Bitcoin Jungle receives support to continue promoting Costa Rica’s metamorphosis
More than 380 businesses in Puntarenas accept bitcoin, promoting a circular economy.
Bitcoin Jungle offers financial education in vulnerable communities.
Costa Rica is undergoing a bitcoiner transformation, especially in the province of Puntarenas, where the Marino Ballena National Park and Playa Uvita are located. There, the Bitcoin Jungle citadel grows, a circular bitcoin (BTC) economy, which is among the 6 winning projects of the new wave of grants awarded by the non-profit OpenSats foundation.
Founded by renowned bitcoiner Matt Odell, OpenSats claims to work with the goal of maintain a sustainable Bitcoin ecosystem. To do this, it provides funding to open source projects and collaborators. All this with the idea of strengthening the development of tools and resources related to the digital currency created by Satoshi Nakamoto.
“Each project supported contributes to building a more informed and decentralized future,” highlights the organization that has decided to promote projects, such as BOBSpaces Residence, Satsie Pocket Guides, Free Africa Routing, Bitcoin Indonesia, Cracking Bitcoin and Bitcoin Jungle.
Bitcoin education to combat poverty
In July 2022, six months after the founding of Bitcoin Jungle, 30 locations in the Bahía Ballena district began accepting payments with bitcoin. Now, more than 380 businesses are accepting payments in BTCas reported in X by the team behind the citadel.
However, the bitcoiner metamorphophysis that this area is experiencing, where the jungle and the beaches combine, goes hand in hand with the fact that poverty abounds in large groups of the population.
The Central American nation registered in 2023 GDP growth of 5.1%, the highest among all members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Furthermore, it was the country with the lowest inflation (-1.8%) in Latin America. And it showed a decrease in unemployment to less than 8%, while the average real salary also improved, but at the same time The nation has the highest percentage of poverty among OECD countries.
With these data on the table, it is clear that the most vulnerable populations require social justice to reduce economic inequalities, a role that the national government should play, but that until now, has only been left in the hands of the Bitcoin Jungle, which is offering financial education to nearby communities.
«Our goal is to create a circular Bitcoin economy. We do this by providing education, resources and technology to our community, both individuals and businesses. Starting with the Golden Triangle area (Dominical, Uvita, Ojochal, Platanillo, Tinamaste) in Costa Rica, we are building a shining example of what a Bitcoin community can mean.
Since June of this year, Bitcoin Jungle has established a physical headquarters in Uvita, allowing for a significant increase in the frequency of its educational activities. There, it all started with Don Erick, a local with an artisanal ice cream business, who became the first Costa Rican to receive advice on bitcoin at the new office.
Don Erick, with his venture “Apretados el Bambuzal” is now part of the Bitcoin Jungle map, symbolizing the growth of the bitcoin circular economy in the region.
Additionally, this month, Bitcoin Jungle brought together 30 Bitcoin enthusiasts at an informal dinner, a new initiative that seeks to encourage conversation and the exchange of ideas in a relaxed atmosphere. Unlike previous meetings with formal presentations, this meeting allowed participants to enjoy a more enjoyable and close experience, generating an environment conducive to collaboration and learning, as detailed in X by the Costa Rican citadel team.
More funding for Bitcoin projects from other parts of the world
The OpenSats Organization awarded grants to five other projects highlights that They seek to promote awareness and adoption of bitcoin. One of them is Cracking Bitcoin, an open source initiative dedicated to creating a comprehensive academic textbook on the pioneering digital currency, which will be available for free on GitHub.
Another beneficiary initiative is BOBSpaces Residence, which focuses on supporting Bitcoin projects in Bangkok, Thailand, offering a collaborative space for development and innovation in the Bitcoin ecosystem.
In the field of education, Satsie Pocket Guides are hand-crafted zines that break down complex technical topics related to Bitcoin, presenting them in an accessible way for a broader audience.
Additionally, Africa Free Routing carries out a series of boot camps designed to train developers and professionals of the financial sector across Africa, focusing on Bitcoin and the Lightning Network.
Finally, OpenSats also supports Bitcoin Indonesia, a community initiative that promotes the adoption of the digital currency nationwide, placing a strong emphasis on education, community building, and open source software development.