Bitcoiners - Live From Bitcoin Beach

Would you sell everything and move to El Salvador, or is that just a Bitcoin fantasy? The founders of Build in El Salvador (@BuildInES) reveal why Bitcoin expats thrive or quit. In this episode, Mike Peterson sits down with Michael Ruiz and Luis Esparragoza, whose community helps startup founders and Bitcoiners relocate, connect, and build businesses in one of the most talked-about emerging markets in the world. Plenty of Bitcoiners arrive full of excitement, and some pack up and leave within months. This conversation digs into why, and what separates the ones who stay.

The episode opens with a story most people only saw from the outside. Michael's former business partner at Sovereignty Studios gave up everything to move to El Salvador, hit a wall, and left with a viral rant so heated that President @nayibbukele himself responded. Michael shares what really happened behind that public exit, why he calls it a genuine loss of talent for the country, and how watching a friend rage quit shaped everything he built afterward.

That "everything" became Build in El Salvador, which started as a humble Substack where Michael and Luis interviewed local entrepreneurs, including one who changed his name to Papusa, bought a million dollar passport, and now farms avocados in Santa Ana. The writing grew into a community of over 100 entrepreneurs connected through masterminds, roundtables, and a WhatsApp group, a business networking layer for the whole expat scene. When one member sliced his eye with a saw, the local community had a trusted doctor recommendation in his hands within a minute. That kind of support is what keeps talent in the country when things get hard.

Michael and Luis are also brutally honest about who should stay home. El Salvador has huge first mover advantages, and it also has rough edges, language barriers, and antiquated systems that will break you if you arrive expecting Dubai. Thriving there takes a specific entrepreneur mindset: a low time preference, a willingness to build through discomfort, and the humility to ask a community for help. If your plan is margaritas on the beach while the opportunity finds you, this episode will probably talk you out of the move, and that might be the most valuable thing it does.

The conversation closes with two developments worth knowing about. El Salvador residency rules changed in 2026, and temporary residents now need only 90 days per year in the country instead of nine months, a huge shift for podcasters, founders, and anyone who travels for work. And the guests recap the SovAI Summit, where about 25 Build in El Salvador members attended and Michael interviewed speakers at the National Palace as the country positions itself as a first mover in sovereign AI.

If this episode helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who keeps threatening to move, and tell us in the comments: would you get on the one-way ticket?

—Bitcoin Beach Team

Learn more about Build in El Salvador:
Website: https://buildinelsalvador.com
Twitter/X: https://x.com/BuildInES
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Buildinelsalvador
Substack: https://buildinelsalvador.substack.com
Skool community (free): https://www.skool.com/build-in-el-salvador-2170/about

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

STAY AT BITCOIN BEACH:
https://www.stayatbitcoinbeach.com/punta-mango-villas

Browse through this quick guide to learn more about the episode:
00:00 Intro
01:21 What happened to Sovereignty Studios in El Salvador?
03:38 Why do Bitcoiners leave El Salvador and did Bukele really respond to that viral rant?
08:01 Should I move to El Salvador or is it overhyped?
09:20 What is Build in El Salvador and how do I join the community?
14:00 What is it like moving to El Salvador as a Latin American Bitcoiner?
17:16 How do Bitcoin entrepreneurs find their tribe in El Salvador?
22:19 How does the expat community in El Salvador help when things go wrong?
27:07 What changed about El Salvador residency rules in 2026?
33:53 What happened at the SovAI Summit at the National Palace? 
Live From Bitcoin Beach

Would you trust Bitcoin and a Lightning Network digital wallet to rebuild your life in El Salvador after COVID destroyed your business and the banks turned away? Kevin Ayala (@KevinAyala24) did, and that choice runs through his whole story. He grew up training as a violinist in El Salvador's national orchestra, and he first heard about Bitcoin in 2009 from a high school teacher. He didn't have a credit card or access to an exchange, so he walked away from it more than once over the next decade, a reminder of how much friction used to stand between a person and true self-custody.
Then COVID hit. Kevin had just opened a computer and phone repair shop backed by a $30,000 family bank loan, and the lockdown shut it down within three months. He talks openly about carrying that debt with no income coming in, and about his parents refusing to make him feel guilty for it. The traditional financial system had given him a loan, but no way to keep earning against it once the doors closed.
Bitcoin is what got him back on his feet, and it happened outside the banking system entirely. Kevin started earning small amounts through freelance design and repair work, paid directly over the Lightning Network. He found the Bitcoin Beach Wallet, ran his own Lightning node, and built a habit of stacking sats one gig at a time in El Zonte, the town where this circular economy took root before most of the world had heard of it. A digital wallet with no bank attached became his entire income, and a crash course in financial literacy along the way.
From there, Kevin gets into teaching at the House of Bitcoin, co-founding Asobitcoin, and joining 40 Acres, an OTC desk for businesses named after a broken 19th century government promise. The 40 acres and a mule were taken back from the people who earned them. Bitcoin can't be taken back the same way. He talks about financial literacy spreading through El Zonte neighbor to neighbor, and how that kind of grassroots community building is the actual mechanism behind a working circular Bitcoin economy.
The episode closes with Kevin's current role as CEO of Blink Wallet for El Salvador, and this is where it gets uncomfortable for anyone who assumes legal tender status solved everything. He explains why Blink got debanked, what Stablesats actually is under the hood, and why regulators keep confusing sound tech innovation built on Bitcoin with the kind of risk they're used to policing. Kevin's stacking, building, and helping the next person do the same in a country where the banks still haven't caught up to the law. Subscribe, share this with someone who thinks they missed their window, and tell us in the comments, would you have trusted your parents' credit card with $10 of Bitcoin back in 2011?

—Bitcoin Beach Team

Learn more about Kevin Ayala:
X: https://x.com/KevinAyala24
X: https://x.com/40acres_sv
X: https://x.com/blinkbtc
Web: https://www.40acres.pro/
Web: https://www.blink.sv/

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 

STAY AT BITCOIN BEACH:  https://www.stayatbitcoinbeach.com/punta-mango-villas
Browse through this quick guide to learn more about the episode:
00:00 Intro
01:38 Why couldn't people buy Bitcoin in 2009 without exchanges or credit cards?
05:18 Can you make a living as a musician in El Salvador?
07:25 How did COVID lockdowns destroy small businesses in El Salvador?
10:20 How to earn Bitcoin online through freelance work instead of buying it?
13:31 What is the Bitcoin Beach Wallet and how did it become Blink?
19:07 What is the House of Bitcoin and how does Asobitcoin support Bitcoin in El Salvador?
27:13 How do Bitcoiners network and find jobs in the Bitcoin industry?
32:41 What does 40 acres and a mule have to do with Bitcoin self-custody?
39:21 Why do banks close accounts of Bitcoin companies in El Salvador? 
Live From Bitcoin Beach

Should families in El Zonte, El Salvador who've never owned anything pay their mortgage in Bitcoin, or does charity work better when it's free? New Story bet on the mortgage, and 122 families are about to become homeowners because of it. Mike Peterson sits down with Renato Salazar (@HolaIAmRenato) to talk about the project turning some of the most expensive land in El Salvador into first-time property ownership for families who've been living in shacks and on land they don't own.

Renato explains why charging a small mortgage beats giving homes away. Paying every month builds financial education, and once families hit a payment, they start thinking about a motorcycle or a small pupuseria next to the house. The nonprofit has built almost 1,000 homes in El Salvador, and the pattern repeats: homeownership turns new neighbors into a community with its own local economy, and owning land in El Zonte means these families can build generational wealth for the first time.

The payment rails are where maxis will lean in. Families scan a QR code from their phone or a K1 Bitcoin ATM and pay using tools built by Salvadoran companies Tianki and Blink, with WhatsApp notifications and a dashboard that shows New Story who's falling behind so they can help. Many of these families are learning to use email for the first time, so the project is driving a digital transformation in a community that started with voice notes.

Then the conversation turns to legacy banking in Bitcoin country. A banker told Renato that any company with Bitcoin in its name goes to the blacklist, credit card payments stack up to 12% in fees while the Bitcoin page cost cents to run, and you still can't pay payroll taxes in Bitcoin in the nation that made it legal tender. They close with Stay at Bitcoin Beach, the vacation rentals running on a Bitcoin standard anyway: Punta Mango Villas open seven months and orange-pilling curious guests, plus the new Bitcoin Beach Suites in El Zonte, walking distance from the beach and priced for Bitcoiners who'd rather stack sats than splurge.

If this episode made you want to pay a mortgage by scanning a QR code, or at least book a surf trip, subscribe, share it with a friend, and drop a comment. Renato says the tienditas are asking to be paid in Bitcoin now, so the comment section should catch up.

—Bitcoin Beach Team

Learn more about Renato Salazar:
X: https://x.com/HolaIAmRenato
X: https://x.com/NewStoryHomes
Web: https://www.newstoryhomes.org/

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

STAY AT BITCOIN BEACH:
https://www.stayatbitcoinbeach.com/punta-mango-villas

Browse through this quick guide to learn more about the episode:
00:00 Intro
00:57 How did Renato Salazar help launch Strike in El Salvador?
03:55 Can you actually build affordable housing on a Bitcoin standard?
06:12 How do families pay a mortgage over Lightning with a QR code?
09:11 What does a Bitcoin mortgage dashboard look like in the real world?
11:46 Does Bitcoin teach financial sovereignty better than charity handouts?
13:30 Is Bitcoin adoption pricing locals out of El Zonte or protecting them?
17:06 Who are the first families in the world paying mortgages in Bitcoin?
21:16 Why does the legacy banking system blacklist Bitcoin businesses in Bitcoin country?
27:49 Why pay 12% to credit card rails when Lightning costs cents?
Live From Bitcoin Beach

Why trust a custodian with your sats? Edgar Borja (@k1elsalvador) breaks down K1's self-custody Bitcoin ATM, on-chain and Lightning buying, and Bitcoin in Bolivia.

Edgar walks through K1's new update, buying Bitcoin on the Lightning Network and on-chain, what's happening with Bitcoin adoption in Bolivia, and what it's like pitching investors 5,000 times. K1's machines now support on-chain and Lightning purchases with full self-custody, cutting out Strike, Blink, and OpenNode entirely. Edgar demos a live on-chain purchase and explains why every K1 transaction is RBF disabled, so once it's broadcast, it's final.

K1 machines now run in 28 countries. That growth reflects real tech innovation in Bitcoin hardware, built for the global market from day one. The team solved for different bill sizes, currencies, and KYC rules in every country they shipped to. Edgar covers how KYC gets configured machine by machine, why K1 stays buy-only for now, and a cash-dispensing module already demoed at the Adopting Bitcoin conference.

Small business owners get a direct pitch here. Edgar walks through the three K1 tiers, Mini, Mini Plus, and Mini Global, plus pricing and why the bill acceptor is the hardest part to build. If you're exploring digital asset management or a new source of business growth, a Bitcoin ATM in a coffee shop or corner store is a low-friction way to start.

Then there's Bolivia. Edgar saw a fiat currency failing in real time, banks offering 6 Bolivianos to the dollar while the street rate hit 10. The government built its own workaround digital payments network just to keep money moving. This is what pulls people toward hard money. Watching their savings shrink every week, people in Cochabamba are turning to Bitcoin.

Edgar also shares K1's education tools: a crayon-and-paper workshop that teaches private keys, and a board game called MerkColor that teaches Merkle trees in under a minute. He talks about pitching investors an estimated 5,000 times on a Bitcoin startup accelerator and reality show, plus his advice for founders: fall in love with the problem you're solving. Hit subscribe, share this with someone who thinks Bitcoin ATMs are just coin machines, and tell us in the comments if you'd trust a machine with your private key.

—Bitcoin Beach Team

Learn more about Edgar Borja:
X: https://x.com/K1ElSalvador
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/k1elsalvador
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k1elsalvador
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/k1elsalvador/
Web: k1.sv
Email Address: borja@k1.sv

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

STAY AT BITCOIN BEACH: https://www.stayatbitcoinbeach.com/punta-mango-villas
Browse through this quick guide to learn more about the episode:
00:00  Intro
01:40  How many countries run K1 Bitcoin ATMs now?
02:07  How does a self-custody Bitcoin ATM let you buy Bitcoin on-chain?
08:49  Can you buy Bitcoin from an ATM without KYC?
13:08  Where are Bitcoin ATMs actually installed in the real world?
16:23  Why are Bolivians turning to Bitcoin as their currency collapses?
25:18  What is it like pitching a Bitcoin company on a startup accelerator reality show?
37:42  How do you teach kids about private keys and self-custody using crayons?
47:31  Which self-custody Bitcoin ATM should you buy and how does shipping work?
57:29  Is Bitcoin still winning in El Salvador after the IMF deal? 
Live From Bitcoin Beach

Is El Salvador still Bitcoin country, or did the world move on the moment the IMF deal got signed? Mike sits down with Will Lehr (@thewilliamlehr) from Club Cocal, James (@beefbackbetter) from Beef Back Better, and Ronny Avendano (@ronnyavendano_) from the Bitcoin Hardware Store to talk about the Bitcoin farmers market, El Salvador real estate, self custody, and what life on a Bitcoin standard actually looks like on the ground today.
The conversation starts with the Bitcoin farmers market, which just hit its three year anniversary. What began as a small gathering in El Zonte has grown into a real engine of local commerce, connecting Salvadoran vendors, ranchers, and artisans directly with the people buying from them. No intermediaries or faceless supply chain, just a producer, a buyer, and Bitcoin changing hands. The group traces how it moved from El Zonte to its current home at Club Cocal and why it's become the meeting point for Bitcoiners from all over the country.
From there the talk shifts to why so many people are choosing to build their lives here in the first place. Will calls it a reverse brain drain, skilled people and capital flowing into El Salvador instead of out of it, drawn by a level of freedom and safety they say they can't find at home anymore. Several guests point to what they see as government overreach elsewhere, unrealized capital gains taxes in the Netherlands, wallet registration requirements in the EU, Bitcoin ATMs disappearing in Canada, as the exact pressure pushing people toward a country that's betting the other direction.
That bet shows up clearest in El Salvador real estate. Will walks through what he calls a Bitcoin floor underneath land values here, and makes the case that El Zonte now holds some of the most expensive property per square foot in the entire country. Whether that's a sign of a healthy market or a bubble waiting to pop is left for the viewer to decide, but the group is clear about where they're placing their own money.
The episode closes on something bigger than any single topic, the idea that self custody and freedom tech aren't just Bitcoin concepts, they're a full lifestyle. Ronny connects owning your own keys to owning your own food source, your own health, your own decisions, and the group makes the case that El Salvador is quietly becoming a real world test case for hyper-bitcoinization, one farmers market, one hardware store, and one ranch at a time. 
Drop a comment and tell us if you think El Salvador is still worth the bet. 
Subscribe if you want more of these conversations, and share it with the friend who keeps asking if the Bitcoin country story is over.
—Bitcoin Beach Team

Learn more about the guests:
Will Lehr — Club Cocal
X (personal): x.com/thewilliamlehr
X (Club Cocal): x.com/ClubCocal
X (Unbound Assets): x.com/UnboundAssets
Instagram: instagram.com/club.cocal
Web: clubcocal.com
Web: unboundassets.com

James — Beef Back Better & Bitcoin Farmer Market
X: x.com/beefbackbetter
X: x.com/btcfarmersmrkt
Instagram: instagram.com/beefbackbettersv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bitcoinfarmersmarket
Website: beefbackbetter.com
Website: bitcoinfarmersmarket.org
Linktree: linktr.ee/beefbackbetter
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/bitcoinfarmersmarket
Github: github.com/sovITxyz/bitcoinfarmersmarket.org

Ronny Avendano — Bitcoin Hardware Store
X (personal): x.com/ronnyavendano_
X (store): x.com/tbhs_sv
Web: tbhs.sv
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
STAY AT BITCOIN BEACH: https://www.stayatbitcoinbeach.com/punta-mango-villas

Browse through this quick guide to learn more about the episode:
00:00  Intro
02:31  History of the Bitcoin farmers market in El Salvador
08:26  Club Cocal, Beef Back Better, and Bitcoin Hardware Store, who runs them
16:07  What it's like running a Bitcoin only hardware store in El Zonte
19:34  How much has El Zonte changed since Bitcoin arrived
22:15  Is El Salvador still Bitcoin country after the IMF deal
27:38  How food sovereignty connects to Bitcoin's sovereignty philosophy
30:53  Carnivore diet results, what actually changes when you go full meat
40:38  Is El Salvador real estate in a bubble, or is there a Bitcoin floor
50:00  What's next for the Bitcoin farmers market and the Bitcoin Histórico rodeo 
Live From Bitcoin Beach