The Pillar Project will hold its second annual unconference in Vilnius from July 15 to 22 at the Vilnius Grand Resort. Organizers expect at least 500 attendees. The Swiss non-profit, which is developi
The Pillar Project will hold its second annual unconference in Vilnius from July 15 to 22 at the Vilnius Grand Resort. Organizers expect at least 500 attendees. The Swiss non-profit, which is developing a cryptocurrency wallet, is promoting the event as the "Woodstock of crypto" and opening it to anyone interested in blockchain and decentralized technology.
Pillar raised $21 million in its 2017 token sale to fund development of a universal smart wallet. David Siegel, the company's CEO and founder, said the fundraising structure resembled Ethereum's 2014 token sale. Investors bought tokens in small amounts rather than making large purchases.
The organization grew out of 20/30, a blockchain innovation community that also runs a token exchange for startups, maintains an index tracking 50-plus cryptocurrencies, and handles ICO token sales. The Vilnius event will target e-commerce business owners looking to build tools and infrastructure on the Pillar wallet platform. Siegel will lead workshops covering business agility, startups, and tokenomics while explaining his vision for the wallet. Blockchain developers and smart contract engineers will have a separate track to meet and present their work. Pillar token holders will convene for a general meeting.
The event includes family programming that lets parents attend sessions, plus local tours, a crypto excursion, and a celebration at Lithuania's medieval Trakai castle.
Siegel pointed to the first unconference in Slovakia last year, which attracted 70 developers and entrepreneurs. "At Pillar, we are building a culture of radical openness, trust, and joy; our event is open to anyone excited by blockchain innovation and entrepreneurship," he said in a statement.
Euros Evans, CEO of Etch Foundation and a 2017 attendee, backed the event. "It was memorable, I learned a lot about blockchain from very talented and experienced people," he said. "I will definitely come to the next unconference, even if it takes place on the other side of the world."
