Bitcoin circular economies take root in Suriname

Thanks to the efforts of hardworking Bitcoin advocates, circular Bitcoin economies are beginning to grow in Suriname.

These economies, the first and most famous of which are Bitcoin beach In Zonte, El Salvador, it is a small-scale jurisdiction where Bitcoin is commonly used as a currency among residents and merchants. They often also include a Bitcoin educational center and are led by locals who are respected by the community.

Suriname, which has been in the Bitcoin press lately because of it Pro-Bitcoin presidential candidate Maya Barbeaunow has two Bitcoin circular economies – Bitcoin Sranan and Bitcoin Alphonsdorp.

Either way, residents learn how to make and accept payments in Bitcoin as well as use Bitcoin as a savings technology. The latter has become particularly important as witnessed by the Surinamese Dollar (SRD). Inflation rates reach 59% In recent years.

Bitcoin Srannan

Parbhoe Bitcoin founded Sranan in the country’s capital, Paramaribo, in 2021 after visiting El Salvador and seeing Bitcoin’s impact on communities like El Zonte firsthand.

Terrence Coronel, a highly motivated and soft-spoken local, has taken the reins of the project ever since. He spends his days educating community members through… Mi Primer Bitcoin (My First Bitcoin) curriculum. And qualifying merchants and other local residents to use Bitcoin.

“When I started, I decided to hit the road three times a day and reach out to locals with a sales pitch. ‘Hi, I’m from Bitcoin Sranan, a non-profit organization, and I’m here to tell you this,’” Coronel told me in an interview. “You can accept money through… Bitcoin instead of just bank transfers.”

Coronel said he then helps those interested download Blink Wallet, a Bitcoin wallet that allows payments via Lightning networkbefore making a test transaction with them in which he sends $3 worth of Bitcoin.

While some are hesitant to approach Coronel at all, he said dealing with rejection during cold tactics isn’t the hardest part of his job. The biggest challenge is getting those interested to come to the Bitcoin Sranan Education Center to learn more about Bitcoin.

“The hard part is convincing them to come and complete the Mi Primer Bitcoin course,” Coronel said.

“It’s 10 weeks long. Some people have trouble finding transportation, others lose interest. Some also think Bitcoin is about getting rich quick. Most ask ‘Can you teach us to trade?’ or ‘Can you teach us how to buy a car?’ quickly?”.

“I usually respond with, ‘We don’t teach trading.’ We don’t teach people to get rich quick. We’re trying to create awareness about Bitcoin so people understand what Bitcoin is, how it works, and what it could mean for their future.

Due to his perseverance, Coronel and his team have onboarded 110 traders, many of whom he claims are now happy to be part of the Bitcoin network.

“When we ride it, we put it on it Btc mapon the Blink app, and also promoted on X, Facebook and Telegram. “What happens is that some international people send donations to these traders, and the traders are very surprised and happy, because the money helps them a lot in their daily lives.”

Bitcoin Alphonsdorp

After learning about Bitcoin at the Sranan Bitcoin Education Center and starting to experience the positive effects of saving in Bitcoin, Terrence Karigondomo felt compelled to start teaching Bitcoin himself.

Karijondomo is a tech-minded native Surinamese who installs security systems in banks and private companies for a living. He has wanted to teach technical skills to people in his village of Alphonsdorp, located in a rural area in northeastern Suriname near the French Guiana border, for some time and feels that teaching Bitcoin is a good gateway to doing so.

“One of the things I was thinking about was trying to set up a learning center where I could teach basic ICT – things like how to use a computer, Word and Excel,” Karigundomo told me in an interview.

“I was also going to share my experience installing security cameras so that people can use the information to help find some work. “I still will do that, but now I put Bitcoin first and after that, I will teach ICT,” he added.

Karijondomo was also passionate about ensuring that the indigenous people of Suriname do not miss out on the opportunity to obtain Bitcoin.

“In Suriname, indigenous people are always the last to adopt new technology,” Karigondomo said.

“I want to teach the younger generation about Bitcoin, otherwise they will take other paths that are not good for them,” he added.

“I’m trying to change that, and in Bitcoin I found a way to connect with them, and that’s my mission.”

However, Karigondomo also pointed out that many have fallen victim to Bitcoin scams in Suriname, causing them to view Bitcoin in an unfavorable light.

“Many are traumatized now by Bitcoin scams, so some don’t want to hear anything about it,” he said.

Adapting Bitcoin education to the local context

A local Bitcoin enthusiast in Suriname who asked me to remain anonymous and who uses the alias “NOMAD” NostrHe also told me in an interview that many in Suriname “are traumatized by being scammed.”

For this reason, NOMAD, an educator in the Bitcoin Sranan community, explained that Bitcoin educators in Suriname must find innovative ways to reach the people they aim to teach.

He suggested introducing Bitcoin through nightclubs, a favorite pastime in Suriname.

“Plays and skits are very popular in Suriname,” Nomad said.

“With nightclubs, you can make people laugh and then move on to Bitcoin. For example, every politician in Suriname says the previous government took all the money from the central bank. If you use the Bitcoin standard, when a politician tells you there is no money in the central reserve “Just call your phone and say, ‘Hello!'” He explained, “No, you’re lying.”

(In this scenario, Nomad pointed out how anyone could audit the Bitcoin blockchain, which could bring more transparency to government spending and promote more accountability for politicians and other officials. This increase in transparency and accountability is part of the reason why.) Barbeau wants to put her country on the Bitcoin standard.)

NOMAD has made it clear that Bitcoin education must be delivered with the local context in mind.

“Maybe 50 percent of what works in Zonte works here,” Nomad said. “The rest has to be tailored to suit Suriname.”