At the beginning of February 2022, I had the opportunity to travel to El Salvador to represent Bitcoin Magazine during the unveiling of the “Bitcoin Boat” with the Built With Bitcoin Foundation[1].
It was my first time outside of the country in a number of years and I was excited to discover a territory being directly influenced by the growing technology and financial impact of Bitcoin.
After becoming the world's first country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender last September,[2] some may think of El Salvador as a bit of a social experiment, but it’s important to understand the impact that Bitcoin can have on the El Salvadoran economy and some of the different ways bitcoin helps provide long-term financial freedom and stability.
About a two-hour drive southeast from San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador, lies the small community of Isla Tasajera. The island is bordered to the south by the Pacific Ocean and is only accessible by boat, with a small population of roughly 1,500 residents.
In partnership with Bitcoin Black Friday[3], last November, Bitcoin Magazine helped raise funds to build and donate a brand-new boat to ferry students and teachers to and from school, as well as transport groceries and supplies. Along with the boat, funds raised were also used to purchase general school supplies, laptops for the technology center and upkeep of the school.
Previously, students and teachers paid $3 a day to commute to and from the mainland. With this boat, they can now commute at no cost. To some, this boat is just another means of transportation, but to the people of Isla Tasajera, the
