Bitcoin Beach

The first circular economy on bitcoin

El Salvador - El Zonte

Introducing a Bitcoin Economic Ecosystem

We believe that if a local economy is created with thesupport of Bitcoin, new opportunities will open up for the community members

The project Bitcoin Beach is creating a sustainable Bitcoin Economic ecosystem on the coast of El Salvador, where the majority of people do not have access to bank accounts and the local businesses could never qualify for merchant accounts needed to accept credit cards.

From the early days, Bitcoin promised to allow us to bank the unbanked, and return power back from governments and financial institutions to the individual. However, until recent, this promise has remained elusive. Bitcoin Beach is a movement to make sure the true potential of Bitcoin is realized, and that those who have been excluded from the banking system are the primary beneficiaries.

Backed by the donation of an anonymous early Bitcoin adopter, Bitcoin Beach has made it its mission to prove that Bitcoin could have the biggest impact on the lives of those that society often ignores.

Our work is just getting started

The project is slowly growing a Bitcoin ecosystem in a way that truly improves lives. Since 2019,  Bitcoin has been used as a medium of exchange in the coastal villages through a number of initiatives that all involve using BTC in real transactional ways.

Bitcoin Beach is a locally led Salvadoran initiative that is actively supported by US based non-profit www.missionsake.com under their https://thecommunitybuild.com/ initiative, and partners with https://bitbybitfund.org/index.html and https://www.b4h.ngo/. We do not convert Bitcoin donations to fiat. We use all Bitcoin donations to pay Bitcoin stipends to locals participating in the work we do.

Bitcoin Beach has brought together talented entrepreneurial community members to make sure all our efforts meet the real needs of the local community. Every month we have new local businesses and services begin to accept payment in Bitcoin. Locals can pay their Utility Bills (phone, water and electric), for medical care, food and even haircuts using Bitcoin over the Lightning Network.

Our vision is to create a Bitcoin circular economy that include remittances, tourism, public service and small business. The village of El Zonte is only the beginning. We have recently launched the initiative in Punta Mango, another beautiful surf town about 3 hours from El Zonte. The goal is for Bitcoin adoption to grow along the coast in different communities and fill in the gaps over time.
During the COVID19 pandemic, while other tourist hot-spots struggled to survive, the people of El Zonte remained resilient thanks to an alternative Bitcoin economy. This option proved its value by enabling aid to reach the community's members through direct deposits to their Bitcoin wallets without any physical contact. Direct Bitcoin donations gave the power to the locals to buy what they needed most, and helped the local businesses keep their door's open.

COVID Rescue Aid

It is an ambitious vision but we belief it is possible. We are creating jobs and other means to earn Bitcoins. We invite the Bitcoin community to visit and support the efforts.
Donate

3000

Bitcoin Users

$20+BTC

Donations

120

Businesses

500

Aided Families

Meet El Salvador: Community Benefits

Adoption

Bitcoin adoption starts with Education The Bitcoin Beach team offers local communities the necessary tools and training to transact with Bitcoin. They assist them in setting up wallets so that they can purchase anything from $1 bag of tortillas to a $3 haircut. With the help of b4H EDUBLOCKS, www.b4h.ngo; we are now offering weekly classes focused on the history of BTC, security and custody issues, and saving for the future in sound money.

Spreading the word

The younger generations are already adopting different means to exchange value and using Bitcoin in ways we would never think of. We help get the ball rolling, but they will be the ones driving the revolution forward.

Hirvin Palma

Student

University student studying business with a focus on tourism. Devoted husband and bus driver for our students that we transport to high school. He is the quiet guy that keeps things on track behind the scenes

Román Centeno

student

We joke he is no longer Salvadoran because he spent so many years in Italy. Always smiling and up for adventure he keeps Bitcoin Beach fun.

Yamileth González

student

High School Student that serves as a tutor in our school education program and is our trainer to help people open new wallets.

Mabel Henriquez

student

High School Student that serves as a tutor in our school education program and is our trainer to help people open new wallets.

Ismael Galdamez Hernández

student

Currently attending 9th grade, Ismael is focused on completing high school and becoming one of the few that makes it to University.

Ana González

student

A biology student at the university. Ana is an important contributor, she helps young students stay in school and continue with the education.

Meet the Crew

Stars Team out of this World

Jorge Valenzuela

Coordinator

A heart for seeing the youth in El Zonte be able to finish high school and go onto university. Husband, father, surfer and champion of Bitcoin

Citadel-by-the-Sea

In 2019, Bitcoin Beach decided to challenge the growing assumptions that Bitcoin would never be used for daily transactions such as buying a cup of coffee, as well as the assumption that Bitcoin would be used more by the wealthy than those looking to get to the first rung of the economic ladder.
So far Bitcoin Beach has positively impacted the lives of more than 600 users, giving them the tools to set up wallets using Bitcoin (facilitated by the Lightning Network) for everything from buying a $1 bag of tortillas to paying for a $3 haircut.

This is how Bitcoin Beach Bitcoin adoption starts:

Phase 1

Get Bitcoin into the local community, while simultaneously making sure there are local businesses accepting it as payment.
Thousands of millions of Satoshi have been injected into the community in the following ways:  

- Youth work programs improving the local environment by cleaning the local beaches and river, educational stipends to students staying in school, BTC stipends for university students, Universal Cash (BTC) Transfers to the elderly and poorest families in the community, and community construction projects (contractor, workers, and supplies all paid in BTC).

- Getting the Bitcoin economy started: As we injected the BTC into the community we also taught local businesses how to accept Bitcoin and helped educate them on the advantages (and drawbacks) of accepting Bitcoin.  

There are already several restaurants and stores (including hardware, hair and nail salons), and two local water directives accepting Bitcoin.  See the list of business that are currently accepting Bitcoin below.

Phase 2

Ramping up the user base to 600 families with active wallets and weekly usage.  This phase is focusing on Universal Cash (BTC) Transfers to families that have been affected by the inability to work due to the pandemic restrictions.

During this phase Bitcoin Beach is working to show locals the benefits of receiving funds in BTC from relatives in the USA, instead of by the expensive and inconvenient services like Western Union. Families in El Salvador receive about 5 Billion dollars a year from family in the US (and other developed countries.) This means it is likely that $250,000,000+ is siphoned off by the financial intermediaries before making it to the region's most impoverished families.

Consider this example. An elderly mother in El Zonte asks her son in the US to send her $100.

Current Option using Western Union- Son drives to Western Union Office and pays $7 fee. Mom has to pay to take the bus an hour away and retrieve the money. Cost to son $7 plus an hour of his time. Cost to mom $2 in bus fare and 4 hours of her time plus the risk of traveling on bus with money.

New Option using Bitcoin- Son uses the new Strike App (https://strike.zaphq.io/) linked to his US bank account to send $100 in BTC over Lightning network. Cost to son $0 and 3 minutes of his time. Cost to mom $0 and receives payment immediately, directly to her phone. She can buy milk from the local store that accepts Bitcoin (even sending payment directly from her phone sitting in her house and having someone deliver.) She can alsos pay her electric bill without leaving home, or walk down the street and eat at the local restaurant. The $7 fee and $2 bus fare mean the transaction costs using Western Union would be 9%, and more importantly a big waste of time and effort. Bitcoin over the Lightning Network fixes this.

Phase 3


Growth of well-paying jobs from increased Bitcoin tourism and Tech development. Our goal is to make sure the Bitcoin Beach villages become the must visit destinations for the growing Bitcoin community around the world. Bitcoin driven tourism is our immediate focus, and our longer term goal is to attract upwardly mobile Bitcoin enthusiast looking for a Bitcoin friendly region to buy a second home or permanent relocation.

We want the coastal region of El Salvadaor to become a hub for Bitcoin related tech companies. Our goal is for young Salvadorans to see a future that doesn't involve having to make the journey to the US, and a clear reason for them to continue in their education. We will be working to attract Bitcoin start-ups looking to provide a great lifestyle for their development teams, and eager to be located in a region where people are using Bitcoin in daily life.