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 Team

Connect 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/JethroToro
https://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 Lightning
20:46 - 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 Locally
1:22:45 - Bitcoin Merchant Onboarding Guide PDF

Live From Bitcoin Beach

Are you mining Bitcoin to secure the money of the future? Or are you just a "Fiat Hasher" using the network to stack more dying dollars?

Kent Halliburton (@khalliburton) joins me to argue that most of the industry has the wrong incentives. We compare the early days of El Salvador surf tourism, when walking to the beach meant risking your life, to the current state of the network. Just as surfers ventured into dangerous territory for the perfect wave, true Bitcoiners are pushing boundaries to build an escape raft from the fiat system that will last for generations.

We discuss the concept of Bitcoin miners acting as a pioneer species in the global energy market. Kent explains how sovereign mining operations venture into remote regions like Ethiopia and Paraguay to monetize stranded energy resources that no one else can reach. This process does far more than generate revenue for developing nations. It helps stabilize the local electrical grid and paves the way for vital infrastructure development in places the central banks and global planners have largely ignored.

For many plebs, the biggest barrier to hashing has always been the logistics of the hardware. We break down how hosted mining models allow you to own a dedicated ASIC miner without forcing you to manage the intense heat and noise at home. This is about far more than convenience or ROI. It is about aligning incentives so that you can acquire non-KYC "Wild Sats" at the cost of production rather than paying the inflated spot price on a KYC exchange.

We also touch on the human side of hyperbitcoinization in places like the Peruvian Amazon. Kent shares his experience living near the circular economy projects that are proving Bitcoin works as a medium of exchange today. We talk about the importance of using Bitcoin as a tool for sovereignty and how "Energy Cost Averaging" allows you to opt out of the fiat ponzi completely while supporting the communities that need sound money the most.

Finally, we tackle the critical threat facing the network regarding security and censorship resistance. With so much hash rate concentrated in just a few massive mining pools, the danger of state capture is higher than many admit. Kent uses the "Milan Cathedral" analogy to challenge us to lower our time preference. We need to stop thinking about quarterly profits and start building for a future we might not live to see. If this conversation made you think, please subscribe and drop a comment below.

-Bitcoin Beach Team

Connect and Learn more about Kent Halliburton:
X: https://x.com/khalliburton
Web: https://www.sazmining.com/kent-halliburton
Web: https://iris.to/kent

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:
00:00 Intro
05:15 How do Bitcoin circular economies work in Peru?
09:30 How to stop trading crypto and become Bitcoin-only?
12:45 How to mine Non-KYC Bitcoin without hardware?
16:20 Is Bitcoin mining profitable vs buying spot?
20:10 How to use Section 179 for mining tax deductions?
22:45 Why are miners moving to Ethiopia and Paraguay?
27:30 How does Bitcoin monetize stranded energy?
31:50 Why do you need Low Time Preference for wealth?
35:15 Is mining centralization a security threat?

Live From Bitcoin Beach

Is your citizenship a rug pull waiting to happen?

We sit down with legal expert Jennifer Harding Marlin (@jh_marlin) to discuss why relying on a single fiat passport is a massive single point of failure. We explore the harsh truth for Americans facing restrictive FATCA banking regulations and why entrepreneurs are forced to renounce US citizenship just to protect their stack and keep their businesses alive.

Jennifer breaks down the citizenship by investment industry for those looking to opt out of the system completely. We navigate the maze of golden visa programs available right now to determine where you should plant your flag. From the lightning-fast El Salvador Freedom Visa to traditional Caribbean options we compare the best citadels. She highlights the ability to pay for a new nationality directly in Bitcoin for those looking to exit the fiat banking rails entirely.

We also get into the operational security of securing your freedom. You will learn the difference between applying for a temporary digital nomad visa and securing a permanent high-security biometric passport that guarantees global mobility. Jennifer explains how to navigate the bureaucracy of background checks and apostille services to ensure you actually get approved.

Subscribe to the channel to build your sovereign portfolio and drop a comment if you would move countries for better money laws

-Bitcoin Beach Team

Connect and Learn more about Jennifer Harding:

X: https://x.com/jh_marlin
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JenniferHardingMarlincitizen
Web: https://jhmarlin.com/

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:

00:00 Intro
02:26 How to become a citizenship lawyer in Caribbean
06:50 Best second passport for weak passport holders
09:44 Why American entrepreneurs renounce citizenship FATCA banking
13:15 New citizenship by investment programs 2025 Sao Tome
17:30 El Salvador Freedom Visa processing time vs St Kitts citizenship
22:10 Cheapest vs most expensive citizenship by investment 2025
28:40 Is foreign income tax-free in El Salvador for US expats
33:14 Paraguay vs El Salvador residency requirements for digital nomads
36:50 Can you get citizenship by investment with a criminal record

Live From Bitcoin Beach