The Bitcoin Economy Conference has wrapped up, and what a day it was. Over seven hours of lively discussion and deep technical exploration, we witnessed how Bitcoin is transforming from ‘digital gold’ into a fully scalable and programmable backbone for the new Web3 economy.
Here, we reflect on a day filled with provocative debates and visionary discussions - from dynamic keynotes and insightful interviews to panels that dissected everything from BitVM variations and OP_CAT’s potential to the future of zkVMs and sustainable economic models, the conference provided a rich variety of ideas that were sure to have impacted the way we collectively think about decentralized finance.
The conference kicked off with an inspiring keynote by Bob Bodily, who set the stage by mapping out the ever‐evolving Bitcoin ecosystem. Bob explored the rapid pace of innovation - from BitVM and L2 solutions to sidechains and meta‑protocols - and illustrated how these infrastructural leaps are laying the groundwork for Bitcoin to become the backbone of a new decentralized economy. His forward‑looking vision ignited excitement among attendees, establishing a strong foundation for the day’s discussions.
In an engaging interview moderated by Alice Liu, StarkWare CEO Eli Ben‑Sasson dived into the fundamental ‘why’ behind scaling Bitcoin. Eli discussed the critical need for enhanced throughput and programmability, emphasizing how zero‑knowledge proofs can enable Bitcoin to securely support broader economic applications. His insights on using cryptography and math to maintain security while expanding functionality resonated deeply with both technical and non‑technical audiences.
A lively debate led by Alice Liu featured Ethereum researcher Justin Drake and John Light of Strata. They tackled the provocative question of whether zkRollups on Bitcoin could eventually render Ethereum obsolete.
Their spirited exchange not only highlighted the technical trade‑offs but also sparked broader discussions about trust assumptions and future innovation across blockchain platforms.
BitVM creator Robin Linus took the stage next, delivering a deep dive into BitVM’s groundbreaking framework for executing complex computations on Bitcoin. He explained how BitVM leverages stateful scripts and interactive proofs to enable a new generation of applications - without compromising Bitcoin’s security model. Robin’s detailed walkthrough of the BitVM architecture and its potential to bridge Bitcoin with off‑chain systems captured the audience’s imagination and set a high technical benchmark for the day.
In a dynamic panel moderated by Isabel Foxen Duke, experts from Citrea (Ekrem Bal), Fiamma (Yovela), Goat Network (Stephen Duan), and Strata (Simanta Gautam) compared and contrasted different BitVM implementations.
The panel highlighted that while there is no one‑size‑fits‑all solution, the diversity of approaches enriches the ecosystem and spurs further innovation.
StarkWare’s Abdelhamid Bakhta presented on OP_CAT, explaining how this re‑proposed opcode can unlock covenant functionality within Bitcoin’s scripting language. He argued that OP_CAT isn’t merely a technical tweak - it’s a gateway to new forms of smart contract logic on Bitcoin that could enable more expressive and secure financial applications. His talk was both technically rigorous and forward‑looking, sparking discussions on how OP_CAT might integrate with existing protocols to expand Bitcoin’s programmability.
subsequent panel, well-moderated again by Isabel Foxen Duke, brought together voices from LayerEdge (Ayush Gupta), Build On Bob (Alexei Zamyatin), Taproot Wizards (Udi Wertheimer), and the returning Citrea (Ekrem).
The dialogue highlighted a shared commitment to ensuring that any solution deployed on Bitcoin preserves its core tenets of decentralization and trustlessness.
Citrea co-founder Orkun Kilic delivered a compelling presentation on why ZK is indispensable for scaling Bitcoin. He explained that zkProofs can significantly reduce on‑chain data, cut transaction fees, and maintain privacy - all while inheriting Bitcoin’s unmatched security. Orkun’s clear articulation of how ZK can transform Bitcoin from “digital gold” into “digital cash” resonated as both visionary and practically grounded.
Moderated by Alice Liu, this panel brought together leading figures in the zkVM space: Ming Guo (ZKM), Morgan Thomas (Lita), Jacob Everly (RISC Zero), and Ratan Kaliani (Succinct).
Collectively, the panel emphasized that zkVMs are central to achieving scalability and fundamental to unlocking new use cases on Bitcoin.
Dr. Redouane Elkamhi from GOAT Network addressed the economic underpinnings necessary for sustaining Bitcoin scaling solutions. He outlined how designing robust, sustainable revenue models is as critical as the technical innovation itself. His talk explored fee distribution, aligning incentives across network participants, and creating economic structures that support long‑term growth - all while remaining true to Bitcoin’s decentralized ethos.
In a second panel moderated by Alice Liu, economic experts including the returning Dr. Elkamhi and Orkun Kilic, plus Clayton Menzel (Babylon) and Trey (Strata) examined potential economic models for Bitcoin scaling solutions.
Overall, the panel stressed that a balanced and sustainable economic framework is essential for long‑term growth, but warned that any innovation in this area should be approached cautiously for the sake of maintaining complete security.
In a reflective interview hosted by Isabel Foxen Duke, David Seroy of Strata shared personal insights on his long‑term commitment to Bitcoin. He discussed the balance between ideological passion and financial incentives, addressing community burnout while reaffirming the enduring value of Bitcoin. His candid narrative connected the technical discussions of the day with the deeper question of ‘why’ the community continues to build on Bitcoin.
Closing the conference, Bitcoin Magazine Technical & Opinion Editor Shinobi delivered a forward‑looking keynote on Bitcoin’s future. Shinobi stressed that while advanced techniques like ZK proofs and new L2 designs promise significant benefits, maintaining Bitcoin’s core security and decentralization remains paramount. He cautioned against hasty consensus changes and emphasized the need for any potential evolution to be undertaken through trust‑minimized, community‑driven innovation.
We'd like to give special thankyou to our conference partners Citrea, StarkWare, GOAT Network, and Alpen for helping to make this possible, and also to our hosts Ashley Spradlin, Alice Liu, and Isabelle Foxen Duke for doing an incredible job of keeping the conversations flowing.
Throughout the day, the conference was a whirlwind of technical insights, passionate debates, and collaborative energy. Each speaker and panelist contributed unique perspectives, yet maintained a common underlying theme: that the future of Bitcoin isn’t just about scaling - it’s about building an ecosystem that is secure, sustainable, and truly decentralized.
The Bitcoin Economy Conference was certainly one to remember and sure to be the first of many.
Watch the full Bitcoin Economy Conference here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLRiODW7ijI&t=26202s
To stay updated on House of ZK’s upcoming events, visit https://www.hozk.io/events and follow us on X: https://x.com/HouseofZK.
Our utmost gratitude goes out to: @brian_trollz, Technical Editor at @BitcoinMagazine - @EliBenSasson, CEO of @StarkWareLtd - @drakefjustin, Researcher at @ethereumfndn - @robin_linus, Creator of BitVM &@ZeroSync_ - @BobBodily, Bitcoin Expert & Educator - @ekrembal_&@0x_orkun, Co-founder's of @citrea_xyz - @AlpacaYovela, Co-founder of @fiamma_labs - @sd_eigen& Dr. Redouane Elkamhi of @GOATRollup - @lightcoin, @simanta_gautam, @treydelbonis&@david_seroy of @Strata_BTC - @udiWertheimer, Co-founder of @TaprootWizards - @alexeiZamyatin, Co-founder of @build_on_bob - @ayushbuidl, Co-founder of @layeredge - @dimahledba&@starkandlime of @StarkWareLtd - @ratankaliani, Founding Engineer at @SuccinctLabs - @JacobEv3rly, Product Manager at @RiscZero - @DacEconomy, Chief Scientist at @ProjectZKM - @PlatonicMorgan, Cryptography Engineer at @0xLita - @menzel_clayton, Head of BD at @babylonlabs_io - @isabelfoxenduke, VP of @L1Fxyz - @alicelingl, Host at @HouseofZK - @ashley_spradlin, Host at @HouseofZK
