NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--From May 24th - 27th, Consensus by CoinDesk will unite market enthusiasts around the world for an immersive virtual experience covering the biggest topic of the year in finance, business, sports, fashion, technology & the art world: cryptocurrency. Ray Dalio, Co-CIO, Founder & Chairman of Bridgewater, Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers, Cathie Wood, Founder, CEO & CIO of ARK Invest, Dr. Lael Brainard, member of the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors, and serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk will headline this year's virtual event and share never-before-heard commentary on the state of the crypto industry.
Since 2015, Consensus has been recognized as the most influential event in cryptocurrency and blockchain. The four-day immersive experience will bring together thousands of attendees for a variety of keynotes from the most sought-after thought leaders, exclusive panels, and workshops. Over 300+ speakers have been confirmed. There will also be a unique VR networking experience where attendees can meet 1-1 and establish meaningful business connections. Leading up to Consensus, CoinDesk is offering Unlocked 101, a free three-week series of crypto-focused crash courses designed to help new market participants learn about the industry.
During Consensus 2021, CoinDesk will be soft-launching the beta version of its own native rewards token to engage attendees in an interactive online marketplace. Registered attendees will have unique opportunities to earn $DESK rewards by participating in Consensus 2021, which they can use on the app marketplace at coindesk.com/desk. Offerings include a range of unique Consensus NFTs, physical swag, virtual trading cards, and coffee with Barry Silbert, Founder and CEO of Digital Currency Group.
CoinDesk Chief Content Officer Michael Casey said, “We’re trying something totally new for Consensus this year: $DESK, the first event-centered rewards token. We see it as a compelling way to encourage our audience to engage with the vast array of content and experiences that a conference of this size offers and to take home something of value from the time they spend with us. It also provides an opportunity for the many crypto newcomers who are coming to Consensus to experiment with wallets and tokens in a contained environment.”
$DESK is a CoinDesk-issued ERC-20 token created in collaboration with Unifty. It is designed to act like a loyalty point or an air mile. Under its current, beta-intended design, $DESK does not have a monetary value but can be used to acquire NFTs on the dedicated marketplace located at coindesk.unifty.io.
About CoinDesk:
CoinDesk is the most influential, trusted platform for a growing global community engaged in the transformation of the financial system and the emerging crypto economy. Founded in May 2013, the CoinDesk platform provides millions of consumers interested in cryptocurrency assets and blockchain technology with news and insights, podcasts, live streaming TV shows, research reports, live events, and a toolkit of indexes, data, and analytics. CoinDesk hosts the annual Consensus summit event each May, the largest and most important forward-thinking U.S. gathering of stakeholders in the global crypto and blockchain ecosystem and the anchor event for Blockchain Week NYC. In 2013 CoinDesk created the original price reference rate known as the Bitcoin Price Index, which is widely sourced in the media, including The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, CNBC, and many other outlets. CoinDesk employs the largest group of world-class, independent journalists dedicated to covering the crypto and blockchain ecosystem. Based in New York City, CoinDesk has over 80 full-time employees around the world.
In January 2021, CoinDesk purchased TradeBlock, the world’s leading crypto index provider. More than $45 billion of investment products under management are benchmarked against the XBX bitcoin price, and billions of dollars in monthly trading volume are quoted against them. CoinDesk is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, one of the largest private investors in the industry and a provider of trading and other investment services for that industry. CoinDesk operates entirely independently of the parent company. DCG has no involvement in editorial or content decisions.