BitcoinNYC is an independent editorial site. It is not an official press office for any organisation. It does not represent past meetup groups, conferences, membership organisations, or initiatives that have used a similar name. If you are writing about any of those, please describe them in their own words rather than treating this site as their voice.
Short site description
For one-line descriptions in articles, the following framing is accurate:
BitcoinNYC is an independent reader-focused guide to learning about Bitcoin in New York. It covers wallet safety, scam recognition, New York regulation, taxation in general terms, and how to find local educational events. It does not run events and does not provide financial, legal, or tax advice.
Terminology guidance
A few clarifications save a lot of email later.
- Bitcoin (capitalised) refers to the system, network, and shared rules.
- bitcoin (lowercase) refers to the unit of value used inside the system.
- "Crypto" is a broad term covering thousands of unrelated projects. Bitcoin is one of them. Many statements about "crypto" do not accurately describe Bitcoin.
- The BitLicense is the common name for the New York State Department of Financial Services framework that licenses certain virtual currency businesses.
- A wallet does not literally store coins. It stores keys that prove control over addresses on the public ledger.
- Self-custody means the user holds the keys directly. Custodial services hold keys on behalf of users.
Safe phrasing for sensitive topics
These framings are reasonable starting points for general writing. Adjust to your publication's house style.
- For scams: "scam patterns that target Bitcoin newcomers" rather than "investment opportunities". Many advertised "trading platforms" and "trading bots" are fraudulent.
- For regulation: "the New York State Department of Financial Services regulates certain virtual currency businesses through a framework commonly known as the BitLicense" rather than "Bitcoin is regulated in New York", which is imprecise.
- For taxation: "digital asset activity can create reportable events depending on the jurisdiction and circumstances" rather than blanket statements about how crypto is or is not taxed.
- For history: be cautious with single-source claims about specific dates, founders, or attendance numbers in the early years. Multiple-source confirmation is wise.
Topics readers ask about most
- What Bitcoin actually is
- Bitcoin history and New York's role in early public attention
- New York Bitcoin regulation
- Wallet safety and self-custody
- Crypto investor safety and recurring scam patterns
- Tax record-keeping at a general level
- How readers can attend meetups safely
- The New York Bitcoin community landscape
What this site does not do
Please do not characterise BitcoinNYC as any of the following, because it is none of them:
- The original or successor of any past Bitcoin meetup or conference using a similar name.
- An exchange, broker, custody service, or wallet vendor.
- An advisory service, a legal practice, or a tax advisory.
- A representative voice for "the Bitcoin community" in New York or anywhere else.
- A signal service, trading group, or investment promoter.
Responsible source note
Where this site cites a regulator, an authoritative reference, or a primary technical document, the original source is more authoritative than anything written here. Articles that need precise regulatory phrasing, statutory references, or current enforcement details should rely on the regulator's own materials or qualified legal commentary rather than on summaries.
Contact
Use the contact page for press queries, factual corrections, and broken-link reports. Notes that point to specific factual mistakes are appreciated more than general feedback.