In the heart of Berlin, a small city north of El Salvador, the streets have begun to speak a new language, one painted with the audacity of street art and the promise of a decentralized economy based on Bitcoin (BTC).
«Here, on this wall, we not only see colors and shapes; We see the beat of our community, the phrases that remind us why we are building a different future, ”says Gerardo Linares, while an artist’s hand travels a mural where text fragments are intertwined with Bitcoin symbols. “Every word comes from someone who believes in this, in the power to unite,” he adds.
Berlin, a name that evokes echoes of a European metropolis, It is actually a modest corner in El Salvador, far from skyscrapers and global bustle. Here, life moves at a different rate, marked by the cadence of planting, the harvest, and more recently by the digital currency created by Satoshi Nakamoto.
Three years ago, Gerardo and Evelyn Lemus decided to start the project and work hard. His idea is to send the message that the city of Berlin has everything to become a Bitcoin City, as Cryptonoths reported in 2023. They are convinced that they can realize the promise of having in Salvadoran territory, a metropolis where Bitcoiner wishes to live.
Since 2022, the Bitcoin Citadel project advances. In fact, this year, with the support of members from other communities such as Bitcoin Forte de Cuba and educators of my first Bitcoin, they are taking education to a higher level.
They selected 21 students, not only to deepen Bitcoin’s philosophy, Austrian economy and on-chain technology, but also to give English scholarships, as recently detailed in a podcast.
«We are giving them skills [a los jóvenes] so that they can find their way here, without having to leave, ”Evelyn explained. They received Donations of Wallets Hardware of specialized stores and the visit of guides who taught a conference on the protocol to create decentralized social networks Nostr, teaching young people about freedom of expression.
“It was incredible to see how they were excited, how their friends and family began to teach,” said Lemus about the rapid adoption of Nostr in the community.
More Bitcoin murals for Berlin
But Berlin’s vision goes beyond classrooms. Rodrigo and Koko, a couple of Berliners, They promoted the third edition of a mural festival, seeking to create an open sky museum.
Artists from Guatemala, Colombia, Spain and El Salvador himself converged into the town, transforming gray walls into canvases full of life. «We have used the platform of Geyser Fundthanks to Bitcoiners donations around the world. It is the proof that BTC unites people, ”said Evelyn with emotion.
The International Muralism Festival Berlin Walls seeks to consolidate an artistic route with An outdoor museum, promoting tourism through murals that highlight local culture, traditions and nature.
In its third edition, national and international artists transformed the city for 4 days in February 2025, continuing the legacy of previous editions (2021 and 2022, formerly called Pigmentrip).
Now, that artistic expression is part of the city that is surrounded by mountains and coffee plantations. It is part of the tourist attraction of this place of Usulután that already has more than 130 businesses that accept Bitcoinwhich has attracted 20 permanent foreign residents.
Many murals reflect the rich Lenca culture, honoring the roots of the place and demonstrating how Bitcoin’s modernity can coexist with tradition. The entire event, from the artists’ food to their first “Sats” (Bitcoin fractions), was paid with Bitcoin, leaving each participant with a digital purse installed and a new perspective on money, as Linares and Lemus explained.
After the success of previous editions, the Bitcoin Berlin community organizes the fourth edition of the International Festival of Muralism for 2026, only focused on murals inspired by BTC. This event will strengthen the vision of an outdoor museum that drives tourism and celebrates local culture.