Share this article

Dalio, Brainard, Lummis: Your Guide to Day 1 at Consensus 2021

Bitcoin's energy use, ether as hard money, Ray Dalio on the future of inflation and bitcoin as a hedge asset. Here's your guide for Day 1 of Consensus.

Updated Apr 10, 2024, 3:07 a.m. Published May 24, 2021, 11:30 a.m.
jwp-player-placeholder

There’s a lot happening throughout the first day of Consensus 2021. Here are few sessions, panels and workshops I’d be sure not to miss.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

This article is excerpted from The Node, sending twice daily this week to cover the biggest news from our virtual Consensus conference. Subscribe to receive the full newsletter here. And register for Consensus here.

You can see a full schedule of events here (just scroll down).

Your guide

09:00 – 09:30 a.m. Special Address by Dr. Lael Brainard
Dr. Lael Brainard of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors will give an address discussing her latest thinking on digital currencies.

09:30 – 10:30 a.m. First Principles: Ray Dalio on Money, Monetary Policy and Bitcoin
The founder of Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund, Ray Dalio will offer his thoughts on the future of money and monetary policy in the post-COVID environment. He will also share his evolving views on how disruptive assets such as bitcoin might fit into the global financial system that will emerge from this moment.

12:00 – 12:25 p.m. Washington, Politics and Governing in a Bitcoin-ized World, With Sen. Cynthia Lummis
U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming joins Meltem Demirors to discuss how bitcoin's supra-sovereign nature has re-shaped her perspective on politics, governing and old-world institutions like the U.S. Congress.

02:30 – 03:00 p.m. Reframing Bitcoin's Energy: ESG, Time Preference and Public Perception
Bitcoin is joining a long list of "dirty" industries due to its intense resource consumption. Energy experts, and bitcoin bulls, like Luxor CFO Ethan Vera, Research and Content Director at Compass Mining Zack Voell and Director of Business Development of Great American Mining Marty Bent put the conversation in perspective.

05:00 – 05:30 p.m. Long the Metaverse VR Talk
Join us in our VR recording studio as our curator and host, BoomboxHead, interviews cryptoartists from “Long the Metaverse” VR Exhibition! Featuring: Skeenee, Rare Designer, George Boya, Alotta Money, Reinhard and Sturec.

8:40 - 8:50 p.m. How ETH is 'Ultra' Sound Money
Bankless’ David Hoffman will speak about how Ethereum's EIP1559 and Proof of Stake transition will make ETH into a more scarce asset than bitcoin.

Read more: Fed’s Brainard Breaks Down CBDC Policy ConsiderationsRead more: Ray Dalio: ‘I Have Some Bitcoin’Read more: Senator Lummis’ Financial Innovation Caucus to Launch TuesdayRead more: The Next Mickey Mouse or Hello Kitty Could Be an NFT, Says Gary Vaynerchuk

c21_featured_image_1420x916

Note: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinDesk, Inc. or its owners and affiliates.

More For You

KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

16:9 Image

KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

What to know:

  • KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
  • This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
  • Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
  • Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
  • Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.

More For You

Macro fears mask Ethereum’s momentum, SharpLink CEO says

Joseph Chalom

SharpLink CEO Joseph Chalom argues that macro uncertainty is hiding a massive institutional shift toward Ethereum-based tokenization.

What to know:

The context: Former BlackRock Head of Digital Assets Strategy, and SharpLink CEO, Joseph Chalom says institutional giants are betting heavily on Ethereum to serve as the global infrastructure for asset tokenization, ignoring current price stagnation.

He outlines three key drivers for a projected 10x surge in Ethereum activity this year:

  • BlackRock’s Larry Fink has signaled strong conviction that Ethereum will be the "toll road" for tokenized assets.
  • Over 65% of all stablecoins and tokenized assets live on Ethereum, dwarfing Solana by a factor of ten.
  • High-value projects prioritize Ethereum's decade-long record of security and liquidity over faster, cheaper alternatives.