BTCHEL 2025: Impressions from a Bitcoin Conference in Helsinki

Devouring books and podcasts is great, but at some point in a bitcoiner’s life you start to feel a deep need to connect more broadly with other people. Usually that leads to looking for discussion groups, meetups, and conferences. Not uncommonly, you fall into a conference domino effect. You start traveling the world, and it pulls you in. Using my most recent trip to BTCHEL 2025 as an example, I’d like to describe why it’s worth slipping into that mode of life, even if only for a while, and what it was like in Helsinki.

What’s it like, anyway?

If you’ve never been to a Bitcoin conference, know two things: first, they’re very different from traditional industry conferences (LinkedInosis), and second, each one is different from the next. To me, traditional conferences are artificial. You swap contacts with people you will never exchange a real word with. You get pulled into draining conversations where you’re never sure whether, in their eyes, you’re already a weirdo or landing perfectly within their definition of normal. In short, there is distance and inauthenticity.

With bitcoiners it’s completely different. When attendees are connected by something far deeper than climbing the ranks inside fiat structures, they’re more open. They have honest, deep conversations. They’re curious, but also critical. I come back from every conference not only with a dose of knowledge, some merch I bought, and takeaways to share with friends back home, but above all with new relationships.

BTCHEL 2025

The conference took place at the main venue at Kulttuuritehdas Korjaamo, about 15 minutes by Bolt from the center. There was also a Pop-up Store at Mechelininkatu 12, plus side events such as Bitcoin Walk Helsinki, Les Femmes Orange networking, a sauna for startup founders, a Mining Afterparty, and a Satoshi Rockamoto concert. There was plenty going on, but let’s get into specifics.

People

For me, number one is obviously my crew from Poland, my people from the Dwadzieścia Jeden community, and the ever-reliable members of European Bitcoiners. It’s worth being part of a community so you can keep up with what’s happening and where. If you aren’t, no problem. That’s what the conference Telegram group is for. It’s especially important because afterward you can find participant materials there.

Thanks to the open format, with a large outdoor space and bars serving food and drinks, the conference really encouraged spontaneous meetups and conversations.

Topics

I have to admit one thing. At conferences, I usually spend most of my time with people, not at talks. Sure, I miss a lot, but I’m not complaining. It’s normal, and there’s no point beating yourself up over it.

My personal highlights included:

• A workshop on setting up your own Datum Gateway, led by Bitcoin Mechanic and Léo Haf
• A workshop on connecting BTCPay Server with Blink and Strike, with Sondre from Satoshi Consult
• Panels on linking energy production with Bitcoin mining, including details about this year’s blackouts in Portugal and Spain
• Discussions of the economic and legal conditions for mining Bitcoin in Europe and globally
• Talks about companies offering heating technologies based on mining rigs
• Presentations by Siim Land, Mikko Hyppönen, and Jeff Booth

The Finnish Bitcoin scene

There’s no good conference without an afterparty. The guys from the Community Hub organized a great event at their Pop-up Store. On a normal day it’s a shop with Bitcoin books, hardware wallets, and more. It’s also a co-working space and a place for meetups and parties. I would love to have a place like that in Poland, something that would serve bitcoiners like a lighthouse.

The afterparty was excellent and unusual. It wasn’t a bar or a club. It felt more like a house party with beers and homemade spirits.

Once, my brother got into open-source projects with Finns and spoke very highly of working and having fun with them. That afterparty showed me I feel close to them too. They are curious, interesting people.

Summary and 2026

The day after the conference started with Bitcoin Walk in Helsinki. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it, but I organized my own walk with my wife. Helsinki turned out to be, surprisingly for a capital city, calm and very comfortable for walking. I had the impression that time moves more slowly there, and that during the day it’s fairly quiet and peaceful. The city’s atmosphere made it easier to mentally unwind and think more deeply. As I’m writing this now, I actually miss it a bit.

But I won’t be waiting long. BTCHEL is coming back on 25 to 26 September 2026 in a new location. I’ll try to return, so if you’re planning to go too, let me know. We’ll meet up.