Venture capitalists among the keynote speakers at the first Bitcoin Island Retreat in Boracay

by James · March 10, 2023

The famous white beach of Boracay is set to host Bitcoin (BTC) and venture capital leaders from around the world as the first-ever Bitcoin Island Retreat experience takes on the most Bitcoin-friendly community in the Philippines.

The inaugural event from March 27-29, 2023 will feature an array of dynamic, globally recognized speakers across multiple industries and crypto-business sectors at the Henann Regency Resort and Spa.

Pouch.ph CEO Ethan Rose, main organizer of the Bitcoin Island Retreat, announced that the list of speakers includes HCM Capital founder and managing partner Jack Lee, Mimesis Capital founder, managing director and chief investment officer Louis Liu, former Sequoia Capital crypto investor Augie Ilag , and Lightning Ventures general partner Mike “Muzz” Jarmuz.

Elijah Tan, Vice President of Operations at Coins.ph – the largest crypto exchange and digital wallet in the Philippines – will be present and speaking at the must-see event. As the former head of fiat exchange at Binance, Tan will discuss bringing crypto and Web3 use cases to solve challenges in the global markets.

Albert Buu, founder and CEO of Vietnam-based Bitcoin-only startup Neutronpay, will give his views on the growth of Bitcoin and lightning in Southeast Asia.

The event will also feature the participation of renowned Bitcoin educators and entrepreneurs:

Lyman Manzanares, founder of Lightning Coop
Max Webster, founder of Hivemind Ventures
Jiro Reyes, Founder and CEO of Bitskwela.com
Gillian Kok, entrepreneur and holistic therapist
Chris Tan, Founder and Creator
Stephan Livera, Podcaster and Head of Education at Swan Bitcoin
Mary Imasuen, Bitcoin Podcast Host
Joey Miyamoto, Bitcoin and Lightning researcher
Hodling Carla, founder of Hodling Apparel
Rafael Padilla, Legal Director of Farcove Consulting
Roy Miclat, president of 1 Cooperative Insurance System of the Philippines
Bill Hill, community manager of Bitcoin Island.

Rose shared:

“We are extremely excited to put on the first Bitcoin Island Retreat in Boracay. Bitcoin adoption in the Philippines has boomed, ranking second globally. We want Boracay to be the epicenter of this progress in the country.”

Bitcoin builders and enthusiasts are expected to flock to the event, which runs Monday through Wednesday, to network, pitch ideas and share announcements. Apart from interacting with the pioneers in the blockchain technology space, participants get to experience living entirely off of Bitcoin. Pouch.ph has enabled more than 250 locations, such as restaurants, hotels and even sari-sari stores, to accept Lightning payments and receive instant, final settlement in Philippine pesos without fees.

Rose added:

“Bitcoin Lightning payment is a game changer for tourists and even local communities on this beautiful island. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Bitcoin and experience how the Lightning Network can improve our lives.”

The event kicks off with two days of circular introductions, tag discussions and keynote speakers providing the latest developments on the Lightning Network and sharing their exciting ongoing projects and views on the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Bitskwela, a key partner of the event, will host a parallel educational track where practical sessions will touch on topics such as how to get businesses to sign up for Bitcoin payments, how to give a tech demo, how to get full control of your Bitcoin, etc.

Aside from the keynotes, Bitcoin Island Retreat will also hold official after parties and networking events at locations that accept Bitcoin. Contestants will also have a chance to land a Bitcoin bounty if they can find the 12-word seed phrase to a private key owned by Dread Pirate Nakamoto. The words are placed around the island and the Bitcoin prize will go to whoever finds them first.

Bitcoin Island Retreat is co-presented by Coins.ph and sponsored by Bitskwela and Orange Pill App.

Conference passes for local and international attendees are available for purchase on Bitcoin Island Retreat’s official website, with ticket prices increasing every Friday. The Bitcoin Island Retreat is expected to draw interest from the global crypto community, as the Bitcoin-specific space continues to grow every year in the Philippines.

To reserve a spot at the premier Bitcoin event of the year, register at /retreatrsvp.

For more information on the Bitcoin Island Retreat, follow @BtcRetreat on Twitter.

About Pouch.ph

Pouch.ph is one of the most innovative startups in the Philippines, enabling faster, cheaper and more borderless payments via Bitcoin’s Lightning Network. Pouch is currently running its closed beta for a select group of individual early adopters as well as for 250+ merchants in Boracay.

For more information about Pouch.ph, visit and follow us on Facebook.