El Salvador: Building on Bitcoin and Values. A Conversation with Charlie from Bitcoin Coast
By Janusz Nowakowski, Lightning News
In this conversation with Charlie from Bitcoin Coast, we talk about:
- How Bitcoin adoption in El Salvador has evolved beyond its early hype.
- The human and structural challenges of building new economies in a developing nation.
- Why Bitcoin’s principles mirror deeper moral frameworks that hold communities together.
- What makes El Salvador fertile ground for builders and innovators.
- How values, not just code, shape the long-term success of this movement.
Upcoming Bitcoin Events in El Salvador (November 2025)
- Nov 12–13, Bitcoin Histórico, Centro Histórico San Salvador
- Nov 13, Bitcoin Educators Unconference, San Salvador
- Nov 14–15, Adopting Bitcoin, El Salvador
The high-signal conference for Bitcoin builders, developers, and entrepreneurs. - Nov 14–16, Bitcoin Beach Festival, El Zonte
Celebration of Bitcoin culture with music, art, and community events on the coast. Informal gathering of circular-economy leaders and local community projects. - Nov 17-21, Bitcoin Coast Exploration Week
- Nov 22–23 – Economía Bitcoin, Berlin, El Salvador
The second annual conference focused on scaling and connecting Bitcoin circular economies worldwide.
Janusz: Charlie, your work with Bitcoin Coast (https://bitcoincoast.sv/) seems to grow naturally from the broader Bitcoin movement in El Salvador.
Charlie: Yes, it’s a natural consequence. People here are discovering what skills they have and how to put them to work. You see it in the initiatives, from the Bitcoin farmers market to projects like Mi Primier Bitcoin, and now the conferences like Economía Bitcoin, Adopting Bitcoin, and Bitcoin Histórico. It’s Bitcoin Month in El Salvador. Attention is coming from everywhere.
Janusz: How would you describe the state of the Bitcoin community and market now?
Charlie: It’s decentralized, but vibrant. Merchant adoption is increasing, and the locals’ understanding of Bitcoin is deeper than ever. Those who came expecting a utopia left. The ones who stayed are building.
Janusz: So it’s not a utopia, it’s real work.
Charlie: Exactly. Bitcoin is hard to understand, and we’re working within a fiat-funded nation-state. But we also have leaders who understand the mission. They’re trying to steer the country toward being a place favorable to those who want to save and transact in Bitcoin. It’s not overnight. It’s growth, messy, human, but real.
Janusz: The idea evolves, and with every phase, it meets new responses.
Charlie: True. El Salvador is the only country where Bitcoin really landed. It’s not a honeymoon story; it’s effort and communication. You need to work hard to make Bitcoin work, to build, to navigate egos, to add value. It’s not the Garden of Eden, but it’s fertile ground for builders.
Janusz: What’s most challenging right now?
Charlie: Integrating with a society that’s been through decades of stress and violence, without coming across as exploitative. It’s also about infrastructure, in Europe you have centuries of developed systems. Here, things are young. Change takes time and understanding.
Janusz: Yet that’s an opportunity. In Europe, structure often becomes inertia.
Charlie: Exactly. Europe is consuming its built-up capital, not replenishing it. The euro system allows governments to quietly steal value through monetary manipulation. When everything depends on centralized credit, it’s like puppet strings. Bitcoin breaks those strings.
Janusz: And El Salvador?
Charlie: El Salvador has its own struggles, but also an escape valve: Bitcoin. It’s different here. People have faith, literally, faith in God, faith in hard work. That creates resilience and sovereignty. The President leads with strength and gives glory to God. That combination, security, vision, and freedom to build, creates a “hustle culture.” People take risks, create value, and innovate.
Janusz: You describe a kind of Wild West for the digital age.
Charlie: Yes, like California in the 1850s, but this time it’s digital gold. The transformation is deep and psychological. People’s time preference is changing, less about the immediate, more about the eternal. That’s how culture, art, and lasting beauty emerge.
Janusz: You’ve mentioned that what makes you truly bullish is not just Bitcoin, but the Bible.
Charlie: Every cohesive society needs a shared moral framework. In Europe, we’ve forgotten that. Laws alone can’t replace moral understanding. In El Salvador, Christian education and faith are still part of daily life. People know the stories and lessons that hold society together, respect, self-control, responsibility. It’s a strong foundation.
Janusz: So you see a parallel between the Bible and Bitcoin?
Charlie: Absolutely. Both are about truth. To believe in the Bible, you must trust that its word is true and unchanging. To believe in Bitcoin, you must trust the 21-million cap, the transparency of the code, and the honesty of those running nodes. Both systems are built on unchangeable principles that allow individuals to build their lives with certainty.
Janusz: In both, consensus matters, the rules that keep everyone aligned.
Charlie: Exactly. The Bible provides a moral consensus for society. Bitcoin provides a monetary one. Together, they let people live pure, honorable lives, for themselves and their families.
Janusz: Let’s talk about the upcoming events. Everyone in Bitcoin will be in El Salvador this November, what’s on the agenda?
Charlie: Three main events. First, Bitcoin Histórico, hosted in the National Palace, bringing together the OGs of Bitcoin. Then Adopting Bitcoin, the high-signal conference for builders, this year focused on The Network Effect. And finally, Economía Bitcoin on November 22–23 in Berlin, El Salvador, the gathering point for leaders of circular Bitcoin economies from around the world.
Janusz: What’s special about Economía Bitcoin?
Charlie: It’s where you learn how to build a Bitcoin-based community, practically. How to start, what tools to use, who to connect with. It’s hands-on. If you’re serious about bringing Bitcoin to your town, that’s where you go. And it’s not just panels and talks, there’s also the Bitcoin Festival, football tournaments, horse riding, even pupusa contests. It’s culture and economy growing together.
Janusz: Sounds like a real Bitcoin month in El Salvador.
Charlie: It is. The world is coming here to learn, build, and connect. If you want to understand where the next chapter of Bitcoin adoption is written, it’s here.