Despite their market volatility, bitcoin and other virtual currencies are fast becoming a growing topic of conversation around the future of the payments ecosystem. 

Both online and brick-and-mortar merchants are starting to accept bitcoin, giving consumers innovative payment options, while in turn benefiting from lower transaction fees. Wallet providers, bitcoin ATMs and debit cards are making it simpler for consumers to use bitcoin, and even financial institutions are showing interest in the blockchain technology that drives bitcoin.

Where is all this headed in 2015 and beyond? GoCoin Co-Founder and CEO Steve Beauregard will give his take on the current landscape for virtual currencies during his keynote presentation at the Virtual Currency Today Summit (VCTS), to be held April 29 at the Hilton Boston Back Bay.

For two-plus decades, Beauregard has been a pillar of the LA startup community, leading innovations in Internet, mobile, social media, app development, e-commerce, and now, digital currency technologies.

Last year, GoCoin was named one of "5 Sizzling Silicon Beach Startups to Watch" by Entrepreneur Magazine. Beauregard actively circles the globe, speaking at conferences on digital currency and next-generation merchant payment solutions. He is a serial entrepreneur with a keen eye for emerging technologies, with the business instincts to develop businesses in the critical path of trends.

VCTS is being produced by Networld Media Group, publisher of Virtual Currency Today, Mobile Payments Today and Retail Customer Experience, among others.

Additional speakers and panelists for VCTS will include: 

• Judd Bagley, Director of Communications, Overstock.com 
• David J. Cotney, Commissioner of Banks, Massachusetts Division of Banks 
• Bruce Fenton, Managing Director, Atlantic Financial Inc. 
• Duane Pozza, Attorney, Federal Trade Commission