Hi There!

There is something comforting about a physical wallet. You can open it, count what is inside, slide a twenty-dollar bill across a counter, and feel like you understand what just happened. The money left your hand, the cashier took it, and the receipt printed. Simple.

Bitcoin does not give us that same comfort at first. You cannot feel it between your fingers or tuck it into your purse. Instead, it lives on a digital ledger, behind apps, wallets, seed phrases, QR codes, and advanced computer language. People who are new to Bitcoin tell me this all the time:

I get it.

Before any of us can trust a new form of money, we need to understand where it lives, how it moves, who controls it, what can go wrong, and how it could actually help us in real life.

This year, I approached the conference specifically through the lens of readers who are new to the space. I went looking for the human heartbeat behind the code. My goal was to see whether Bitcoin was still mostly a trader’s playground or whether it was becoming something more practical; something we could explain to a mother checking her retirement account, a business owner managing payroll, or a professional trying to understand why banks, lawmakers, and even AI firms are suddenly eyeing this invisible asset.

Honestly, if there was ever a year to go to the Bitcoin conference, this was the year. We were in Vegas during a bear market, which changed everything. There was less noise and more one-on-one conversations. More CEOs and key opinion leaders had time to talk. You could actually ask questions, listen, and learn. For me, it made the conference more valuable and revealed a significant shift toward utility.

Senator Cynthia Lummis gave one of the most human reminders of the entire conference. Her Bitcoin story did not begin with a chart or a tech obsession; it began with grief.

She shared how her husband died suddenly years ago, shortly after they had initiated the process of moving their funds to a new bank. Since the transition was still in progress and the paperwork to finalize her name on the new accounts remained incomplete, she found herself locked out of their money while trying to plan his funeral. The bank knew what had happened. The paperwork was there. The situation was obvious. But, the way the current system was set up, she could not access the funds when she needed them most.

Imagine a grieving widow with bills coming in while the banking system says, “Nah.” Stories like hers make Bitcoin less theoretical and drives home the point that accessing your Bitcoin easily comes in handy when life hits hard.

This technology offers a way for:

Policy was the other side of this access story during the conference. Lummis emphasized that Washington is finally paying attention, urging the passage of the Clarity Act by the end of Q2 to provide rules people can actually follow.

Companies need to know what constitutes a security versus a commodity. They must know which regulator to answer to before investing millions of dollars to build within our borders. Such uncertainty matters because unclear rules affect all of us, determining which apps can operate safely and how Bitcoin custody is managed.

Senator Bernie Moreno framed this debate as a race for American innovation, arguing that builders and entrepreneurs must feel welcome to take risks in this country. Patrick Witt from the White House added a global perspective, noting that crypto is becoming a foundation for future financial infrastructure. America must help set the rules, or we risk letting another nation dictate the terms of our financial future. Sam Kazemian noted that builders require these rules, but customers need them just as much. Besides, adoption stalls when users feel uncertain about the legality or safety of a product.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins reinforced this shift, describing the current moment as a “new day” at the agency. He signaled a move away from punishment-first tactics, suggesting instead that the SEC and CFTC will work together. This collaboration could allow firms to experiment on-chain with tokenized securities and new fundraising models right here in the United States.

Looking at the real-world translation, we see the old financial pipes being inspected and rebuilt. Clearer rules help separate serious builders from bad actors. One final signal from Patrick Witt stood out. He hinted that a major move regarding a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve could come from the executive branch in the coming weeks. The U.S. government formalizing Bitcoin on its balance sheet would tell the world that it is no longer being treated like a fringe asset. Across every corner of Washington, the message is indicating that Bitcoin and crypto are being pulled into the center of the financial system.

This year, the stronger message was use cases including payments, lending, and corporate treasury strategy. There was a major push around Bitcoin payments. Strike focused on dollar-denominated Lightning payments, meaning someone could use Bitcoin rails while the purchase still feels familiar in dollars.

Block continued pushing “Tap to Pay” across Square merchants, making it easier for businesses to accept Bitcoin fast and with lower fees. I even bought my lunch using Bitcoin. It was amazing to see the excitement on the faces of those who completed their transactions for the first time. For them, Bitcoin became less mysterious when put into action.

Steak n Shake made that point loud and clear. Their executive Michael Boes stated:

The next major takeaway was Bitcoin-backed lending. This came up again and again, from Jack Mallers and panels like “From HODL to Home.” Essentially, people who own Bitcoin may not want to sell it, but they still want to buy homes or fund businesses. Bitcoin-backed lending allows someone to borrow against their asset instead of selling it.

Grown-up decisions are required here. Borrowing against a volatile asset is not something to play with. Jack Mallers’ discussion around “volatility-proof” loans stood out for this reason. The industry knows that people are afraid of liquidation. So, the discussions about proof of reserves and segregated collateral answered the beginner’s real question:

Companies are no longer only asking if they should buy Bitcoin; they are asking better questions:

Michael Saylor talked about digital credit, which is the idea that Bitcoin can become the foundation for new yield products. Tim Draper warned that families and governments may need Bitcoin as financial protection if confidence in traditional money breaks. What these discussions all boiled down to was, the big banks and corporations are starting to build a vault for the invisible.

Fred Thiel of MARA reminded everyone that Bitcoin still needs developers, miners, and long-term stewardship. Other panelists explored the connections between Bitcoin, mining, energy, and AI. AI needs energy, data centers, and infrastructure, elements Bitcoin miners already understand at scale. We are seeing Bitcoin miners expand into AI data centers to fund the next wave of AI demand. According to Salman Khan (MARA CFO), “electrons are the new oil”.

There were also conversations about AI agents paying each other with Bitcoin on the blockchain (hint, hint, hint). As machines begin doing more work for us, they may need a way to make small digital payments that traditional banking rails cannot support.

Despite these themes, a lot of education is still needed. I appreciated seeing more Bitcoin 101-friendly talks this year. Cash App deserves credit for helping new people understand how to get started. Mass adoption is impossible if the industry only speaks to insiders. Education for the masses is exactly why I created the Rhoda Report. I want to take what feels complex and make it simple. People should not get left behind simply because the language around money changed. We need more walkthroughs.

We need someone to say:

Confidence allows people to purchase Bitcoin and make informed decisions instead of watching the future of money move without them.

Beyond the stages and booths, the best part was the people. I caught up with veterans like Gemini, Block, MARA, Strike, and Trezor. I also met visionary CEOs behind Fold, Stormrake, Aven, FinTax, Peoples Reserve, and HIVE Digital. Those conversations will be featured in separate stand-alone issues.

A bear market conference strips away the unnecessary hype. The people who are only there for quick attention usually disappear. The people who remain are the ones still building, teaching, and researching. Bitcoin 2026 gave us a glimpse of the work being done before the next wave of attention arrives.

Yes, we know that every product is not safe. Caution is necessary when approaching loans, wallets, or mining stocks. However, Bitcoin is no longer only an abstract idea on a screen. It is becoming a financial tool with real-world applications. So, our job is not to be intimidated by it. Instead, we need to learn about Bitcoin, question it carefully, and understand where it may or may not fit in our financial lives.

The future of money may not always sit neatly in our hands like a twenty-dollar bill. Sometimes, it may sit behind a screen. If that is where money is going, then we deserve to understand it.

Markets climbed again last week, with U.S. stocks advancing for a fifth straight week as investors leaned into strong earnings, AI demand, and steady economic growth. Oil remained a pressure point because of Middle East tensions, while bonds struggled under the weight of U.S. deficit concerns. In crypto, Bitcoin reclaimed its $80,000 price level after its strongest monthly gain in the past year, but the broader market remained cautious with the Crypto Fear and Greed Index still in fear territory.

This week, markets will focus on jobs data, Fed commentary, earnings, and Bitcoin’s next move. Key economic releases include ISM Services PMI, JOLTS job openings, ADP payrolls, jobless claims, nonfarm payrolls, unemployment, wages, and consumer sentiment. Fed speakers will be watched closely for any shift in tone after Core PCE rose to 3.2%. Earnings from AMD, MSTR, DIS, IONQ, IREN, and COIN could also move sentiment, especially across AI, Bitcoin treasury stocks, mining, and crypto platforms.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is strictly educational. The information this report provides does not constitute investment, financial, trading, or any other advice. You should not treat any of the report’s content as such. Please be careful and do your research.