St. Augustine and Jacksonville's Crypto Scene: Local Meetups, a Bitcoin Beach Race and New Florida Crypto Laws

Northeast Florida's bitcoin fans aren't just watching charts. At Jacksonville Beach, they race 400 meters at Oceanfront Park with the winner paid in bitcoin. In St. Augustine, they meet over drinks to talk crypto and blockchain.

The local crypto scene is small and grassroots, built around meetups rather than big conferences. And it's growing up alongside new Florida laws passed this year that set clearer rules for stablecoins and crypto ATMs.

Here's a look at where local crypto fans gather and what the new state rules mean.

Jacksonville Beach: The Bitcoin Dash

The Sunset Circuit / Bitcoin Dash Meetup group mixes crypto with fitness and family fun at Oceanfront Park, 429 First St. S., in Jacksonville Beach.

The group's page describes an evening built for all ages:

• The Bitcoin Dash: a 400-meter run or walk for kids and adults. The overall winner gets half the entry fees, paid out in bitcoin.
• Circuit training led by organizer Sasha Hodder, designed for any skill level, or a kids' kickball game
• A deep stretch and sound bath
• A marketplace and social, where people bring handmade goods, used gear or food to sell or trade

The suggested entry is $15 a person, and it's optional. The group, which lists 28 members, held events at Oceanfront Park on July 11 and Sept. 12 this year.

St. Augustine: A casual crypto meetup

In St. Augustine, a small Meetup group called Crypto & Cryptids hosts relaxed, in-person conversations about bitcoin and blockchain. Its host is described as a former principal engineer at Microsoft.

The group, which lists 21 members, met this spring at the Ice Plant Bar, 110 Riberia St., and Odd Birds Cocktail Lounge and Kitchen, 200 Anastasia Blvd. Its page invites people to "join us weekly," so check it for the next gathering.

Florida's new stablecoin law

Tallahassee has been busy on crypto, too.

HB 175, Florida's new payment stablecoin law, took effect June 26, 2026. Stablecoins are digital tokens designed to hold a steady value, usually tied to the U.S. dollar.

The law brings stablecoins under Florida's money services rules. It requires certain stablecoin issuers to be licensed or exempt, gives the state Office of Financial Regulation the job of supervising qualified issuers, and says certain payment stablecoins are not securities under state law. It is now Chapter 2026-176, Laws of Florida.

New protections at crypto ATMs

A second law, HB 505, sets new rules for virtual currency kiosks, the bitcoin ATMs found in many gas stations and convenience stores. It passed the Florida House 107-0, was approved by the governor on June 26, 2026, and takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, unless a section says otherwise.

Under the new law, kiosk businesses must:

• Register with the state before operating in Florida
• Require certain attestations from customers and show a required disclosure on the machine
• Give customers a physical or electronic receipt after each transaction
• Issue a full refund in certain circumstances

How to stay safe at a crypto ATM

The new rules come as scammers target crypto kiosks. The Florida Office of Financial Regulation warns that scammers push victims to use the machines "because the transaction is anonymous and cannot be canceled, reversed, or refunded."

Common tricks the agency lists include:

• Romance scammers who meet victims on dating sites or social media and ask for money
• Fake tech support callers who claim your computer has a virus
• Callers pretending to be your bank who say you must move your money to keep it safe
• Strangers who build trust over weeks, then pitch a crypto "investment"

"No legitimate business will make such a request," the agency says. If someone demands payment through a crypto kiosk, hang up and contact the company or agency yourself.

You can also look up whether a money services business is licensed in Florida on the OFR's website, flofr.gov.

How to get involved locally

• Find a meetup: Search Meetup.com for "Sunset Circuit" (Jacksonville Beach) or "Crypto and Cryptids" (St. Augustine), and check the latest event dates before you go.
• Start small: Both groups are casual and welcome beginners.
• Learn the rules: The Florida Senate's website has the full text of HB 175 and HB 505.

How we did this

Jax Times used the Crypto & Cryptids and Sunset Circuit / Bitcoin Dash group pages on Meetup.com, the Florida Senate's bill pages for HB 175 and HB 505 (2026), and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation's consumer resources page.