Bitcoin Conference 'regret' holding after party at strip club with young rich investors
GETTY/TWITTER Bitcoin Conference 'regret' holding after party at strip club
During the event, waitresses in revealing tops and lingerie served drinks, as the party continued into the early hours despite the event technically ending at 11pm. Many attendees kept their conference badges on and stayed to party, it has been reported. Jeff Scott a cryptocurrency trader from New York said: "We're a bunch of dudes with a lot of money in our 20s. We like naked girls.” Mr Scott had a table for 12 with a hedge fund analyst and the heads of two startups.
He said the evening was not much different to a typical night in a strip club. It is believed that the event, which was open to all conference attendees and sponsored by cryptocurrency Dash, made many women feel uncomfortable. Zineb Belmkaddem, a crypto trader who decided not to attend the event, told Bloomberg it made her feel un-welcomed. She said: “There was a message being sent to women, that, ‘OK, this isn’t really your place.'
Cryptocurrency price: A year in charts Tue, January 16, 2018 Compare crypto currencies (Ripple, Bitcoin, Ethereum, LiteCoin) on value, market cap and supply for the past year Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 10
“This is where the boys roll.” Keynote, the firm who hosted the event told Bloomberg they regretted hosting the event at the venue. Keynote CEO Moe Levin said: "Having the networking party at E11even was a misstep. “We always aim to be as inclusive as possible and create a safe environment.” Ryan Taylor, the chief executive of Dash Core, said in a statement "we were unaware that the event we sponsored would be held at a venue featuring adult entertainment."
TWITTER During the event, waitresses in revealing tops and lingerie served drinks
This comes after US banking giants JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America banned account users from buying cryptocurrency using credit cards after the price collapsed following highs in December. A JP Morgan spokesman said: “At this time, we are not processing cryptocurrency purchases using credit cards, due to the volatility and risk involved.” "We will review the issue as the market evolves." A spokesman for Bank of America confirmed that the bank had taken the same approach.
GETTY Some banks have banned account users from buying cryptocurrency using credit cards