What a Bitcoin Circular Economy FEELS like
Bitcoin changes you — and so does El Salvador
At Bitvocation and inside the POW Lab, we talk a lot about being a good node on the Bitcoin network.
On the technical layer, a Bitcoin node is discoverable, connects to other nodes, and shares verified information to keep the network alive. On the human layer, it’s the same idea — except we’re the nodes. Every Bitcoiner, builder, and entrepreneur contributes to the network through our work, our ideas, and our relationships.
Local Circular economies are the physical version of that human Bitcoin network. Every person you meet is a node — connected, active, and incentivized to keep the sats (and the energy) flowing within the community. When you see it in action, you understand what a healthy, living network feels like - a true community.
If you want to experience this firsthand, come to El Salvador.
Here’s a little itinerary:
Connection
Start in El Zonte - Bitcoin Beach. Visit the Bitcoin Hardware Store and attend one of their Monday classes. Or just have a chat with Ronny. He may even help you with accommodation!
Follow Brandon - he knows what’s going on.
Join a Friday night meetup.
Have dinner at La Cajita.
Wander through the Sunday Farmers Market, drink Bitcoin coffee, and talk to the vendors - all fellow Bitcoiners.
Everywhere you go, someone will say:
“Hey, have you met Charlie / Quentin / Rob / David / Amelie?”
Or:“Are you in group xyz? There’s a meetup on Saturday! Let me add you.”
That’s what a circular economy feels like: everyone knows everyone and everyone offers to connect you with everyone else. This creates an incredible support network.
Because everyone wants to keep the sats flowing within the community - without leakage to fiat - they’re naturally incentivized to welcome newcomers and grow the network.
Intention
If you’ve followed Bitvocation for a while, you know we talk a lot about having intentional conversations. Just being connected or making small talk isn’t enough.
As a builder—whether you’re building your career, your company, or your proof of work—you need to let people know what you’re up to. It’s the only way your network can help you succeed.
When I told people how much I enjoy learning about circular economies, and that I was planning to visit Berlin (the largest Bitcoin circular economy in El Salvador), I was immediately connected to someone there. I basically had a friend there before I even arrived. Had I not mentioned it, I would have explored Berlin as a stranger.
If you come to El Salvador, spend a few days in Berlin too. Visit the Bitcoin Center and enjoy the cooler climate after the coast.
The Start of a Bitcoin Career
Take Klaus, a German engineer who moved here with his Salvadoran wife last summer.
He knew about Bitcoin but had never been part of the community. When we met and he realized you could actually work in Bitcoin, something sparked.
He started joining every meetup I told him about — in Santa Ana, El Zonte, Berlin, and San Salvador. He asked tons of questions and picked up the Bitcoin slang fast. Two weeks later, he’d bought a miner from Ronny and had a plan:
“I’m going to build hardware for Bitcoin,” he said.
“That’s my background. That’s what I can contribute. Maybe I’ll start with coffee machines that sell coffee for sats.”
I loved the idea. I like coffee as much as Bitcoin, so it stuck in my head.
A week later, I found myself staying in an Airbnb run by someone with a Bitcoin coffee company. What are the odds? Well, the odds are actually pretty high here! You constantly find yourself saying, “Small world…”
Naturally, I connected them.
At the same time, I found out the moderator for my panel at Adopting Bitcoin had fallen sick and couldn’t attend. I remembered Klaus has a strong background in training, so I asked him if wanted to jump in. He did!
He went from joining the Bitcoin community to being on a conference stage in less than four weeks!
The Lesson
That’s how you make things happen: always tell people what you’re up to, what you’re building, what you’re excited about, and what you’re looking for. That way they can remember you when they meet someone who has what you’re looking for. And in a local circular economy, those connections form fast!
El Salvador Changes You
El Salvador isn’t easy. It’s hot. It’s messy. Hot showers are a luxury; daylight in hotel rooms, a bonus.
But it’s worth every bit of discomfort.
You leave changed—ready to build, maybe even ready to start your own circular economy, online or at home. At Bitvocation, we’re definitely thinking more in terms of a circular economy right now.
And you’ll leave with a far larger support network than when you arrived.
Need a support network? Join the POW Lab to connect and collaborate with fellow Bitcoin Career Builders. Learn how to become findable and build your Strategic Bitcoiner Reserve.