Freedom Tech DC 2026 is a Washington, DC policy summit focused on the future of money, speech, compute, and intelligence.
Organized by Bitcoin Policy Institute, the event brings together technologists, investors, policymakers, and scholars for two days of keynotes, panels, and working sessions on how emerging technologies should be governed in the United States.
The program looks at the policy choices shaping monetary networks, censorship-resistant systems, open-source software, AI, compute infrastructure, and national technological competitiveness. Rather than focusing only on Bitcoin, the summit connects Bitcoin policy with broader debates around financial freedom, speech, lawful access to advanced systems, and the infrastructure needed for American technology leadership.
The main summit runs on September 22–23 in Washington, DC, with additional programming around the core event.
Program
The program begins on September 21 with the Inaugural DC Beefsteak at PubKey DC.
Day 1 takes place on September 22 at the National Press Club under the theme “Establishing the Stakes.” The day is structured around summit programming for policy, technology, and investment participants.
That evening, Freedom Tech DC hosts a black-tie gala at Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. Attendance is reserved for Freedom Tech DC guests, with formal attire required.
Day 2 takes place on September 23 at PubKey DC under the theme “Hands-On Policy Work.” The program continues with working sessions and discussions focused on practical policy direction.
The wider schedule also includes a closing party at PubKey DC on the evening of September 23 and a Day on the Hill at the United States Capitol on the morning of September 24.
Policy focus
Freedom Tech DC is built around the question of how open technologies are governed before policy defaults are set.
The summit focuses on who gets access to advanced systems, how financial and communication rails remain open, and whether the growth of compute and energy infrastructure supports broad competition or creates new chokepoints.
Topics include money that can move without permission, speech systems that avoid censorship and backdoors, and compute infrastructure that can support powerful models while remaining open, lawful, and competitive.
Speakers
The current speaker lineup is expected to be announced through the summit program.
Past Bitcoin Policy Summit speakers highlighted by the event include Cynthia Lummis, Tom Emmer, Marsha Blackburn, Ritchie Torres, Hester Peirce, Faryar Shirzad, Jack Mallers, Alex Leishman, Joe Kelly, Fred Thiel, and other participants from government, regulatory bodies, Bitcoin companies, and policy organizations.
Access
Tickets are available through the official Freedom Tech DC page. Public ticket pricing is not available at the time of writing.
The black-tie gala is by invitation and reserved for Freedom Tech DC guests.
