Crypto events and community in The Bahamas

For a few months in 2022, Nassau looked like the capital of crypto. FTX had its headquarters in New Providence, a former restaurant on East Bay Street had become a crypto coworking hub, and Baha Mar hosted a conference with a former US president on stage. Then FTX collapsed. Today the scene is much smaller and quieter: a handful of events, a regulator that holds public consultations, and a community you have to look for. This page is an honest guide to what exists, what has stopped and what we could not confirm.

What happened to the Crypto Bahamas conference?

Crypto Bahamas was a joint event by FTX and SALT, the investment conference brand, held at Baha Mar on Cable Beach from 26 to 29 April 2022. It was invitation-only and drew about 2,000 attendees. Speakers included Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Tom Brady, alongside Anthony Scaramucci, former CFTC chairman Chris Giancarlo and FTX executives. Prime Minister Philip Davis gave the opening remarks on 27 April. The Block reported at the time that OKX was setting up in The Bahamas, part of the sense of momentum.

Seven months later FTX collapsed, and the Securities Commission froze its Bahamian company. The conference was never repeated: we found no 2023, 2024, 2025 or 2026 edition, and searches for “Crypto Bahamas 2025” lead only to old coverage. The full story of FTX in Nassau, including where creditor payouts stand, is on our FTX in The Bahamas page.

Crypto Isle on East Bay Street

Crypto Isle opened in December 2021 in the former Luciano’s of Chicago restaurant on East Bay Street, billed as The Bahamas’ first crypto and blockchain coworking space. In its first week it hosted SiliconCaribe’s Future of Caribbean Money Conference (8–9 December 2021), which Prime Minister Davis addressed. Over 2022 and 2023 it offered hot desks and private offices, which were reported as fully leased, with tenants including the payments firm Kanoo and the agency Onwrd. It ran a masterclass series; the “Intro to Crypto” class cost $200 in person or $100 online. Its leadership in 2022 was CEO Dr P. Jillian Bethel and co-founder Davinia Bain, and a planned accelerator with Kanoo Pays and Draper University was announced, though we could not confirm it launched.

Crypto Isle has also been a venue for the regulator. The Securities CommissionSCB The Securities Commission of The Bahamas, the regulator that registers and supervises crypto businesses under the DARE Act. Glossary held a town hall there on proposed changes to the DARE ActDARE Act The Digital Assets and Registered Exchanges Act 2024, the Bahamian law that requires crypto businesses operating in or from The Bahamas to register with the Securities Commission. Glossary in 2023. Most recently it hosted Oasis Onchain, a summit on consumer crypto, culture and co-creation curated by Stefen Deleveaux, in January 2026. The event site lists 22–24 January at Crypto Isle plus a founder retreat on 31 January at Silk Cotton Villas; a directory listing gives different dates, and described it as the third edition.

Its status in late 2026 is unconfirmed: the Crypto Isle website could not be reached when we checked on 21 October 2026. One registered firm, Sandyport Digital Assets Ltd, gives its address as #1 Crypto Isle on the SCB register (see the register).

Bahamian crypto and tech events on record

Grand Bahama’s tech push predates crypto. The 2017 summit at the Grand Lucayan reportedly drew more than 500 people, with speakers from Google and Microsoft, and the Commercial Enterprises Act 2017 offered incentives for software and data businesses. Freeport has not hosted a comparable event recently; our Freeport guide covers the island’s crypto options today.

Is there a Bitcoin meetup in Nassau?

We could not confirm a regular, public Bitcoin or crypto meetup in Nassau as of October 2026, and the BTC Map directory lists no Bitcoin-accepting businesses on any island. That does not mean nobody meets; small groups often organise privately. To find them, check Crypto Isle’s LinkedIn page, Meetup and Eventbrite listings for Nassau, and local fintech and developer groups.

Be careful with “crypto seminars” promoted through WhatsApp, Telegram or Instagram. The SCB has warned about schemes recruiting Bahamians on exactly those channels, such as Trade Market and Money Makers Club in February 2026. Our scam warning list has the details.

Community resources worth your time

The most reliable public crypto “events” in The Bahamas are run by the regulators. The SCB publishes consultation papers on new rules and invites public comments; the draft DARE fees rules, for example, were open for comment from 28 August to 25 September 2026. It also runs consumer campaigns, including “Watch Ya Money!” in December 2024 and a February 2026 campaign against relationship investment scams. Follow its media releases at scb.gov.bs. The Central Bank publishes regular public updates on the Sand DollarSand Dollar The Central Bank’s digital version of the Bahamian dollar, launched in October 2020. It is not a cryptocurrency and cannot be swapped for crypto directly. Glossary, covered in our Sand Dollar guide.

If you are learning on your own, start with plain-English basics in our crypto glossary, then read how the rules work on the crypto regulation page before you join any group.

When you are ready to buy, our step-by-step guide walks through accounts, ID checks and Bahamian bank fees, and the Nassau guide covers banks and practical routes in town.

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