• Nayib Bukele will be absent at this year’s Bitcoin conference.
• Bukele had been expected to give updates about the utilization of Bitcoin as legal tender in his country.

El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele revealed he will be absent from this year’s Bitcoin conference. The now-iconic personality in the world of Bitcoin in his reasons cited recent happenings in the Central American nation.

Bukele’s Decision

The Bitcoin Conference held in Miami is widely viewed as the biggest Bitcoin event globally. It is known to feature various speakers, allowing attendees to be abreast of the latest happenings in the industry and future trajectory and industry sessions for networking.

Bukele is no stranger to the scene; it was at Bitcoin 2021 that Bukele announced that El Salvador would be accepting Bitcoin as legal tender. A move that shot him into the crypto industry spotlight.

So, it came as no surprise when it was revealed in November, shortly after the president had revealed plans for a Bitcoin City and Bitcoin bond, that Bukele would be one of the speakers this year. Bukele had said, “After virtually announcing my intention to make Bitcoin legal tender in El Salvador at Bitcoin 2021, I am pleased to be speaking at Bitcoin 2022 in person to deliver an update on the progress we have made as the world’s first Bitcoin-native country.”

However, in a letter shared on Wednesday by the official Twitter handle for the Bitcoin Conference, Nayib Bukele said he would no longer be in attendance at the conference. The president disclosed that he made his decision based on the recent happenings in El Salvador. While not explicitly stated, the president is likely referring to the government’s recent battle with gangs that have led it to impose martial law for a month.

” I have just made the hard decision of canceling my participation in the conference due to unforeseen circumstances in my home country that require my full-time presence as President of a Nation,” read the letter.

Bitcoin 2022

The Miami Bitcoin Conference, or Bitcoin 2022, kicked off on Wednesday and is set to hold until Saturday, featuring various events each day. MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor, renowned investor Cathie Woods and thinker Dr. Jordan Peterson are amongst the big names that have been confirmed as speakers at this year’s event.

Playing host to the conference again, Miami City wants to show investors that the city is a hub for blockchain innovation. Last year, blockchain startups in the city raised over $760 million. Miami’s Mayor Francis Suarez continues to spearhead the movement to attract more blockchain companies and investors to the city.

This year, Nayib Bukele was expected to speak about his experiences in his country using Bitcoin as a legal tender, the opportunities it has created, and the progress of the Bitcoin bond, which was previously expected to launch last month. While there is no word on when the bond should be expected, the country’s finance minister had noted that he would prefer it to launch in the first half of the year.