I by no means anticipated a jetlagged morning in Las Vegas would change my life, not to mention spark hope on the opposite aspect of the world. However that’s what occurred once I — a advisor, ex-Deloitte, and fundraiser with 9 years of expertise within the nonprofit sector — landed on the Bitcoin Conference Las Vegas in search of one thing greater than “enterprise as normal.” Fundraising had began to really feel like… effectively, simply fundraising for the sake of fundraising.
What stunned me most, although, was how rapidly I discovered myself swept up by the convention vitality. On my very first day, I ended up volunteering with the Open Supply Hub. There, I used to be ready not solely to assist construct bridges between revolutionary tasks but in addition to attach extra deeply with groups like Primal and see how Nostr opens doors for Latin American circular economies.
On Day Two, whereas most individuals have been nonetheless asleep, I confirmed up early, decided to select a Bitcoin current for my nieces. Among the many buzzing Bitcoin bazaar stands, I discovered a sales space with stunning youngsters’s books and merch, and as luck would have it, discovered myself chatting with Fernando Motolese — the founding father of Bitcoinze. Proper place, proper time! He ordered 200 Portuguese-language youngsters’ books, and as two Lusophones obtained speaking, he advised me bluntly:
“If you wish to see Bitcoin change lives, you might want to speak to Valentin Popescu from MOTIV PERÚ.”
Years earlier, I lived in Peru, working for an NGO alongside Inca communities, the place I’d discover myself having guinea pig for breakfast and alpaca for dinner. No WiFi, no bogs, solely latrines. The thought of saving cash was so overseas, we didn’t actually have a native phrase for it.
That’s the cruel actuality: In a lot of Latin America, the idea of saving doesn’t even exist, not to mention the instruments to do it. For a lot of, life is solely about surviving in the present day — not constructing for tomorrow. Once I met Valentin, the whole lot clicked: this particular person wasn’t simply speaking about Bitcoin as tech or funding. He was making Bitcoin a device for hope, for studying, for self-sufficiency… for precise change.
Image this: Deep in Peru’s Sacred Valley, alongside Amazonian rivers, complete communities are leapfrogging the monetary system that forgot them. At Motiv Perú facilities, youngsters and entrepreneurs receives a commission in sats for studying, for instructing, for constructing stuff. You earn, you save, you spend — all with bitcoin. No fragile money, no corrupt intermediaries. Like all circular economies, they’re rising from the underside up.
Right here’s the kicker: Due to Motiv Perú, these communities and round economies aren’t simply surviving — they’re dreaming. They’re seeing a future the place they’ll work, personal and save. Bitcoin can be accepted for the whole lot: bread, haircuts, even journeys to Machu Picchu.
Motiv Perú is driving a revolution in neighborhood empowerment all through Peru by leveraging Bitcoin as a catalyst for development and inclusion. The group was born from a $5,000 bitcoin donation throughout the COVID pandemic and is sustained by ongoing bitcoin contributions, making certain its mission stays community-driven and decentralized. By hands-on monetary schooling and the nurturing of bitcoin round economies, Motiv Perú provides among the nation’s most marginalized populations sensible entry to digital finance. By making Bitcoin a device for incomes, saving and transacting, Motiv Perú equips neighborhood members with actual alternatives for self-sufficiency and sustainable progress.
The group’s story started with the Life Saving Steps challenge, delivering sneakers to youngsters in Peru’s distant Andean area — an act funded by bitcoin donations that addressed primary wants and constructed belief. This basis paved the way in which for tasks like “Surf for All,” which mixes sports activities and digital literacy for youngsters with particular wants, and ongoing vitamin packages that help baby well being. At the moment, each Motiv Perú initiative — from its origins to its revolutionary packages — demonstrates how grassroots motion, coupled with Bitcoin adoption and donor help, can spark lasting transformation for these historically excluded from alternative.
That dialog with Valentin modified the whole lot: I went on to turn out to be an envoy, and now I’m engaged on “Bitcoin Cup,” a high surf competitors and a vibrant celebration of Bitcoin adoption and the round economies powering Huanchaco, Peru:
Keep tuned, as a result of that is simply chapter one. The true story isn’t solely written in convention halls — it’s unfolding in locations forgotten by the banks, however now remembered by Bitcoin.
