Bitcoiners - Live From Bitcoin Beach

What happens when a Salvadoran developer quits trading shitcoins, starts driving Uber, and ends up shaping national Bitcoin education policy? In this episode, Mike sits down with Acreonte, one of the first graduates of the Cubo Plus program and now a key player behind El Salvador’s push to integrate Bitcoin into its institutions. Acreonte shares what it’s really like to live on a Bitcoin standard,...

For families considering life in El Salvador, this episode dives into what educational freedom really looks like on the ground. Mike talks with Ana Larios, co-founder of Escuela Libre and Skate, Paint & More, about building a community education program rooted in trust, creativity, and local connection. Ana shares how Escuela Libre grew from three families into a small but thriving homeschool...

What happens when Bitcoin meets real estate, alternative assets, and personal freedom? In this episode, Will Lehr breaks down how he went from helping clients invest in gold and silver IRAs to building a self-directed IRA platform that lets people hold Bitcoin, real estate, and more, all outside the traditional financial system. We talk about the mechanics of setting up a self-directed IRA, what m...

Mario Flamenco didn’t follow a typical path into government. As a teenager in one of the world’s most violent countries, he started watching Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert talk about Bitcoin on late-night reruns. A few years later, he’s working alongside them at the Bitcoin Office in El Salvador and now helping lead the country's AI and robotics strategy. In this episode, Mario shares how El Sa...

What’s it really like moving to El Salvador? In this episode, Gaelle Wizenberg shares her story of starting over in Berlin, El Salvador, a small town with a growing Bitcoin circular economy and one of the few places in the world where living on Bitcoin is actually possible. From community building to starting a boutique wellness hotel, Gaelle breaks down the practical, emotional, and financial rea...

What does it actually take to start a business or invest in El Salvador as a foreigner? In this episode, John McBride returns to share what he's learned after two years of building multiple businesses across the country. From launching True North Air to owning a coffee farm in El Salvador, John walks us through how he's approached investing in El Salvador with a long-term mindset and rea...

John McBride didn’t plan on moving to El Salvador. It started as a short trip in 2022 to see if the buzz around Bukele’s El Salvador and the Bitcoin experiment was real. Two weeks later, he bought property. Today, he runs multiple companies, holds a Salvadoran passport, and sees the country as an “early-stage investment with traction.” In this episode, we talk about why John left Canada, how he ev...

Thinking about buying real estate in El Salvador or relocating with your family? In this episode, Mike Peterson sits down with Lexi Cross from Good Life ElSalvador   to break down what’s really happening in the El Salvador real estate market. They talk about everything from turnkey condos and oceanview lots to Bitcoin purchases and foreign real estate investment. Whether you're planning a mov...

What actually changed with El Salvador’s Bitcoin law? In this episode, Mike sits down with Lina Seiche, creator of The Little Hodler and founder of a Bitcoin-focused business now based in El Salvador. Lina shares what it's really like on the ground, from working with the Ministry of Education on a nationwide Bitcoin school curriculum to navigating the evolving business environment. They dive...

Trace Mayer, Bitcoin OG and advocate for monetary sovereignty, joins us for a compelling deep dive into the real-world implications of El Salvador’s groundbreaking adoption of Bitcoin. This wasn’t a surface-level chat, we covered everything from Bitcoin in El Salvador to the broader global reset many are calling the Fourth Turning. We explored how President Bukele is reshaping El Salvador by combi...

Can "quantum biology" explain why even the healthiest people are still getting sick?  In this episode, Dr. Alison Monette reveals why circadian rhythm health is the true foundation of wellness, not diet, exercise, or even supplements. She explains how morning sunlight, light exposure, and your alignment with natural cycles may matter more than anything else you’re doing right now. We go...

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, in this episode, I talk with Dulce Villarreal, a leading voice in the Bitcoin community across Latin America. Dulce is the founder of Liberia Satoshi and co-creator of Bitcoin for Open Source (B4OS), two grassroots projects focused on expanding Bitcoin education in Spanish for both beginners and experienced developers. We dig into why it’s so impor...

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, in this episode, we talk with Brindon Mwiine, the founder of Gorilla Sats and Bitcoin Kampala, about how he’s building a real Bitcoin circular economy in Uganda. What started as an effort to share Bitcoin education with university students has grown into a community-driven project that supports an orphanage, a school, and dozens of local vendors, a...

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, this episode dives into Bitcoin adoption in Mexico through the eyes of Francisco Chavarria, co-founder of YoPaki, a culturally grounded Bitcoin app making digital money accessible to everyday users. Francisco shares his Bitcoin journey from discovering it through his dad and Max Keiser to building a company that offers a non-custodial wallet design...

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, in this episode, we’re joined by Gabriel Kurman (GAKU) and Ivan Kaleja of Bitcoin for Humanity, two of the earliest supporters of Bitcoin circular economies worldwide. We dive deep into how grassroots Bitcoin adoption is transforming communities around the world. We talk about the origins of the La Bitcoineta Project, how Latin America became a hub...

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, I sat down with Wiz, the co-founder of Mempool, one of the most important tools in the Bitcoin space. We covered a ton of ground in this one, from how he got into tech as a kid to what the Bitcoin mempool actually is and why it matters. Wiz breaks down how Mempool space helps people understand Bitcoin transaction fees, track confirmations, and now...

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, in this episode, I sit down with my good friend Valentin Popescu, a Romanian missionary doing incredible work in Peru. We talk about how he’s using Bitcoin as a real-world tool to bring hope and financial inclusion to some of the most remote and underserved communities in the country. Valentin shares his journey, from accidentally ending up in Peru...

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, in this episode, we’re diving into how Bitcoin is making waves in Santa Monica, California. I’m joined by Lana Negrete, the Mayor of Santa Monica, and Dom, a firefighter and Bitcoin advocate, who are on a mission to orange pill their city and bring Bitcoin-powered innovation to their community. We talk about how they’re using Bitcoin to drive touri...

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, in this episode, I sit down with Isabella Santos, a journalist-turned-Bitcoiner who's building a circular economy on the island of Isla Mujeres, Mexico. She shares her journey from working in mainstream media—where she quickly realized how broken the system was—to going all-in on Bitcoin and helping communities take control of their financial...

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, I’m joined by Bitcoin educator and author Knut Svanholm for a deep dive into Bitcoin’s role in financial freedom, decentralization, and hyperbitcoinization. Knut shares how his travels led him to question the nature of money, freedom, and voluntary interactions, ultimately bringing him down the Bitcoin rabbit hole. We talk about how Bitcoin removes...

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador in this episode, I sit down with Jesse Shrader from Amboss to dive deep into the Lightning Network, stablecoins on Bitcoin, and how we scale Bitcoin for real-world use. We kick things off by discussing why stablecoins on Lightning could be a game changer and why most Bitcoiners aren’t paying enough attention to it. Jesse shares some eye-opening stat...

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, in this episode, I sit down with Enrique Ho, a former traditional finance executive turned full-blown Bitcoin advocate. Enrique’s story is wild. One day, he was living the high life as a private equity guy in Panama. The next, he was on the run, hit with an Interpol Red Notice, accused of crimes he didn’t commit, and forced into exile. But here’s w...

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, this episode is packed with powerful stories about hope, transformation, and the fight against child trafficking. I’m joined by Bob McDonell from House of Life / Mi Casa Kids, an incredible organization providing shelter and support to teenage mothers in El Salvador.  We also have Ryan Matta, a journalist and filmmaker exposing government-backed ch...

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, in this episode, I sit down with Marc Guillard, the man behind Germany's famous Bitcoin Hotel, to hear his incredible story. Marc shares how he turned his family’s hotel into a Bitcoin-themed destination and why it’s become a magnet for Bitcoiners from around the world. We discuss why he’s spending more time in El Salvador, a country leading t...

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, in this episode, I sit down with Michael Cobb, the CEO of ECI Development, to talk about real estate, Bitcoin, and how both are transforming lives and communities in Latin America. Michael shares how his company began accepting Bitcoin for properties (starting with a teak plantation!) and how that decision has shaped their business. We also reminis...