator.
The statue unveiling is scheduled for the evening of 29 October as part of the four-day ‘Experience’ ticket programme, which includes executive networking events before and after the main conference.
By the numbers
Key figures from this story- 14th
- Edition of LABITCONF conference
- 6
- Simultaneous stages at the event
- 2
- Days of main conference programming
Other confirmed speakers include Giovanni Santostasi, a scientist and creator of the Bitcoin Power Law theory, which models Bitcoin’s price movements using mathematical relationships similar to those found in natural phenomena.Giacomo Zucco, Joe Nakamoto, Lunaticoin and Alberto Mera will also present, alongside specialists in quantum computing, artificial intelligence and Bitcoin mining.
LABITCONF will close Tecweek 2026, an initiative by the City of Buenos Aires that brings together technology, innovation and creative industries. The conference has been held annually in Argentina for five consecutive years and claims to be the world’s oldest continuously running Bitcoin event, having launched in 2013.
Your Questions, Answered
When and where is LABITCONF 2026?
LABITCONF 2026 takes place on 30 and 31 October 2026 at BAFerial in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Extended Experience ticket holders can attend additional events from 29 October.
Who is the keynote speaker at LABITCONF 2026?
Saifedean Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard, will deliver the keynote. Organisers describe this as his first appearance at a South American conference.
What does HODL mean in Bitcoin terminology?
HODL originated as a misspelling of 'hold' in a 2013 Bitcoin forum post. It now represents the strategy of holding Bitcoin through price volatility rather than selling during downturns.
What new topics will LABITCONF 2026 cover?
The conference adds artificial intelligence as a major theme alongside Bitcoin and blockchain. Six stages will cover topics from beginner education to advanced coding, trading, mining and AI applications.
