A Heartfelt Call for a Family-Friendly Approach.
Original | Selected reflections from BTC Prague 2025
Prologue:
The Bitcoin Junior Club is still fresh, but our parents have been active in the space for a few solid years. They’re not only passionate advocates for kid-and family-friendly initiatives, but also event regulars, so coming back to BTCPrague for its third year felt like a natural choice.
We weren’t tempted by the label of “the biggest Bitcoin event in Europe”—we came to check out the evolving ecosystem, catch up with friends, meet new people, and enjoy Prague’s unique charm.
Before we dive deeper, here’s the key point to raise: for us, Bitcoin isn’t just money. It’s a movement that lifts up current and future generations. It’s a way to get free from financial pressure, and to push back against a world that’s losing its way.
On one hand, it enables individuals to start families; on the other, it empowers parents to raise children grounded in principles like integrity, independence, healthy living, creativity, and critical thinking.
But let’s be clear: Bitcoin isn’t a magic fix for humanity’s problems. No matter how transformative/amazing it is, it’s just a tool. It’s up to us—everyday folks—to use it in ways that foster growth and avoid past pitfalls. That’s why community matters, and so do family units. They’re the foundation. The ground ensuring we build societies sensitive enough to nurture human connections and bold enough to challenge the status quo. No matter the era. Sovereign generations.
Facts:
Bitcoin community has flourished in recent years, with more women and younger voices enriching the space. This goes for small meetups with a few hundred people—our favorite for genuine vibe—and big events too. All of them should make families feel welcome, because families are where it all starts.
BTCPrague, with thousands of people from all over the globe, had a huge chance to 'lead' the way here in Europe, but we left feeling let down.
While other parts of the event could spark their own debates, let’s focus on the topic closest to our hearts. There was no real effort, or perhaps even intention, to involve families in the overall event.
Ok, we get it—running a massive conference is tough, and it’s got to stick to its main focus. But life’s not just one thing or another. See, we weren’t expecting something as pro as the entire family-focused space we helped set up at Adopting Bitcoin SV last November (Bitcoin Para Niños, where even small kiddos, teens, as well as parents and anyone interested in had the full fun area and its own program for all days of the event). Nor did we expect something as advanced as the setup at Bitcoin Atlantis in Madeira last March (Kids Block), where a few publicly known Bitcoiners and kiddos ran a lovely, family-friendly zone with cool extras and dedicated sessions. But when we heard that even Bitcoin Vegas this year had a "Satoshi Kid's Zone" (kudos to our friend Frezo who, with the help of a few family-focused projects, made many young ones and their parents feel included), we at least hoped that BTCPrague would consider a simple indoor or preferably outdoor spot for families to chill, connect, learn something, and above all to have fun. They decided not to go that direction.
Sure, organizers have a lot on their plate, but making youngsters a bit higher priority would show what they care about in the long-term. Signal and community, a direction towards a truly sovereign future.
With an event this big in Europe, they had to know that not just adults would show up.
No dedicated children's zone, not enough family-friendly merch/booths, no dedicated program—that’s one thing. Another one is ticketing. The very start. No info on free kids’ entry or family discounts, not even a heads-up like, “Hey, this is a business-focused event, maybe leave the kids at home.” That lack of clarity is confusing, whether done on purpose or because the topic got ignored.
All in all, we are not the only ones who felt disappointed. At the conference already, there were people making comments and asking questions, and after it, some others raising their voices, which proves that people were expecting more.
(read the whole thread, just as an example, to see more 👇)
RobBrinded
Experience:
To be fair, some exhibitors really stepped up. For example, Trezor’s booth had branded sheets to color and decorate, Aqua Wallet had their dolphin plushie fishing game, Satslantis put a giant teddy bear at their station, perfect for hugs and photos, and Mempool’s pillow pit was a fun spot to hang out for a bit as well. Most of these were probably meant for everyone, not just youngsters, but they definitely got kids smiling.
We brought some stuff too—bags of free goodies, not only branded—printables, crayons, stickers, and temporary tattoos, plus some extras to win or sell. We hoped there’d be a dedicated spot to share them with kiddos but weren’t totally shocked when there wasn’t one (we actually checked online for any ‘family info’ a few days before the event, aside from the ticketing mess, and didn’t find much). Still, we were expecting at least a small surprise when we got there. Ups. Disappointment.
Luckily, the AmityAge booth let us leave some items with them, and we handed out the rest to anyone-in-need we met on the go. It wasn’t too smooth or too easy to handle, but it worked. Seeing kids and parents/aunties/uncles light up was the best part. But our little effort couldn’t reach everyone, obviously. For an event this big, you need way more, especially with kids of different ages and interests. Also, a site note: youth raised in a sovereign way can be—and should be—a bit more ‘complex’ (for the lack of a better word).
Anyways, kids-oriented stuff we found at BTCPrague, maybe with a few more examples than the ones above, came from exhibitors’ efforts, not the organizers, except for maybe one small thing I’ll get to below.
All these were also too scattered and tough to take in. Spread across the huge expo hall, they left parents worn out, chasing kids from booth to booth while missing talks or chances to connect. Kids didn’t get to hang out with each other, so they couldn’t easily make new friends or reconnect with those they already knew, just like we came to BTCPrague to catch up with “old friends” and make new ones.
(Side note: Show us a Bitcoiner who doesn’t love meeting their tribe. Children are no different. Connections are a priceless part of our lives.)
Keeping families inside under fake lights with no fresh air is another problem. More on that later. Now, one thing that somehow came to life, thanks to the organizers—planned or not—made a difference. A big shoutout to HoneyBadger, the conference ‘human mascot’ for the past three years, who became a joyful beacon for youngsters without a proper kids’ zone. Instead of just posing for silly photos with adults for their conference collections, the person in that mascot suit braved swarms of kids and their endless energy with love and patience. Picture someone leaping and rolling in a bulky, fluffy costume for hours, days in a row, keeping dozens of bored kiddos entertained. That’s no small thing. Major respect!
Final Thoughts:
We’re not saying BTCPrague was awful, they sure had a few interesting sessions for parents + educators, some at the main stage, some of the expo stage and others, quite many, actually, at the AmityAge pirrate ship. Yet, still as the entire event it missed the mark on families to gather and have fun (including smaller kids and teenagers).
By the way, they’ve got a big outdoor space that didn’t even get fully utilized this year. Why not turn even a small part of it into a fun/safe, family play spot? We’re sure single individuals and projects already present at the event would’ve jumped in to help run something—fresh air, some pillows and blankets, plus creative sheets and crayons, a few books, maybe some toys, a corner to play in, maybe a small TV to watch a few cartoons or speakers to play music for kiddos that like to jump to the rhythm or sing and dance. It wouldn’t have cost much, just some attention and effort (care), with attendees helping out. It’s not a huge ask, but it says a lot.
At its core, Bitcoin’s about building a better future (together) from the ground up. And so, about getting kids curious, helping them connect with each other, and sparking their ideas. Just slapping a Bitcoin logo on stuff or hyping it up by bringing “famous” names isn’t enough. Real change comes from caring about the youngsters and their guardians, letting them meet others, exchange precious moments, and feel part of the community. Events that leave families split—where one person’s having fun while others are bored or stressed—don’t live up to that. BTCPrague, with its massive reach, at least in Europe, could’ve been a great example for others, but unfortunately it fell short.
Don’t get this wrong.
We’re sharing this not to bash anyone but to speak up on something that matters, hoping by June 2026 (the next edition of BTCPrague) things will look different, with more focus on families (real care about the topic). And maybe to inspire some other events.
Please do not ignore families. If you cannot manage alone, remember you are not. There will be plenty of people to help. That’s how many Bitcoiners act :)