Bitcoin guitars available for the kids…

Working on progress. Special video for our nostr followers

The wall!

We’re looking for creative, low-cost ideas to paint the blocks on this wall — but not just any paint job. We want something easy to execute, yet meaningful and special, carrying a powerful message that resonates with our community.

Organizing our small store in Jericoacoara Send a zap and make history with us!

Building a Bitcoin Circular Economy in Jericoacoara I’m deeply inspired by the progress of @BitcoinEkasi, the momentum of the #spedn movement across Africa, and the compelling journey of @orphansofuganda. These initiatives prove that Bitcoin can serve as a true medium of exchange in people’s daily lives. Naturally, I hope to see the same happen in other parts of the world, especially here in Brazil. But the reality on the ground is quite different. Here, we are still just 1% of 1%. Thanks to the pioneering vision of @BitcoinBeach, a small experiment in El Zonte became the spark for a global grassroots movement. Today, Bitcoin is being used in hundreds of communities around the world. It is a clear reminder that local action, when guided by purpose, can inspire change far beyond its borders. Inspired by that same spirit, I launched the Praia Bitcoin Jericoacoara experiment in 2021. Since then, we have maintained self-hosted infrastructure using tools like @mynodebtc, @BtcPayServer, and @lnbits. We collect Bitcoin donations and channel them into meaningful, real-world impact. This includes face-to-face education, Lightning Network infrastructure, and merchant onboarding. At our peak, we had around 60 local businesses accepting Bitcoin. Personally, I onboarded over a thousand individuals to @bluewalletio, more than 200 to @blinkbtc and at least 100 to @usebipa. To engage the community, we created initiatives such as the Fruits for Sats program, local server maintenance, digital lab repairs, and sponsorship of cultural events. These actions gradually changed how Bitcoin was perceived. People started to see it not as speculation, but as community infrastructure and a tool for inclusion. As the project evolved, we began building additional tools to ensure long-term sustainability. We developed the @bitcoinize machine, promoted adoption of the @bolt_card standard, and supported other local initiatives through the @BitcoinConfed network. Our goal was always to build something bigger than ourselves. We envisioned Praia Bitcoin as a reference model, potentially becoming a Bitcoin Community Bank or at least a reliable local Bitcoin service provider. But the road has not been easy. We are located in the Northeast of Brazil, one of the regions with the lowest levels of social and financial development. Financial education is scarce, and many local workers remain locked into a fiat-centered mindset. Although Jericoacoara is marketed as a tourist paradise, it faces deep structural contradictions and hidden inequalities. (BBC article https://bbc.com/portuguese/articles/cgmwpmg4ydeo). Unlike El Salvador or much of Africa, Brazil has PIX, a government-backed, instant, and free payment system that functions similarly to Lightning. For most people here, it works well enough. Bitcoin adoption in this context is rarely based on necessity. It usually follows long conversations rooted in ideology, curiosity, marketing appeal, or sometimes even financial speculation. Despite this, I have not been alone in this journey. From the beginning, I’ve had the support of our co-founder Eric Linhares, who has worked quietly but consistently behind the scenes. Together, we have built infrastructure, strengthened our community ties, and laid the groundwork for a project that could grow into something permanent and officially recognized. We applied to register Praia Bitcoin as a Bitcoin Community Bank, a locally rooted service hub for financial inclusion through open-source tools and noncustodial Bitcoin infrastructure. Unfortunately, our efforts were rejected. Just one week after a visit from @HRF to our 2024 Bitcoin conference, the Brazilian government denied our application. The reasons cited in their response (attached) are, in our view, fragile and based on a misunderstanding of Bitcoin’s role in local development. 1. "Absence of specific regulation" “The lack of consolidated regulation in Brazil for digital assets compromises the legal security of the project.” Comment: This claim is incorrect. Brazil passed Law No. 14.478 in December 2022, which legally defines virtual assets and sets the framework for regulating service providers. The law is active and assigns oversight to the Central Bank for payment use cases. While complementary regulations are still in development, the existence of the law itself already provides a legal foundation. Our project does not operate in a legal vacuum. 2. "Compliance risks due to decentralization" “The decentralized and anonymous structure of Bitcoin presents significant challenges to compliance with anti-money laundering legislation.” Comment: Bitcoin is not anonymous. It is pseudonymous and transparent by design, with all transactions recorded on a public ledger. Numerous compliance tools exist to monitor Bitcoin transactions, and many regulated institutions around the world already use them successfully. Blanket statements like this ignore global best practices and available solutions. 3. "Volatility of Bitcoin" “The high volatility of digital assets poses a direct risk to the local economy.” Comment: This misunderstands how Bitcoin is used in our context. We use Bitcoin as a payment network, not an investment product. With tools like the Lightning Network, payments are nearly instant and shielded from price swings. Volatility is not a barrier to daily use when the value is immediately transacted or converted. 4. "Incompatibility with solidarity economy" “The proposed model does not align with the principles of self-sustainability and community development outlined in the State Policy for the Promotion of the Solidarity Economy.” Comment: Our initiative is a living example of solidarity economy. It is built by and for the local community, with grassroots education, public service maintenance, repair of digital labs, and merchant support. We promote financial inclusion and sovereignty without profit-driven intermediaries. Suggesting that this is incompatible with solidarity is a misreading of both our mission and the policy. 5. "Technical complexity may exclude the population" “The complexity of Bitcoin would hinder financial inclusion and limit local access.” Comment: This assumption is outdated and paternalistic. Over the last two years, we have onboarded more than a thousand people to Bitcoin wallets and trained over 60 merchants and individuals on how to use Lightning. Our approach is face-to-face, educational, and designed for accessibility. Complexity has not been a barrier when real guidance and tools are provided. Final Verdict from the Government: “For the reasons above, the project is incompatible with the current legal framework and the principles of the solidarity economy applicable to the region.” Comment: Rather than adapting policies to support local innovation, this response attempts to fit a transformative solution into outdated categories. It fails to recognize the real-world results we’ve already achieved and ignores the progress Brazil has made in regulating digital assets. Our work reflects a commitment to community development, education, and responsible adoption of new technologies. ------- Despite the denial, we remain committed to our mission in Jericoacoara and continue to collaborate with circular economies and Bitcoin communities around the world. After a year, our questions about the reasons for the rejection remain unanswered. We still believe that transparency and open dialogue are essential to building public trust and institutional legitimacy. Our vision has always been bigger than permissions or approvals. It is rooted in action, persistence, and real-world impact. On September 6th and 7th, 2025, we will proudly celebrate our fourth anniversary. We invite everyone — educators, developers, entrepreneurs, volunteers, and curious minds — to join us in Jericoacoara. Come see what we’ve built, hear our story, meet our community, and take part in the ongoing experiment that is Praia Bitcoin. Let this anniversary be not only a celebration, but a moment of connection, learning, and inspiration for all who believe in the power of local action to shape a global movement. Fernando Motolese Praia Bitcoin Brazil

The drums are ready for the orange wave!

I’m working hard to maintain the BitcoinConfederation.org Please take a look and review the Circular Economies, Businesses, Projects and Events…

The orange floor is here!

September 7th the inauguration of our new space.

Jericoacoara is getting orange! Bitcoin is art…

Work in progress!

Don't let your money melt away 🫠 Upgrade your checkout to sound money 🚀🚀🚀 Start accepting #bitcoin and #lightning payments today! Tap the future⚡ Order your Bitcoinize POS Machine now 👉🌐

Bitcoinize POS Machine v2.1 – Bitcoin Point-of-Sale Device

Fixing the Computer’s Lab of Jericoacoara Public School!

Smart materials, and building renovations, all paid in Bitcoin!

I’m already in Miami, waiting for my flight to Las Vegas. I urgently need the help of UPS to release the Bitcoinize machines in time for the world record attempt at The Bitcoin Conference. We must receive them by the 26th. Any assistance or support is greatly appreciated!

We are going to connect our Btcpayserver public instance with the notification system, vibe coded by @Bitcoin Jungle, planned by Bitcoinize A beautiful peace of software essential for all circular economies The future is bright

GitHub

GitHub - bitcoinize/btcpaylive: A live dashboard for BtcPayServer

A live dashboard for BtcPayServer. Contribute to bitcoinize/btcpaylive development by creating an account on GitHub.

Today, we accomplished a very difficult and important task moving the server to a new place and replacing the power backup with new batteries. The local node is up and running.

Bitcoin Service Providers Emerging Worldwide We need to integrate Bitcoin nodes with accounting systems and open-source the solutions, enabling new Bitcoin Community Banks to emerge. Let's build it! A Bitcoin Community Bank is essentially a Bitcoin Service Provider (BSP) created to guide users. It is being designed to transform "normies" into bitcoiners. The @blinkbtc, formerly known as Bitcoin Beach Wallet, shared valuable insights about this concept in this article: Bitcoin Banking for Communities: Lessons Learned from Bitcoin Beach. galoy.io/galoy-blog/bit… @GaloyMoney helped @Bitcoinbeach in El Zonte onboard an entire community, which significantly influenced global Bitcoin adoption, eventually leading to El Salvador adopting Bitcoin as legal tender and sparking the Bitcoin Circular Economy Big Bang. Praia Bitcoin Jericoacoara was born on #BitcoinDay, September 7, 2021, as the third Bitcoin economy to use @lightning as a medium of exchange, following Bitcoin Beach's goal to create and sustain a local Bitcoin economy. Future BSPs will be responsible for onboarding merchants, maintaining local infrastructure, and guiding users through their first steps into the Bitcoin ecosystem. They will help users stack sats, self-custody, manage wallets, calculate taxes, understand market cycles, exchange privately, manage UTXOs, and transact with Bitcoin debit cards. The Bitcoin Community Bank is more than just @halfin's theory of Bitcoin-backed banks. rextar4444.medium.com/hal-finneys-th… It’s the missing piece in the ecosystem. Unfortunately, traditional banks are integrating Bitcoin in their own closed-source way, labeling it as "crypto" and allowing its use with legacy cards like @Visa and @Mastercard. With tools like @mynodebtc, @umbrel, and @voltage, several BSPs are poised to emerge and revamp the banking system. However, no legacy accounting system is fully ready for Bitcoin—only a draft, designed by @ZapriteApp, exists. Thanks to the support of over 1,300 donors, Praia Bitcoin is moving towards developing the first Bitcoin Community Bank. Still, we need to bridge the gaps and build the necessary tools, raise money and respect all regulations. Here’s a list of challenges that will require significant development: ✔️ Integrate legacy accounting software with Bitcoin, accounting in SATs. This has been done with @Quickbooks by calculating the price per SAT for the exchange rate and accounting for every 1 SAT = 1 BTC. However, no SAT account is available, and @ZohoBooks ignored our requests! ✔️ We now need to import XPUB (ZPUB) to retrieve the wallet history, account for transactions, and categorize them like standard accounts. While this isn't possible on QuickBooks, it’s nearly achievable with @ZapriteApp. ✔️ Track the approximate fiat amount history with a trustworthy API. This is possible with @coingecko (price at the moment), while the draft solution used Yahoo’s BTC-USD historical price. ✔️ We cannot monitor Lightning transactions on accounting software. We need to create webhooks for integration. ✔️ We need to improve the @bolt_card protocol, update it to BOLT12, and develop management software that facilitates easy issuance, management, and reporting. The last have been drafted with @BitcoinJungleCR, @Pipefy, and @Lnbits, with important improvements to respect Brazilian regulations. ✔️ We need to create a @BtcPayServer plugin to export an OFX file, ready for import into any traditional accounting system. This has been drafted with @zapier, @ChatGPTapp, and 100 lines of Python. ✔️ We need to make all wallets adopt the OFX Standard. Now we have unstandardized CSV files on @Blink, @Breez_Tech, @ZeusLN with no price per SAT in FIAT. Basicly the OFX needs only the date, the account, the amount in BTC, the price per sat in fiat and price per BTC, finally the fiat amount, and the description (with all metadata available). ✔️ We need a cheaper and better Bitcoin Point of Sale device for payments with a lottery miner integrated. A draft version exists with @Bitcoinize Machine, but we need new BSPs to install it and the product is quite expensive. Finally, there’s no android miner app available (just a separated hardware like Bitaxe) that allows full block construction. ✔️ We need to turn the @FBCEglobal into a legal structure that uses bitcoin as unit of account. To do so, we need to fundraise the Federation and register a non-profit organization on @prosperaglobal. With funds available and a legal structure, the Federation will be allowed to provide support, training and infrastructure, with a legal framework to protect all founders. So, that’s it. Let’s build together. Open-source everything. Fernando Motolese @Motolese Praia Bitcoin Jericoacoara