El Salvador adopted Bitcoin (BTC) as legal tender more than four months ago, on September 7, 2021. Bitcoiners around the world have been watching closely as El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele attempts to “convert” to an entire nation.
The president regularly buys every drop, has promised a low-tax Bitcoin “citadel” in the form of Bitcoin City, and is exploring mining BTC with renewable energy using volcanoes.
But, what is the day-to-day life of those who live in the smallest country in Central America, known as “the land of volcanoes”? Moreover, what is it like to try to live only on Bitcoin?
An Italian couple, Rikki and Laura, have succeeded. Rikki is a Bitcoin podcaster and human rights activist, active in the space since 2016. Laura works as a community manager in the blockchain space and has been focused on crypto since 2019.
After the approval of the Bitcoin Law, Laura had the idea of traveling throughout El Salvador for 45 days. The challenge? Live only with Bitcoin. No bartering, no euros, and of course no US dollars.
Their experiences offer a fascinating insight into the country’s history, its enchanting landscapes and, of course, its future with Bitcoin. The accounts of his travels can be read in English and Italian, and his podcast is called Bitcoin Italy Podcast.
On the other hand, Rikki and Laura have also encountered significant challenges from just using BTC, such as gaps in education and difficulties transacting with Bitcoin. On January 24, they spoke with Cointelegraph via video call from Santa Ana, a coffee-rich region of El Salvador.
They are now authentic sources of knowledge for bitcoiners who want to try a BTC-only trip to El Salvador. Here are his top tips for crypto enthusiasts traveling to the small tropical nation.
Do you accept Bitcoin? No? Bye!
In San Salvador, many places accept Bitcoin, from McDonald’s to Starbucks to mom-and-pop stores. In El Zonte, known as “Bitcoin Beach”, the birthplace of the Bitcoin Law, most vendors advertise that they accept BTC. However, off the beaten track, Bitcoin is little known and is sometimes confused with the state-sponsored wallet, Chivo Wallet.
When faced with a seller who does not accept Bitcoin, the pair’s main advice is to conduct a theatrical experiment. The customer must ask the seller if they accept Bitcoin, and if the seller says no, the customer must turn on their heel and walk away. They should not take the money.
As Rikki explained, “you just have to go!” Traders want the business, so if a customer makes a scene showing they only have Bitcoin, the seller will want to accept their sats.
If a seller doesn’t want to accept Bitcoin, it’s usually not due to infrastructure shortfalls, since “you can buy a cheap Chinese smartphone on the market with a sim card and a data plan for $20, and the connection here is huge.” It is the “perfect country to carry out the Bitcoin experiment”.
This brings us to the interesting part, which is getting to the “why”, the reason behind not accepting Bitcoin. Sometimes it is simply because the owner of the restaurant or hotel has confused Chivo with Bitcoin, it is more common than you think. Other times, a quick conversation and a few taps on Chivo are enough for them to see how it works.
Rikki and Laura had a blast discussing and educating the locals about Bitcoin, making great memories along the way.
Prepare and re-prepare
Although the adventure was a lot of fun, Rikki said, “It’s not easy, and it takes a bit of preparation. You have to plan your routes in advance. Especially when you get away from the main tourist areas, where bitcoin is less accepted.” In some cases, the couple called 20 or 30 hotels before finding a bitcoiner.
Undeterred by the challenge, these fights were, in his opinion, the cream in the pot of his traveling adventure. “Sometimes we ended up in the craziest places just because we were looking for places that accept Bitcoin.” They joke that Satoshi Nakamoto was the driving force behind their daily decision-making.
Traveling with Bitcoin alone also meant that the pair were forced to engage with the locals on a more intimate level, making human connections along the way.
Sorry Satoshi, but museums don’t accept Bitcoin
Rikki really wanted to see the Mayan ruins of Tazumal, a historical site and archaeological museum near Santa Ana. However, the heritage sites only accept cash. Rikki was crestfallen and, given the opportunity, would question President Bukele about such a strange omission of Bitcoin. “Why are the museums managed by the Salvadoran Ministry of Culture only cash?”.
The decision may change as the Bitcoin Law slowly rolls out to affect all walks of society, but currently cultural experiences, museums and some excursions are cash only. The couple couldn’t get into those sites due to their strict rules. Bitcoin farmers should carry a few bucks just in case.
Education, education, education
Few Salvadorans understand what Bitcoin is, how it works, or the difference between Lightning Network and on-chain transactions. As Laura points out, some Salvadorans “think that you can only pay in Bitcoin if you use the Chivo app.” They are unaware of other Lightning wallets like BlueWallet or Wallet of Satoshi.
In the Chivo app itself, there are no teaching tools for users who want to learn about Bitcoin. Rikki explained that “nobody here knows anything about Bitcoin. They didn’t provide a second of education to the people of El Salvador.” Laura added: “If people had learned about Bitcoin, they wouldn’t be using the app.”
Given the lack of information and education of Salvadorans, it is therefore the responsibility of Bitcoiner tourists to take their time with the locals. They must share their knowledge about Bitcoin and be patient while Salvadorans begin to understand the monetary network.
as usual tell Michael Saylor, it takes thousands of hours to understand Bitcoin. The Bitcoin Law was quickly passed and implemented, and many locals have not had the time to understand the technology.
“Come to El Salvador and spend your Bitcoin here”
This is not so much advice as a plea from Rikki and Laura on behalf of the Bitcoin community in El Salvador.
Come to El Salvador, and spend your Bitcoin. This increases awareness, broadens education levels through network effects and word of mouth, and ultimately encourages more and more people to use the Bitcoin network, they said.
For Rikki, “the more you trade, the more you learn. The more you learn, the more you study, and use it for good.”