I was thrilled to be asked to speak at the Adopting Bitcoin 2024 Conference in El Salvador. It was my first opportunity to visit to the country and see how Bitcoin is working on the ground with my own eyes. The conference, and the country did not disappoint.
Adopting Bitcoin 2024
The venue at Salamanca Eventos was first class and multiple stages facilitated a constant stream of speakers and workshops. The event centre was nestled in the jungle and provided stunning vistas, while being just outside of the hustle and bustle of San Salvador without being too far to be practical.
It was a truly global conference with speakers and guests from all over the world. There was also a strong contingent of local Salvadorians and a good amount of Spanish content.
There was also plenty of stuff to do, a marketplace, great coffee and incredible BBQ (which has been consistent everywhere I’ve been in El Salvador). I also stumbled upon a beautiful auction gallery, highlighted by Fractal. Speaker portraits were a thoughtful gift from TJ Murphy.
The conference agenda was jam-packed, so much so that I had a hard time seeing every speech I wanted to see. A couple personal favorites of mine were the discussion of CBDCs by Efrat Fenigson, and “Jesus is a Bitcoiner” by Adam O’Brien.
Related: Your Bitcoin Journey Leads You to Jesus
My personal highlight was Dr. Jack Kruse, who delivered a compelling talk on the concept of time preference. He explained its impact on individual health and how the Salvadoran government is integrating these ideas into its national healthcare strategy.
It was an eye-opening moment to see how, in practice, adopting Bitcoin involves far more than just fixing the money. Lowering time preference is a mindset—once embraced, it permeates every aspect of life.
There were plenty of satellite events, and something to do every night, including an epic after party hosted by Plan B Network.
Spending Bitcoin
The spendability of bitcoin in El Salvador exceeded my expectations, though not everyone accepted it. I was able to pay for my visa upon arrival, and in the city, I found it relatively easy to locate businesses that accept bitcoin.
There are some great local bitcoin businesses like Bitdriver, who were great for organizing travel at competitive rates, and plenty of places to stay using Airbtc.
While not everyone uses it, Bitcoin has become quite common, and most people seem to have the ability to engage with it. As a model for how Bitcoin can be integrated into a country’s economy, it appears that El Salvador is showing promising early returns.
Don’t Call it Bitcoin Beach
After the conference I went to El Zonte, to experience other parts of the country and see for myself how more bitcoin-oriented communities were functioning in practice.
Truly, El Zonte has to be one of the easiest places to survive on bitcoin in the entire world. Even the fruit market was happy to take sats. It is also an absolutely beautiful place worth visiting, Bitcoin or not.
I had several interesting conversations with local business owners who accepted bitcoin but expressed negative views about “Bitcoin saviors” coming to their thriving surf town and attempting to rebrand it.
This was a valuable reminder that Bitcoin is integrating into a country with a rich and complex history. While El Salvador may have struggled with its currency in recent years, El Zonte remains, in many ways, the same town it has always been.
As Bitcoiners travel the world spreading Satoshi’s vision, it’s important to remember that Bitcoin adoption is happening, whether people like it or not. Even when Bitcoin brings tangible benefits, it doesn’t mean everyone will automatically embrace it.
Bitcoin is a complicated concept for those trying to grasp it, and economics can feel abstract. Even in a community like El Zonte, the benefits of Bitcoin may not be obvious to everyone.
See You Next Year
The Bitcoin economy in El Salvador appears to be evolving fast. Having seen it firsthand, I will be excited to see how quickly it progresses in the coming years.
Adopting Bitcoin put on an excellent show, and I look forward to going back next year. If you are interested to see El Salvador for yourself, the 2025 conference is a great reason to plan a trip. I hope to see you there.
Get your tickets for 2025 here.
If you are interested to check out my talk, you can find it here.
Also links to the main stage full streams are available for day1 and day2.
