For the second-straight year, organizers are bringing industry stakeholders and business and political leaders together in Tampa for the Florida Bitcoin & Blockchain Summit.

Billed as the state’s “first blockchain and fintech in Florida focused event,” the summit takes place Friday, Nov. 4, at the Holiday Inn Westshore. Like last year’s event, held at Amalie Arena, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor will kick off a full day of programming with a welcoming address.

The Mayor – and the summit – made national headlines last year when Castor announced she would receive a portion of her salary in bitcoin, the apex cryptocurrency. The recent industrywide downturn, explained Chris Krimitsos, founder of Florida Bitcoin & Blockchain Summit (FBBS), helped eliminate the preponderance of speculators and “bandwagoners” who clouded the space.

“I’m most excited to see where everybody’s at, kind of batten down the hatches and compare notes,” said Krimitsos. “There’s been a lot of turmoil in the markets lately, and we have some really cool panels, like spotting opportunities in a bear market.”

In addition, Krimitsos relayed his anticipation to hear the latest news from Cityverse. Joe Hamilton, head of network for the platform (and publisher of the Catalyst), will host a 4 p.m. panel titled “Making the Metaverse Local.”

The Tampa Bay Rays organization recently announced it acquired an equity position in Cityverse, and Krimistos noted Hamilton would…