This episode features Roman Martínez, Community Leader and co-founder of Bitcoin Beach. We discuss the founding of Bitcoin Beach, one of the world’s first Bitcoin Economic Ecosystems, located in El Zonte, a world-famous surfing destination on the coast of El Salvador. Bitcoin Beach formed as a team of four people: Mike Peterson, Jorge Valenzuela, Hirvin Palma, and Roman Martinez, who shared the same dream. Before coming to El Zonte, they were working on social initiatives related to education, recreation, spirituality, and empowerment.
In El Zonte, the majority of people do not have access to bank accounts, and the local businesses could never qualify for business loans, or the merchant accounts needed to accept credit cards. From the early days Bitcoin promised to empower and bank the unbanked, a promise which, until recently, had remained elusive. Bitcoin Beach is a movement to realize the true potential of Bitcoin, and to ensure 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 a mission to prove that Bitcoin would positively impact on the lives of those that society often ignores. Find out how you can support, donate, learn, and get involved at Bitcoin Beach.com.
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