This weekend, Bedford is once again at the centre of the Bitcoin universe as the town hosts CheatCode – a three-day event bringing some of the most influential voices in cryptocurrency to the Borough.
The conference, football fixtures and exclusive gatherings will welcome guests from across the world, offering a glimpse into how one of England’s smaller towns is becoming an unlikely epicentre for Bitcoin adoption.
Tonight’s (Thursday) private dinner at the Swan Hotel set the tone for what’s expected to be an energetic and globally connected weekend.
Hosted by Bedford businessman, Real Bedford chairman and the former What Bitcoin Did, now the Peter McCormack Show, podcast host Peter McCormack, the event features headline speakers, including former Prime Minister Liz Truss, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss of Gemini, and Human Rights Foundation’s Alex Gladstein.
Panels and talks will explore Bitcoin’s real-world impact, touching on everything from personal finance and tech innovation to human rights and monetary freedom.
Of course, Bitcoin and the broader crypto world are not without controversy. Critics argue that the sector is volatile, environmentally damaging, and vulnerable to misuse, from speculative bubbles and financial scams to its role in unregulated markets.
Opinions divided
Governments and regulators remain divided on how to approach the technology, and many still question whether decentralised finance can deliver on its promises.
Yet for its supporters, Bitcoin represents freedom from what they say are broken financial systems, and events like CheatCode are where that vision is refined, challenged, and pushed forward.
The CheatCode brand has grown rapidly since its first event in Bedford last year. It recently expanded to Sydney and is attracting attention from mainstream financial figures and grassroots crypto advocates alike.
But this weekend’s flagship event marks a significant milestone – a statement of intent that Bedford is no longer just a curious footnote in the crypto story but a headline act.
Much of that attention has been drawn by Real Bedford FC, the non-league football club now backed by a $4.5m investment from the Winklevoss twins, whose Gemini crypto exchange renewed its sponsorship earlier this year.
Read: Winklevoss twins’ $4.5m “gift to Bedford” finalised
McCormack’s ambition to “orange pill” Bedford through football has courted controversy at times, with headlines ranging from gun photo disputes with the FA, bold merger talks with Bedford Town, and even calling out our county’s top cop, but the momentum is undeniable.
As the stadium upgrades take shape, the club continues to push for success on the pitch.
The men’s team faces Kings Langley on Saturday and could win the league, while the women’s side could also secure their league title on Sunday. The weekend will be rounded off with a celebration of local talent, community sport, and international ambition.
Read: The stars align for Real Bedford’s title challenges on ‘CheatCode’ weekend
With visitors flying in from around the world – many of whom are leading voices or investors in the crypto space – CheatCode has put Bedford on the map in a way few could have predicted.
Whether Bitcoin becomes the future of money or not, its believers are betting on it. But who are these people?
Walking into CheatCode’s VIP event, I wrongly assumed I’d be surrounded by flashy people talking about how much money they had or conspiracists spouting theories about why Bitcoin was the only way to stay free.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Firstly, I’ve been to many conferences in my time, and unless you’re someone worth speaking to, no one says “hello”. Within minutes, people introduced themselves to me and asked how long I’d been interested in Bitcoin and how I had come to know about the event.
Warm welcome
Telling them I knew very little about it and that I was a journalist covering the event was met with genuine interest. None of the paranoia I might have expected from people thinking I was there to spy as part of the controlling MSM.
They all wanted to help explain what Bitcoin was and how they got involved.
Joe Martin, an enthusiastic musician from the Isle of Man, is in Bedford for CheatCode with his musician friend Billy.
“We make more money by accepting Bitcoin than we do with Fiat,” he told me.
Fiat money is the name given to a government-issued currency that is not backed by a physical commodity such as gold or silver; it is backed instead by the government that issues it.
While fiat currency is centralised, controlled by governments and banks, and prone to inflation, cryptocurrencies like BTC are decentralized with fixed supplies. It is a bit more complicated than that, and there are still pros and cons to both, but I’ll talk about that in later articles.
It mainly works for people like Joe and Billy because it gives them control. “People listen to our music on platforms that take Bitcoin, and it comes directly to us. On other platforms, someone else always wants to take a portion,” says Joe.
Looking around the room, I can see people from all walks of life: men, women, young and old, and even a family from Scotland. The accents I can hear at other tables show that the event has truly attracted an international crowd.
I asked Joe if this was a typical representation of Bitcoiners.
“Yeah, we’re all just regular people. We see Bitcoin as a chance to save money and protect that investment,” And he’s right about that aspect of the currency.
Yes, Bitcoin can be volatile, and it was also affected by the recent tariff wars but it wasn’t hit as hard as the regular markets. “One of the main problems people have with it is not realising it’s a long game. Bitcoin isn’t ‘get rich quick, it’s get less poor slowly’.
A few minutes later, Joe and Billy downloaded Bitcoin-enabled music apps onto my phone so I could follow their music. Joe even transferred me some ‘sats’, the Bitcoin version of pennies, so that I can start supporting some of the artists.
Bedford boom
Just days before CheatCode kicked off, Bedfordshire was confirmed as the future home of a Universal Studios UK resort – a transformative project that promises thousands of jobs, world-class tourism infrastructure, and a dramatic boost to the area’s global profile.
The project will be the first Universal-branded resort in Europe and is expected to generate nearly £50 billion for the UK economy by 2055
Read: Universal Studios UK gets green light for £50bn Bedford theme park opening 2031
It’s a development that reinforces what events like CheatCode are already signalling: this part of the country is open for business, open to ideas, and being seen in a whole new light.
Add to that the approved expansion of London Luton Airport – one of the UK’s fastest-growing airports and just a short drive from Bedford – and the appeal of this region as an international hub becomes even clearer.
The combination of global investment, improved connectivity, and a willingness to think differently is reshaping Bedford’s perception.
And with this kind of attention – and ambition – arriving in town, Bedford’s transformation from an overlooked commuter town to a global talking point shows no signs of slowing down.
What began with a football club and a podcast has grown into something much bigger, an international event that started right here on our doorstep. A bold statement that the future doesn’t have to happen in London. It can happen right here.
CheatCode runs until Sunday with an all day conference on Friday, 11 April, and Real Bedford football matches on Saturday and Sunday. Find out more at their website.
