Will Bitcoin Finally Escape the Conference Curse During This Week’s Las Vegas Event?

Bitcoin has been on a remarkable upswing recently, yet historical trends suggest that Bitcoin Conferences often mark key inflection points where gains are short-lived.

As Bitcoin (BTC) approaches this week’s Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas, trading near a record peak above $109,000, investors are wary. Past conferences have frequently been followed by disappointing price movements, raising questions about whether the rally can sustain.

Data compiled by Galaxy Research from five previous conferences—ranging from San Francisco in 2019 to Nashville in 2024—show that Bitcoin tends to weaken both during and especially after these events.

For example, at the 2019 San Francisco conference, Bitcoin declined 10% over the event itself and then dropped 24% within the following month. Likewise, the Miami 2022 conference saw a slight 1% dip during the gathering, followed by a sharp 29% plunge afterward. Both episodes occurred amid broader bear market conditions.

Even during bullish periods like 2023, Bitcoin’s price action around conference weeks remained largely flat or slightly negative, reflecting a lack of momentum.

The 2024 Nashville event was notable for a brief 4% gain during the conference, spurred in part by then-presidential candidate Donald Trump’s pledge for a strategic Bitcoin reserve. However, Bitcoin soon reversed course with a rapid 20% drop, coinciding with the unwinding of the yen carry trade and a shift toward risk aversion in global markets.

This year’s conference, featuring current Vice President J.D. Vance and rising institutional participation, could break the trend. Still, Bitcoin faces not just technical resistance but also a psychological barrier—conference weeks have increasingly become “sell the news” events for traders.