Art by Tanna Po Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0
Vancouver is hosting its first-ever DogeCon from June 21 to 24, which is described as a celebration of the social layer of crypto culture.
DogeCon is presented by Carpe Lunam Events Association. Organizing team member Chelsea Palmer says they wanted to create an inviting and friendly experience for people instead of focusing purely on the technology behind cryptocurrencies or the bottom line approach of many blockchain businesses.
The creator of the DogeCoin cryptocurrency, Jackson Palmer, will be attending. DogeCoin started as a joke in 2013 and uses a picture of a Shiba Inu dog that became a meme or visual internet joke. DogeCoin reached a market cap of over $2 billion in January, 2018.
DogeCon begins on Thursday evening with a Healing Moon Welcome Ceremony. The meet and greet at The Beaumont Studios features short talks about how open communication can transcend tech sector tribalism and offers a display of meme art.
Friday is a cryptoeconomics summit with panel discussions blending economic theory with philosophy on topics such as value and consensus at SFU Harbour Centre. Saturday includes a scavenger hunt, a puppy parade, a discussion on the future of decentralized currencies and a Decentralized Doge Party organized by Decentralized Dance Party.
The puppy parade is open to the public and DogeCon sponsors will make a donation to the BC SPCA for every dog that participates in the walk. The walk starts at 11 a.m. on June 23 at Cathedral Square Park and ends at the Chinese Cultural Centre.
DogeCon is at the Waldorf Hotel on Sunday for events such as a meme philosophy panel, artist presentations, workshops and finishing with a rap show.
Palmer says the aim is to create an accessible event bringing together artists, academics and the tech community. "We're trying to educate, include and make the space fun again."
Organizers are expecting about 300 attendees and tickets start at $240 or $200 if paid with cryptocurrency. Volunteers that complete two four-hour shifts can attend for free.
