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Hyperbitcoinization began in El Zonte. Since El Salvador declared bitcoin legal tender, the little town also known as Bitcoin Beach became a pilgrimage point for bitcoiners everywhere. Thatâs what this publicationâs From The Ground series is all about. First-hand experiences, directly from the center of the volcano.
So far, weâve brought you the Dutch, Salvadoran One and Two, French, North American One and Two, Italian, and Austrian perspectives on El Salvadorâs bitcoin experiment. Now, itâs time for a Brazilian woman to offer her view of the situation. The thing is, Saori Honorato is a journalist.Â
In her article âBitcoin Beach Trip: What life is like in the place that started a revolution in El Salvador,â she turns the camera around. Instead of offering her perspective, she interviews five El Zonte residents from different walks of life. What do the people most affected and benefited from bitcoin adoption think about the situation? Keep reading to find out.
No McDonald's de El Salvador dĂĄ pra pagar a conta com #bitcoin
Através da Lightning Network a transação acontece de forma instantùnea e sem custo!
Ă o futuro! pic.twitter.com/py832HOV2R
â Saori Honorato (@saorihonorato) November 20, 2021
Saori Honorato provides the setting:Â
âOn that small beach inhabited by about 3,000 people, what prevails is the social role of a free technology that guarantees those Salvadorans access to the financial system that has always excluded them.â
And then, she starts listening to what El Zonte residents have to say.Â
El Zonte Resident #1: Maria de Carmen, 51
She owns a little store and is âpart of 70% of the population of the small country that does not have access to the traditional financial system.â Bitcoin adoption has been good to her, âMy story with bitcoin is that I started to have things that I could never have before.â She began accepting bitcoin payments and ten months later, âI can say that my life is better because of it.â
Even though MarĂa de Carmen sold â$530 worth of bitcoinâ to âbuy a refrigerator,â she evolved into a holder. Her part of the story ends with, âshe prefers not to use the currency to pay other people and, thus, be able to preserve her savings.â
BTC price chart for 03/19/2022 on Gemini | Source: BTC/USD on TradingView.com
Resident #2: MaĂra Caroline Flores, 30
For her part, MaĂra âwas on the street preparing pupusas dough, the most traditional dish in the country, to sell at the beach fair that night.â Bitcoin is too complicated for this pupusa merchant. âI canât use it, honestly. When I need someone, someone always helps me. I know how to use a normal cell phone, the problem is that the wallet is complicated,â she said.
Whenever she manages to get a bitcoin payment, she rushes to the ATM to exchange it for cash. âI prefer dollars,â MaĂra stated breaking all of our hearts. Â
Ontem estive na "praia do bitcoin" na regiĂŁo de El Zonte (El Salvador).
O #bitcoin começou a ser usado na praia após a comunidade receber uma doação anÎnima de BTC em 2019
Por lå då pra comprar de tudo com bitcoin⊠ågua de coco na praia, artesanato e as tradicionais pupusas pic.twitter.com/sgxzYX6ll5
â Saori Honorato (@saorihonorato) November 19, 2021
El Zonte Resident #3: Luis Morales, Hope House volunteerÂ
The legendary Hope House, El Zonteâs neural center. The organizationâs general goal is âto give beach kids reasons to stay in the country.â Morales expands on the idea:
âThey go to school a little bit but when they grow up, they prefer to work. The problem is that jobs are scarce here depending on the season. So we are trying to teach English and teach them how to use the computer so that they can offer their services abroad without having to leave the country.â
About bitcoin, he sounds cautious. âLearning is something difficult, you have to go little by little. We explain it to them, but the education process is slow. There are a lot of people who canât read or write.â However, Morales also sees the solution, âThe kids are the ones who really know. They will take up technology and be able to help their parents.â
Estou aqui em El Salvador na #labitconf e fiz meu primeiro pagamento com bitcoin usando a Lightning Network!
Viva o #bitcoin!! pic.twitter.com/V8T93zleKW
â Saori Honorato (@saorihonorato) November 17, 2021
Residents #4 & #5: Carlos Moisés, 19, and Juan Garcia, 75
The young are more connected to bitcoin. MoisĂ©s is a bitcoin-funded lifeguard on El Zonteâs beaches. Even for him, the technology was hard to master. âI think itâs cool to use bitcoin to buy in some places here in El Zonte, but outside of here not all places accept it. I know itâs hard to use, but people have to give it a chance to learn. Little by little you get used to it.âÂ
On the other hand, older people are more close-minded. Bitcoinist wonât repeat what GarcĂa said about bitcoin. The article tells us that heâhas worked his entire life on a coffee plantation and, although he likes to see the beach busy, the reason for the intense arrival of tourists bothers him.â
By choosing these five people, Saori gave us a tour. How is bitcoin adoption affecting or benefiting El Zonte? Itâs hard to measure it, but, after reading Honoratoâs interviews the picture is clearer.Â
Featured Image: Saori Honorato screenshot from this video | Charts by TradingView
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of Bitcoin Insider. Every investment and trading move involves risk - this is especially true for cryptocurrencies given their volatility. We strongly advise our readers to conduct their own research when making a decision.