Bulls on parade: Crypto winter couldn't kill the vibe at this week's big bitcoin event in NYC

• Bitcoin Investor Week 2026 drew attendees to New York City this week.
• Bitcoin prices are in the dumps, but the vibe at the event was upbeat
• Many top bitcoin voices called for the world's largest crypto to bounce back within a year.

Where in New New York City can you see cowboys in snakeskin boots rubbing elbows with Patagonia hedge-fund vest bros?

The answer is Bitcoin Investors Week in NYC, the multi-day bitcoin bonanza hosted by tech entrepreneur Anthony Pompliano. This year's event kicked off in the depths of a bitcoin bear market, but the exuberance—irrational or otherwise—was on full display throughout the halls.

An abundance of bitcoin-orange ties and a jubilant mood were the vibes of the whole event.

Chris Klein, COO of crypto retirement platform Bitcoin IRA, insisted that the crypto community isn't worried about the current market downturn.

"Every eighteen months we go through something like this, so if anybody's been in this space long enough, this is the third or fourth time they've been through this," he said.

Sam Callahan, director of bitcoin strategy and research at digital asset treasury OranjeBTC, echoed the sentiment, saying that seasoned crypto investors remember bear markets much worse than the current decline.

The bitcoin bear market has dragged on for about four months now, with prices down as much as 50% from the peak earlier this month. They've recovered slightly but are stuck around $70,000, with no clear catalyst on the horizon. Still, for retail and institutional investors, the deep freeze doesn't appear to be souring the mood.

Mike Novogratz, CEO of digital asset investment firm Galaxy Digital, revealed that he's been buying more bitcoin recently in anticipation of shifting macro conditions and policy updates.

Cathie Wood, founder and CEO of Ark Investment Management, continued to describe bitcoin as a hedge against both inflation and deflation, adding that she thinks blockchain technology is poised to play a role in the next phase of the tech boom.

And Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities, one of Wall Street's loudest tech bulls, said that he doesn't think anyone can be bullish on tech without being bullish on bitcoin, predicting there will be more use cases for it in the near future.

The attendees who spoke with Business Insider on the sidelines of the event were equally bullish, donning bitcoin pins on blazer lapels and sporting orange ties in tribute to bitcoin evangelist Michael Saylor.

"These conferences during market drawdowns are refreshing," Klint Drici, head of institutional sales at Arch Lending, a crypto-backed loan platform, said. "They showcase the real builders and operators."

Indeed, there were almost as many bitcoin entrepreneurs as investors at the event, boasting about projects they had in the works even as crypto winter deepened.

Eran Barak, founder of blockchain consulting firm Breem Group, said that he thinks the macro landscape is shifting in a direction that favors bitcoin, citing regulatory developments on the horizon.

"As the CLARITY Act moves closer to approval and Fed rate cuts are increasingly expected, funds and enterprises are viewing Bitcoin as a treasury diversification tool—boosting its perceived value as fresh liquidity flows into the market," he stated.

Many of the crypto pros at the event didn't quite agree on when bitcoin might rebound, but all maintained that it should stage a comeback this year. Real estate entrepreneur and investor Grant Cardone, who spoke about his bitcoin investing strategy, told Business Insider that he thinks it could move horizontally in the short term before gaining fresh momentum.

"I think it could go sideways til the Fall or late Summer," he said. "It could touch $40,000, could touch $38,000 and still hit $180,000 before the end of the year."