History is a powerful teacher. The great societal shifts of the past, such as the onset of agriculture, the invention of the wheel, and the spread of Christianity, offer critical insights into how transformative ideas and technologies diffuse through populations. Across eras and continents, it is clear that the most lasting and meaningful changes have not come from edicts handed down by authorities, but from ordinary people adopting innovations that improve their daily lives.

In this session, historian and educator Deanna Heikkinen will draw parallels between these pivotal moments in human history and the current movement toward global Bitcoin adoption. By examining how technologies over time have revolutionized survival and commerce, and how many ideas and innovations spread organically from the ground up as, this talk will demonstrate that bottom-up adoption, driven by individuals and communities seeking better lives, is far more effective and sustainable than top-down mandates, which often require force and breed resistance.

Using case studies from around the globe, this session focuses on the vital importance of Bitcoin circular economies as the engine of true, sustainable adoption. Just as history’s most transformative tools and ideas spread through grassroots networks, so too will Bitcoin’s promise be realized when it is embraced and integrated into everyday life by communities themselves. This bottom-up approach not only empowers individuals but also creates resilient and authentic networks that can withstand the challenges of change, proving, time and again, that real progress starts from the ground up.