"I find your lack of faith disturbing" - Darth Vader
Monero Meetup Report
DefCon draws crowds of 25,000 attendees over a 3 day period. This year, DefCon booked conference and banquette halls in both Caesar's Palace and the Flamingo. In addition to the Monero/BCOS Village, there were several other interesting villages such as the Biohacking, Ethics, and Car Hacking Villages. Unfortunately since I was using a crappy burner phone for the entirety of the conference, I didn't take any photos of the DefCon conference itself. Instead, I will take you on a journey through Las Vegas and tell you the story of the Monero meetup that extended well beyond the walls of DefCon.
Main Entrance at Caesar's
Tables in Caesar's
When I arrived Thursday afternoon, the Monero Village was still being prepared but we all met up to grab some lunch and drinks at Carlos'N Charlie's. This was by far the hottest day during my stay in Vegas with temperatures ranging between 39-41 C (102-108 F). Umbrellas and drinks made sitting outside bearable.
Carlos'N Charlie's
Outdoor Seating
It was great to meet in person so many of the people I respect and follow within the community. Certainly a little awkward at first but by the end of the conference, I felt quite comfortable with my new friends. Rehrar wrote a Monero Village Summary with a list of a majority of the Monero community members present. I was so jet lagged Thursday night I passed out before the Thursday evening festivities.
Friday morning we started Monero Village presentations with talks exploring Inside Monero, Open Source Hardware, and Security Issues in Crypto Software Wallets. There was also a workshop for tinkering with the BitBox Hardware Wallet.
Inside the Monero Village (photo courtesy of u/Rehrar)
Friday night, 11 of us went out for dinner at Carmine's. At first they told us it would be a 2 hour wait but then got all of us seated in 15 minutes without a reservation on a Friday night. This restaurant is part of an entire eating/shopping center within Caesar's Palace that is designed to look like it is outside, with fake sky and exterior walls.
Carmine's
Fountain of the God's near Carmine's
Above the Reflecting Pool further down in Caesar's
After dinner, we moved to Paris Casino where we split into smaller groups to gamble. It was here that I first played Pai Gow Poker. Unlike trading Monero, you lose money slowly in this game. As the night went on, our group got much smaller and 5 of us followed u/needmoney90 back to his hotel at The Wynn.
The Wynn
Cool view while walking to the Wynn
It was actually super awesome that u/needmoney90 rented this hotel room. It was about a 25 minute walk from DefCon but a great place for Monero social gatherings. Friday night after several drinks and gambling, the 5 of us discussed a wide range of topics relating to the development of Monero's community and various technical concerns, such as the potential pollution of Monero outputs. This brainstorm session was highly productive and fun.
Saturday the Monero discussion continued with presentations from the VP of Security at Coinbase, u/fluffyponyza, u/SamsungGalaxyPlayer, and u/anonimal_0x914409F1. Michael (msvb) lead a workshop on programming your Monero badges and later a panel of several of the previous speakers took place. After Saturday's DefCon presentations ended, a few of us followed u/pwrcycle to begin getting several dozen gallons of ice to fill up two huge bathtubs with beer and ice in the Monero Party room. Several other people came to help set up various other party logistics like hanging signs, setting up tables, and arranging furniture. By 8 pm, we were all ready for the party which started at 9 pm.
After helping set up, I walked over to the Wynn to meet up with u/needmoney90. When I stepped outside, it was now getting dark outside and there were very strong gusts of dust filled winds. A sandstorm had emerged. I made the exhilarating trek from Caesar's to the Wynn through 60 mph winds. (Source) Probably stupid, but hey that was one of the most exciting adventures I've experienced.
When I arrived, u/needmoney90, oneiric, and I chilled for a bit as we waited for the storm to pass. After a bit we Uber'ed to Caesar's, where the Monero Party was being held. It turns out there was another DefCon party being held at Caesar's so the elevators were completely packed with long lines spilling out into the casino floor. We finally got through the line and arrived at the party.
Upstairs view of the Monero Party (photo courtesy of u/fluffyponyza)
Monero Party! (photo courtesy of u/fluffyponyza)
In the style of the previous night, this party was highly productive for me. I had the opportunity to talk with several of the senior Monero core members about a wide range of topics from the impact of polluted outputs, to the Monero community, to the shared struggle of unfortunate life events.
The night came to a close around 1:30 am when hotel staff came in to shut down the party. Myself and several other core Monero team members stayed for the next hour or so cleaning up the hundreds of beer cans and cups. I was very impressed with the way our team handled the hotel staff who insisted on kicking everyone out with no exceptions but managed to reach a compromise where those cleaning were not escorted out. It was nice to see the emergent teamwork and collective synergy that our group displayed.
We represent the Monero community. It is of the upmost importance that we present a professional, respectful, and dignified image of the Monero community. We will be back at Caesar's Palace, let's leave a good impression.
The night ended and I went home. Sunday morning Monero Village talks included a deep dive into crypto attack vectors with u/SarangNoether, an exploration of various groups within the crypto ecosystem with u/midipoet, and an overview of the Monero Community with u/SamsungGalaxyPlayer. I had a wonderful opportunity to continue the conversation with many of the people I spoke with at the party and expand on the Sunday presentations before DefCon ended at 2 pm.
Several of us decided that we were going to first grab some lunch at In'N Out before heading to the Flamingo to hang out at the pool and play blackjack.
The Flamingo Casino
In-N-Out
Pool at the Flamingo
The Three Monero's chillin at the pool (I'm in the middle)
Just before sunset we all headed back to u/needmoney90's hotel at the Wynn to grab some food and gamble since it turns out the blackjack table was closed at the Flamingo pool. Somehow we had perfect timing and caught this awesome view from u/needmoney90's hotel.
Sunday Night Sunset (photo courtesy of u/SamsungGalaxyPlayer)
Fluffy ponies at the Wynn
Sunday Night Dinner at the Wynn
We played Roulette for a while after dinner and I was too tired to continue the night but the rest of the guys played Poker until 4 am or something.
There were plenty more pictures that I couldn't include in this post because Reddit has a max of 20 images per post and Imgur is being difficult. So, if you would like to see more pictures and stay updated with me and my Monero adventures, follow me on my new Twitter and Instagram accounts. I'll be adding content from my recent travels to Belgium and the Ukraine in addition to more Vegas photos. Until my next adventure...
https://twitter.com/realXeagu
https://www.instagram.com/realXeagu/
submitted by Xeagu to Monero [link] [comments] Monero Meetup Report
Las Vegas, Defcon-26 9-12/8/18
Caesar's PalaceDefCon draws crowds of 25,000 attendees over a 3 day period. This year, DefCon booked conference and banquette halls in both Caesar's Palace and the Flamingo. In addition to the Monero/BCOS Village, there were several other interesting villages such as the Biohacking, Ethics, and Car Hacking Villages. Unfortunately since I was using a crappy burner phone for the entirety of the conference, I didn't take any photos of the DefCon conference itself. Instead, I will take you on a journey through Las Vegas and tell you the story of the Monero meetup that extended well beyond the walls of DefCon.
Main Entrance at Caesar's
Tables in Caesar's
When I arrived Thursday afternoon, the Monero Village was still being prepared but we all met up to grab some lunch and drinks at Carlos'N Charlie's. This was by far the hottest day during my stay in Vegas with temperatures ranging between 39-41 C (102-108 F). Umbrellas and drinks made sitting outside bearable.
Carlos'N Charlie's
Outdoor Seating
It was great to meet in person so many of the people I respect and follow within the community. Certainly a little awkward at first but by the end of the conference, I felt quite comfortable with my new friends. Rehrar wrote a Monero Village Summary with a list of a majority of the Monero community members present. I was so jet lagged Thursday night I passed out before the Thursday evening festivities.
Friday morning we started Monero Village presentations with talks exploring Inside Monero, Open Source Hardware, and Security Issues in Crypto Software Wallets. There was also a workshop for tinkering with the BitBox Hardware Wallet.
Inside the Monero Village (photo courtesy of u/Rehrar)
Friday night, 11 of us went out for dinner at Carmine's. At first they told us it would be a 2 hour wait but then got all of us seated in 15 minutes without a reservation on a Friday night. This restaurant is part of an entire eating/shopping center within Caesar's Palace that is designed to look like it is outside, with fake sky and exterior walls.
Carmine's
Fountain of the God's near Carmine's
Above the Reflecting Pool further down in Caesar's
After dinner, we moved to Paris Casino where we split into smaller groups to gamble. It was here that I first played Pai Gow Poker. Unlike trading Monero, you lose money slowly in this game. As the night went on, our group got much smaller and 5 of us followed u/needmoney90 back to his hotel at The Wynn.
The Wynn
Cool view while walking to the Wynn
It was actually super awesome that u/needmoney90 rented this hotel room. It was about a 25 minute walk from DefCon but a great place for Monero social gatherings. Friday night after several drinks and gambling, the 5 of us discussed a wide range of topics relating to the development of Monero's community and various technical concerns, such as the potential pollution of Monero outputs. This brainstorm session was highly productive and fun.
Saturday the Monero discussion continued with presentations from the VP of Security at Coinbase, u/fluffyponyza, u/SamsungGalaxyPlayer, and u/anonimal_0x914409F1. Michael (msvb) lead a workshop on programming your Monero badges and later a panel of several of the previous speakers took place. After Saturday's DefCon presentations ended, a few of us followed u/pwrcycle to begin getting several dozen gallons of ice to fill up two huge bathtubs with beer and ice in the Monero Party room. Several other people came to help set up various other party logistics like hanging signs, setting up tables, and arranging furniture. By 8 pm, we were all ready for the party which started at 9 pm.
After helping set up, I walked over to the Wynn to meet up with u/needmoney90. When I stepped outside, it was now getting dark outside and there were very strong gusts of dust filled winds. A sandstorm had emerged. I made the exhilarating trek from Caesar's to the Wynn through 60 mph winds. (Source) Probably stupid, but hey that was one of the most exciting adventures I've experienced.
When I arrived, u/needmoney90, oneiric, and I chilled for a bit as we waited for the storm to pass. After a bit we Uber'ed to Caesar's, where the Monero Party was being held. It turns out there was another DefCon party being held at Caesar's so the elevators were completely packed with long lines spilling out into the casino floor. We finally got through the line and arrived at the party.
Upstairs view of the Monero Party (photo courtesy of u/fluffyponyza)
Monero Party! (photo courtesy of u/fluffyponyza)
In the style of the previous night, this party was highly productive for me. I had the opportunity to talk with several of the senior Monero core members about a wide range of topics from the impact of polluted outputs, to the Monero community, to the shared struggle of unfortunate life events.
The night came to a close around 1:30 am when hotel staff came in to shut down the party. Myself and several other core Monero team members stayed for the next hour or so cleaning up the hundreds of beer cans and cups. I was very impressed with the way our team handled the hotel staff who insisted on kicking everyone out with no exceptions but managed to reach a compromise where those cleaning were not escorted out. It was nice to see the emergent teamwork and collective synergy that our group displayed.
We represent the Monero community. It is of the upmost importance that we present a professional, respectful, and dignified image of the Monero community. We will be back at Caesar's Palace, let's leave a good impression.
The night ended and I went home. Sunday morning Monero Village talks included a deep dive into crypto attack vectors with u/SarangNoether, an exploration of various groups within the crypto ecosystem with u/midipoet, and an overview of the Monero Community with u/SamsungGalaxyPlayer. I had a wonderful opportunity to continue the conversation with many of the people I spoke with at the party and expand on the Sunday presentations before DefCon ended at 2 pm.
Several of us decided that we were going to first grab some lunch at In'N Out before heading to the Flamingo to hang out at the pool and play blackjack.
The Flamingo Casino
In-N-Out
Pool at the Flamingo
The Three Monero's chillin at the pool (I'm in the middle)
Just before sunset we all headed back to u/needmoney90's hotel at the Wynn to grab some food and gamble since it turns out the blackjack table was closed at the Flamingo pool. Somehow we had perfect timing and caught this awesome view from u/needmoney90's hotel.
Sunday Night Sunset (photo courtesy of u/SamsungGalaxyPlayer)
Fluffy ponies at the Wynn
Sunday Night Dinner at the Wynn
We played Roulette for a while after dinner and I was too tired to continue the night but the rest of the guys played Poker until 4 am or something.
There were plenty more pictures that I couldn't include in this post because Reddit has a max of 20 images per post and Imgur is being difficult. So, if you would like to see more pictures and stay updated with me and my Monero adventures, follow me on my new Twitter and Instagram accounts. I'll be adding content from my recent travels to Belgium and the Ukraine in addition to more Vegas photos. Until my next adventure...
https://twitter.com/realXeagu
https://www.instagram.com/realXeagu/
