With a rich history and recent evolution, Belgrade is now home to modern Bitcoin working and presentation spaces.
This is an editorial by Plumski, from Serbia and founder of the Belgrade Bitcoin Hub.
“What we now seek is closer contact and better understanding among individuals and communities around the world, and the elimination of the egoism and pride that have always tended to plunge the world into ancient barbarism and strife…”
– Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla.
As the adoption of Bitcoin for new technologies increases at an unprecedented rate, Bitcoin enthusiasts set up physical locations around the world where enthusiasts can work and play in a group atmosphere. I’m here.
For those of us participating in this Bitcoin “Renaissance” period, it is with great pleasure to see the success of Bitcoin Beach in El Salvador. Bitcoin enthusiasts living in Eastern Europe have been following these developments with interest, as there are many such projects in Africa, Central America and South America. Add to that the fact that Eastern Europe is economically less developed than Western Europe.
Inspired by what they have seen in other parts of the world, a small group of Bitcoin enthusiasts based in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, recently opened a Bitcoin hub that wants to welcome visitors from all over the world.
A new chapter in a historic city
Belgrade is It lies at the confluence of two large European rivers.the Danube and the Sava, the summit of which is the great Kalemegdan FortressThis defensive fortress has stood the test of time for over 15 centuries and has witnessed countless battles. The history of Belgrade and the Serbs as a whole has been a turbulent one.
Luckily (unfortunately) to be located in the heart of the geopolitically important Balkan Peninsula, often on the border of two competing Eurasian empires, the people of this region have been isolated from foreign influences throughout history. I have fought for independence.Although it is difficult to estimate, history suggests that Belgrade Destroyed and rebuilt over 40 times Throughout its 17th century existence. In spite of it, or because of it, Belgrade has always been the economic and artistic center of the region, and home to people of all races, faiths and sects.
Today, Belgrade is once again undergoing an important historical transition. In the 1990s, civil war broke out. Croatia and BosniaA former Yugoslav republic that culminated in the NATO bombing of Serbia and its capital in 1999 and nearly 15 years of economic isolation from the Western world.
Although the transformation is not fully complete, Belgrade is re-emerging as a vibrant cultural center of the region. From the communist-style soulless gray concrete piles mixed with splendid old separatist buildings adorned with ornate façades, like the architectural mosaics found in the city’s buildings, its The street is a collage of modest family-run buildings. Businesses collide with modern boutiques and glass office buildings. Gone are the days when dining options in city restaurants were limited to traditional Balkan dishes. Pork, sushi, Chinese, Indian, burger joints and American-style diners are now all on the menu of the city’s residents.
Contributing to the transformation of the cultural structure of the city is also a noticeable change in the inhabitants that make up the population. Perhaps because of the relatively low cost of living compared to other world capitals, or Serbia’s generally lax pandemic restrictions, or the political uncertainty that seems to dominate the western world these days, The once-massively migrated city has welcomed a large portion of the old population and a sizable influx of digital nomads who now call the place home.
Bitcoin’s resilience despite failure
In Serbian, the term ‘inat’, which historically defines the characteristics of the people, can be loosely translated as ‘resilience’. This mentality is ingrained in its population, time and time again rebuilding its homes in the immediate aftermath of destructive times, restoring them to their former glory and letting invaders, occupiers and slanderers down.
As a result of years of unfulfilled promises from local politicians, Balkans find it difficult to convince themselves of the long-term benefits that can be realized by incorporating bitcoin into their lives. Lifestyles with low time priority for people are associated with disappointments and lower standards of living that have happened many times before.
For many, the promise of quick wealth (especially those that suggest no associated risk at all) is far preferable, so as ‘cryptocurrency’ and ‘blockchain’ marketing schemes take over the world , the narrative power of shitcoins sadly flourished in the region. the whole world. For those of us who grew up in this part of the world, it is a dark comedy that, for example, the bankruptcy of Celsius also affected our country. When the turmoil surrounding the catastrophic financial collapse finally subsided, legal documents revealed: Several entities related to the Serbian government were listed as creditors to this famous Ponzi scheme.
In general, bitcoin-only companies and projects are hard to find here, but a growing community of bitcoin enthusiasts in the Balkans envisions a different world of financial freedom for their compatriots.
And just like Belgrade before, my personal life is going through a period of reconstruction. In my travels down the bitcoin rabbit hole, I have met many people who are redesigning their lives around this paradigm-shifting technological discovery. Coming back from Canada to the city where I grew up recently, looking around I can easily see many similarities between the bitcoin network architecture and the somewhat chaotic organization of Belgrade, which somehow seems to work. can be drawn on block.
Introducing DvadesetJedan
Our group of Bitcoiners from the former Yugoslavia started holding regular meetups about a year ago. our group is Dovadeset Jedan German sect Ainunzwanzig An initiative launched to bring plebs together in a meet space so that enthusiasts can interact, share ideas and formulate business ventures together in an informal atmosphere.
The idea behind Einundzwanzig is that geographically distributed and independent Bitcoin communities will form around the world, eventually collaborating on ongoing projects and allowing traveling Bitcoin enthusiasts to create homes wherever they happen to be. can be provided.In the Balkans, DvadesetJedan weekly podcast Covering Bitcoin news, philosophy, and the technical architecture of the network in Serbian/Croatian. We are very proud to be the first Bitcoin-only podcast in the region. This is a great way for people far from the city center where the meetup is held to regularly receive high-signal Bitcoin content. This podcast is also complemented by his active Telegram channel. The core group is made up of avid shitcoin minimalists, but a significant portion of the group is made up of newbies. We take special pleasure in guiding them through their journey to understanding Bitcoin.
ever since 4 of the 6 former Yugoslav republics Independent countries speak the same language and our initiative is multinational in nature. We are working with members from Slovenia, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro and our group has grown steadily in this one year. Our group is a mix of bitcoin builders, content creators, developers and bitcoin enthusiasts who meet regularly to bar hop, BBQ and attend bitcoin events in the area. I am going on an expedition to
There are plenty of trendy breweries and coffee shops in Belgrade for our meetups, but no space dedicated to Bitcoin existed here, nor in the vast Balkans. Our small group decided to undertake the mission of finding and equipping a space where we could conduct more serious discussions and presentations.
Bitcoin experts here are somewhat isolated compared to more established regions such as Germany and the US, so as a collaborative environment for locals to bounce ideas off other experts in the field. We wanted a space that worked. As we plan to partner with local developers to build a bitcoin-focused business, this office space would be a great place for new startups to work with our team. It also functions as a physical location.
Meetup in Belgrade: R0ckstarDev and Johns Beharry showcasing Bitko Yinowski’s famous Bitcoin jam made from Serbian apricots.
The hunt began and we scoured Belgrade for the ideal location. Museums, galleries and music that would not only provide prospective visitors with comfortable spaces to work but also make up Belgrade’s exciting social scene. We focused on the city center for easy access to venues, bars and restaurants. We finally found a duplex on the top floor of an old mixed-use building next to the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Belgrade. It’s probably fitting that Kalemegdan’s fort is within a two-minute walk of the new Belgrade Bitcoin hub.
Welcome to Belgrade’s Bitcoin Hub
Elevator control panel to the top floor of the building where the hub is located. Source: author.
The hub houses a large collaboration/presentation room where most of the action takes place, with two additional rooms serving as recording studios and more private office spaces.
At the visitors’ disposal are various hardware wallets, a POS unit with a BTCPay server, a Bitcoin node, and an Antminer S9 to try out the latest software being developed by space tenants. For educational purposes or for additional inspiration, the hub has a small collection of Bitcoin literature for visitors to read.
When the hub first started, it was populated by drop-in visitors who preferred to work in a group setting. As we grow, we will continue to develop the Hub as a venue for cultural events, art exhibitions/auctions, hackathons, and small presentation centers for Bitcoin enthusiasts. Beginners can take advantage of presentations and hands-on demonstrations in the evenings and weekends. Inspired by many ventures around the world with similar goals in mind, we are especially proud to have brought this hub to life using our own funds to fund these first steps. I’m here.
In one of the first public presentations on the hub, Pavlenex explained the history of the BTCPay server project and gave a live demo to the audience. Source: author.
We want to make this space a permanent home for Bitcoin in Belgrade and we hope that hosting events like this will help this space raise funds for years to come. increase. Locals can buy annual memberships, but the structure is also in place so that bitcoin enthusiasts who do not live in Belgrade can come and work at the hub while visiting Serbia. We are especially happy to welcome foreigners to the Bitcoin Hub in Belgrade to build and help build, but space is limited.
In fact, matching Bitcoiners from all over the world with the immense talent that exists in Serbia is one of our top priorities. After all, everything our small group of believers has been doing so far culminated in the Genesis block in the Belgrade hub.
This is a guest post by Plumski. Opinions expressed are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect those of his BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.
