Editing by Nathaniel Cajuday

• Florin Hilbay, the former Solicitor General of the Philippines and current Dean of Silliman University College of Law, has expressed his bullish stance on Bitcoin, calling it “the only real money for the 21st century.”
• Hilbay believes that those who do not understand Bitcoin are “still living in the 20th century,” and he has been actively promoting Bitcoin use in the country. He has published a book on “The Bitcoin Monetary Network” and included a course pack on digital currencies in the university’s curriculum.
• According to Hilbay, educating people about Bitcoin is essential in understanding the world today, and he believes that Bitcoin is the best lens for understanding what’s happening in the world.

“I’m very bullish on Bitcoin. I think it is the only real money for the 21st century. Every communication system is about speed; it’s about convenience, and it’s about having less friction. I’ve studied monetary systems for two and a half years, and only Bitcoin is the real money out there for the 21st century.”

This is the statement of Florin Hilbay, the current dean of Silliman University’s College of Law and the country’s former Solicitor General, who headlined the roster of speakers across multiple industries and crypto-business sectors for the first-ever Bitcoin Island Retreat, which happened on March 27 until March 29, 2023, at the Henann Regency Resort and Spa in Boracay Island, Aklan, Philippines.

“In the third decade of the 21st century, we have seen a change in the medium for exchanging ideas. The language didn’t change, but the medium changed. And look at what the Internet has done. It’s disrupted our way of life. The second change has already arrived, and so those people who do not understand Bitcoin are actually still living in the 20th century because there are only two foundational civilizational protocols: what I call a value exchange protocol, which is the monitoring system, and an idea exchange,” he explained in a panel discussion. 

Hilbay has been actively promoting the use of Bitcoin in the country, but especially in the academe. He recently published a book on “The Bitcoin Monetary Network” with Silliman University, and a course pack about digital currencies is included in the university’s curriculum.

He discussed his book “Bitcoin: An Introduction…” and the topic “The University as Home for Bitcoin Education.”

“We need to educate as many people as we can about #Bitcoin because it’s the best lens for understanding what’s happening in the world today. Then, they get to decide what’s best for them,” said Hilbay. 

The Bitcoin Island Retreat is an initiative by Bitcoin payments firm Pouch.ph together with crypto exchange and mobile wallet Coins.ph, Bitskwela, and partners.

The retreat allowed the attendees to network, pitch ideas, and share announcements. For 3 days, they also experienced living completely off of Bitcoin. 

Since mid-2022, Pouch.ph has enabled more than 250 business establishments to accept lightning payments and receive instant, final settlement in Philippine Pesos with no fees. The initiative aimed to establish a micro-economy running entirely on bitcoin while promoting crypto-centric tourism. 

Early this year, Pouch.ph partnered with U.S. fintech firm Strike to allow Filipinos in the United States send money to the Philippines utilizing the Lightning Network.

This article is published on BitPinas: Ex-SolGen Florin Hilbay Among Speakers at Bitcoin Island Retreat Boracay

Disclaimer: BitPinas articles and its external content are not financial advice. The team serves to deliver independent, unbiased news to provide information for Philippine-crypto and beyond.

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• Source: https://bitpinas.com/feature/florin-hilbay-in-bitcoin-island-retreat-boracay/