How El Salvador Forced This Crypto Billionaire to Use Bitcoin (Proof The Circular Economy Works) episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 24, 2026 · 1H 26M

How El Salvador Forced This Crypto Billionaire to Use Bitcoin (Proof The Circular Economy Works)

from Bitcoiners - Live From Bitcoin Beach · host Mike Peterson

Can a rural village in El Salvador actually replace the central bank?Host Jethro Toro hangs out with Mike Peterson and the founders of Bitcoin Berlin, Evelyn Lemus and Gerardo Linares. They talk about a grassroots movement that is changing how people use money. We explore the true story of El Zonte, where a project focused on community development built a true circular economy. They used the Lightning Network to make fast digital payments just to survive the pandemic proving the experts wrong years before big banks caught on.Evelyn and Gerardo explain exactly how they got a whole town excited about Bitcoin without asking the government for permission. We follow their journey from the coast to the mountains of Berlin. They are teaching high school students about decentralized finance so they can run their own independent systems instead of trusting apps to hold their money. They also highlight how El Salvador tourism is booming as Bitcoin fans visit to support local shop owners who are saving in Bitcoin.We also look at how they are fighting back against expensive money transfer companies. You will learn how a new project in La Laguna uses a local hardware store to help families send money home without paying Western Union's high fees. The team explains why they stopped using the government's Chivo wallet to use better open tools. They even share a new guide for anyone who wants to start a Bitcoin community in their own neighborhood.Subscribe to the channel to see the proof that this works, and leave a comment if you are ready to try a new way of using money.-Bitcoin Beach TeamConnect with Gerardo Linares and Evelyn Lemus:https://x.com/GR_Linares1 https://x.com/Evelynlemus2906 https://www.youtube.com/@BitcoinBerlinSV Connect and Learn more about Jethro Toro:https://x.com/JethroTorohttps://rumble.com/user/BitcoinCountry Support and follow Bitcoin Beach:X: https://www.twitter.com/BitcoinBeach IG: https://www.instagram.com/bitcoinbeach_sv TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livefrombitcoinbeach Web: https://www.bitcoinbeach.com Browse through this quick guide to learn more about the episode:02:13 - The History of Bitcoin Beach 15:04 - Why El Zonte Switched to Lightning20:46 - How to Build a Bitcoin Circular Economy 32:00 - Living on a Bitcoin Standard in El Salvador 39:41 - Teaching Students to Run Nodes 47:51 - Replicating the Model in La Laguna 57:44 - Solving the Remittance Problem 1:09:58 - Building Bitcoin Network Effects Locally1:22:45 - Bitcoin Merchant Onboarding Guide PDFLive From Bitcoin Beach

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 24, 2026

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Can a rural village in El Salvador actually replace the central bank? Host Jethro Toro hangs out with Mike Peterson and the founders of Bitcoin Berlin, Evelyn Lemus and Gerardo Linares. They talk about a grassroots movement that is changing how people use money. We explore the true story of El Zonte, where a project focused on community development built a true circular economy. They used the Lightning Network to make fast digital payments just to survive the pandemic proving the experts wron...

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How El Salvador Forced This Crypto Billionaire to Use Bitcoin (Proof The Circular Economy Works)

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This episode was published on January 24, 2026.

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