antarctica

The Bitcoin Technology Conference Series bitcoin++ has announced the launch of "Antarctica: Cold Storage Edition," scheduled from January 24 to February 5, 2028, with only 22 spots available. This event combines a technology conference with polar exploration, bringing discussions to a colder place in line with Bitcoin's "cold storage" (the practice of keeping private keys offline). Since its launch in Austin in 2022, bitcoin++ has held about 20 events in cities such as Berlin, Buenos Aires, Taipei, and Seoul, each with a specific theme, with the next event scheduled for November 5 to 6, 2026, in Seoul focusing on privacy.Participants will depart from Ushuaia, Argentina, cross the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula, and return, with a total duration of 13 days and 12 nights. Possible stops include Neko Harbour, Paradise Bay, Port Lockroy, and Lemaire Channel. Activities include kayaking, camping, hiking, snowshoeing, and Zodiac landings, with specific landing points depending on weather, ice conditions, and the expedition team's decisions. The conference will take a non-conference format, allowing participants to propose their own talks, presentations, and discussions, with Starlink available on board and independent rooms for temporary hackathons and workshops.Reservations are currently open, with ticket prices quoted in US dollars: a four-person cabin costs $14,900, and a double cabin costs $16,700, with the option to pay in five equal installments or pay in full at the time of registration; paying in full with Bitcoin offers a 5% discount. The ticket price includes a cold-weather jacket. The final payment must be completed by October 1, 2027, and medical, evacuation, and repatriation insurance must be purchased separately. Sponsors can print their brands on the expedition jackets, with sponsorship amounts ranging from $5,000 to $25,000, each covering approximately 22 jackets. The itinerary covers the Antarctic Peninsula, not the geographic South Pole.