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Our story, year by year

Everything we could gather from Eliazar's public posts since 2022: the schools, the merchants, the meetups and the visitors. Every moment links to its source.

Year by year

2021

  1. Bitcoin Lago starts in Panajachel in late 2021 (voice answers, November 2026: November or December). Merchant onboarding began in March 2022, when Eliazar visited businesses one by one. Source: 1

2022

  1. Press arrives and the first hotels and restaurants join

    In March 2022 the story of Bitcoin Lago at Lake Atitlán reaches El Faro, shared by the Bitcoin Beach account. The project also announces what it calls the first hotel in Panajachel it knows of accepting bitcoin, and is onboarding the hotel and restaurant Amaranto. Source: 1 2 3

  2. A bitcoin miner starts running at the Panajachel town hall

    The mayor of Panajachel accepts a first donated miner. A post from July 2022 says the 'Town Hall' S9 has been hashing strongly since March 25. Source: 1 2

  3. First recruited Bitcoin tourists and a Bitcoin education room

    In May 2022 the project posts its first recruited Bitcoin tourists, with Eliazar named as the tour master, and a school room turned into a Bitcoin education room where visitors are invited to sign. A new shop accepts bitcoin and a visitor makes the first purchase. Source: 1 2 3

  4. Murals, English classes and the first business in Santiago Atitlán

    In August 2022 a Bitcoin mural goes up on a local chicharrones business, English classes start for the children of Centro Educativo Josué and in the public library, and a new mural marks the first business in Santiago de Atitlán, a pizzeria described as the only Bitcoin pizzeria there. Source: 1 2 3

  5. Kaboom mines a block with used cooking oil

    Eliazar posts another block mined with used cooking oil, with the tags waste to energy and waste to sats. Bitcoin Magazine publishes its story on the lake town mining bitcoin with used cooking oil on September 22. Source: 1 2 3

  6. More than 60 places accept bitcoin; signs and a painted boat

    The project says bitcoin can be used in more than 60 places around the lake and starts placing education signs in the businesses. An artist begins painting a boat with Mayan themes to match the orange tuk tuk. By October the team counts five shops with Bitcoin painted across their fronts. Source: 1 2 3

  7. Over 70 merchants and bitcoin only rentals

    A supporter counts more than 70 businesses in Panajachel receiving bitcoin. Eliazar advertises an apartment with volcano views for rent paid in bitcoin only, and a haircut can now be paid with bitcoin. Source: 1 2 3

  8. The lake team goes to Adopting Bitcoin in El Salvador

    Eliazar and the team attend Adopting Bitcoin 2022 in El Salvador, where the project has its own Econ Track slot and meets other circular economy projects such as Bitcoin Beach and Bitcoin Ekasi. Source: 1 2 3

  9. A group of visiting bitcoiners comes to the lake after Adopting Bitcoin

    After the conference a group of visitors, announced in October as 23 people plus a German film crew, spends days at the lake: lunch paid in bitcoin, a boat ride and lessons at the school. A 3D printer donated for the school is also shown. Source: 1 2 3

  10. Panajachel called the next bitcoin capital; paragliding and food paid in bitcoin

    In December 2022 visitors film and post about Panajachel. Eliazar promotes paragliding paid in bitcoin, a Spanish food discount for paying with bitcoin, and an introduction to bitcoin session. In January 2023 he adds a 10 percent discount for flying and paying in bitcoin. Source: 1 2 3

Mining pool message about a block found while the Kaboom generator ran on used cooking oil, September 2022
Mining pool message about a block found while the Kaboom generator ran on used cooking oil, September 2022. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
A tuk tuk with the orange Bitcoin logo on its side
A tuk tuk with the orange Bitcoin logo on its side. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
A Bitcoin logo painted on an orange wall, from a visit to the Kaboom project, July 2022
A Bitcoin logo painted on an orange wall, from a visit to the Kaboom project, July 2022. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Presenting at Adopting Bitcoin in El Salvador, November 2022, with the Econ Track slide
Presenting at Adopting Bitcoin in El Salvador, November 2022, with the Econ Track slide. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Whiteboard from an introduction to bitcoin session, December 2022: 100,000,000 sats = 1 BTC
Whiteboard from an introduction to bitcoin session, December 2022: 100,000,000 sats = 1 BTC. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
A pintxos and tapas bar in Panajachel with a Pay with Bitcoin sign, offering discounts for bitcoin
A pintxos and tapas bar in Panajachel with a Pay with Bitcoin sign, offering discounts for bitcoin. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X

2023

  1. One year of adoption work, and a start with Fedi

    In January 2023 the project marks one year of bringing bitcoin adoption to Guatemala. Eliazar welcomes the year working with Fedi, and Fedi thanks the team for trusting it with their community. Source: 1 2 3

  2. The first My First Bitcoin class in Guatemala

    In February 2023 the first My First Bitcoin class in Guatemala that the team knows of begins at Centro Educativo Josué, with copies handed out along with ice cream. Visitors from HODLing Apparel document a week at the lake and the fourth week of the kids' course. By March 8 Eliazar posts the sixth class. Source: 1 2 3

  3. Press coverage: Bitcoin Magazine, German TV and videos

    In March 2023 Bitcoin Magazine publishes Inside Bitcoin Lake. A German film crew that visited in November shows its report, and the German channel 3sat airs the documentary Bitcoineros, a road trip through El Salvador and Guatemala. A YouTube creator posts a long video called The Secrets of Bitcoin Lake. Source: 1 2 3

  4. The first electrical shop accepts bitcoin

    Eliazar announces that Construlite Pana, the first electrical shop to do so, has started accepting bitcoin. The post gets 147 likes, one of his most liked of the year. Source: 1

  5. First My First Bitcoin graduation outside El Salvador

    On April 12, 2023 the first graduating class takes its test. My First Bitcoin says it is the first Bitcoin Diploma graduation ever held outside El Salvador and that Guatemala is its first country of international expansion. Teacher Reyna Chicas arrives for several months and the course is introduced to the mayor of Panajachel. Source: 1 2 3

  6. A Bitcoin ATM arrives at Amaranto

    A Bitcoin ATM is installed at Amaranto in Rancho Grande, Panajachel, thanks to Rudy Gallardo. It is part of Pizza Day on May 23, 2023, and a visitor later calls buying and selling quetzales with lightning easy. Source: 1 2 3

  7. Lago Summit 2023

    The Lago Summit takes place at the start of May 2023. Earlier posts announce a visit to San Antonio Palopó, talks by Rudy Gallardo, Eliazar and the Osmo CEO, and a coffee tasting workshop. On May 6 the crew travels on a private boat with Tekoa Spaces, and a visitor shows Eliazar mining with used cooking oil so that the oil does not end up in the lake. Blink promotes the event. Source: 1 2 3

  8. The first group of teachers and the PanaKids school

    Eliazar introduces bitcoin to the first group of teachers in the lake area, some of whom had never heard of it, with Reyna Chicas. In June the teachers at PanaKids start learning, and the students will take the My First Bitcoin diploma in their productivity and development course in July. Earlier in May he walked Panajachel with Reyna handing out flyers for free classes. Source: 1 2 3

  9. The Bitcoin Beach team visits the lake

    A meetup at Amaranto on Thursday July 6, 2023 welcomes the Bitcoin Beach team from El Salvador. They ride the Bitcoin boat, with a new captain. The Bitcoin Beach team says the trip was amazing and Eliazar calls it an incredible week. Source: 1 2 3

  10. Second graduation cohort and tuk tuk number 147

    The second graduation of My First Bitcoin at the lake is set for September 9, 2023. In the days before, Eliazar shows tuk tuk number 147 accepting bitcoin, a Panajachel school adds the Bitcoin logo and financial education to its image, and students take their last tests. Source: 1 2 3

  11. Adopting Bitcoin 2023 and a visit from Run with Bitcoin

    At Adopting Bitcoin 2023 Eliazar joins the circular economy projects and speaks alongside Mike Peterson of Bitcoin Beach. A mug from the lake ends up in the Bitcoin Berlin center. Back home, Run with Bitcoin visits the lake and shares the adoption story on Guatemalan radio, and a jazz night starts with lightning payments. Source: 1 2 3

Eliazar in front of a welcome sign, January 2023, the month Fedi announced working with the community
Eliazar in front of a welcome sign, January 2023, the month Fedi announced working with the community. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Welcome banner for a bitcoin meetup in Panajachel, February 2023
Welcome banner for a bitcoin meetup in Panajachel, February 2023. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Group outside Centro Educativo Josué after the 6th class of the My First Bitcoin course, March 2023
Group outside Centro Educativo Josué after the 6th class of the My First Bitcoin course, March 2023. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Four men with an orange Bitcoin sign, shared when Construlite Pana became the first electrical shop to accept bitcoin, March 2023
Four men with an orange Bitcoin sign, shared when Construlite Pana became the first electrical shop to accept bitcoin, March 2023. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
The first group of teachers in the lake area meets bitcoin, May 2023
The first group of teachers in the lake area meets bitcoin, May 2023. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Teachers of the PanaKids school in front of a mural, June 2023, before starting Bitcoin training
Teachers of the PanaKids school in front of a mural, June 2023, before starting Bitcoin training. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Invitation to the meetup of Thursday 6 July 2023 at Amaranto, with the Bitcoin Beach team visiting from El Salvador
Invitation to the meetup of Thursday 6 July 2023 at Amaranto, with the Bitcoin Beach team visiting from El Salvador. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
The blue Bitcoin Diploma booklet used in the courses, August 2023
The blue Bitcoin Diploma booklet used in the courses, August 2023. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Poster of a Panajachel school that added the Bitcoin logo and Bitcoin based financial education, September 2023
Poster of a Panajachel school that added the Bitcoin logo and Bitcoin based financial education, September 2023. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X

2024

  1. Five young students, 90 locations and Swiss donations

    Eliazar posts his five youngest students in the My First Bitcoin course. A news item the same day says there are now 90 locations accepting bitcoin around the lake. A day later he thanks the Swiss community, DezentralshopCH, BitBox and Bitcoin Alps, for donated tools to educate children and adults. Source: 1 2 3

  2. The first Fedi federation with students at Colegio Ebenezer

    On March 11, 2024 the team opens its first federation with students from Colegio Ebenezer using Fedi, after students had already been making their first Lightning payments in class on March 4. Source: 1 2

  3. Halving meetup and the first graduation at Colegio Ebenezer

    A halving meetup is announced by Bullish Guatemala for Friday April 19, 2024, and on April 23 Eliazar posts photos of a halving meetup with Bitcoin Economics radio and Ricky. On Friday April 26 the first Bitcoin course at Colegio Ebenezer graduates, visitors arrive to see it, and Eliazar asks for sats to buy a snack for the students. Source: 1 2 3

  4. Three workshops at AMA School

    AMA School becomes the next school. Eliazar and volunteer Enoc Santiago give workshops on April 30, May 3, May 10 and May 17, where students make their first bitcoin transactions with sats donated by supporters, with BitBox support, and hear about mining and decentralization. In the same month Eliazar thanks Blink for support to put more orange dots, the Bitcoin signs, around the lake. Source: 1 2 3

  5. LTK School mining class, a Sololá talk and a call for classroom equipment

    In July 2024 LTK School has a mining class on July 19 and on July 21 Eliazar says students graduated. He talks bitcoin in Sololá and starts another My First Bitcoin course in Santa Catarina Palopó. He asks the community to help fund a projector, speaker and microphones with a budget of 800 dollars, and says Bullish Guatemala was the first volunteer of the project and is now part of the Blink team. Source: 1 2 3

  6. Youngest students graduate, a new school starts and Nicki and James visit

    On August 2, 2024 Eliazar posts a graduation of the smallest students of the year. A week later a new school starts educating with My First Bitcoin. A couple from El Salvador, Nicki and James, tour the lake with Eliazar and post about businesses accepting bitcoin: restaurants, a leather workshop, a pier restaurant in San Juan, cotton spinning and mountain biking. Source: 1 2 3

  7. Bullish Guatemala visits and gives sats to locals with Blink

    Eliazar announces the Bullish Guatemala visit for the next day, giving sats to locals with the Blink wallet. A day later he welcomes people to the Bitcoin Lake 2024 conference with a list of activities: paragliding, ATVs, motorcycles, coffee tours and the Bitcoin boat. A week earlier students in the Santa Catarina institute played with Fedi. Source: 1 2 3

  8. A Bitcoin talk at UVG in Sololá

    Eliazar and volunteer Enoc Santiago bring bitcoin to students at the Universidad del Valle (UVG) in Sololá, with a banner and book table, and Eliazar pays for a ceviche with bitcoin together with a student. Source: 1 2

  9. Bitcoin Lake 2024 conference

    The Bitcoin Lake 2024 conference takes place in Panajachel on November 30 and December 1, 2024, organized by Let's Fly, with the Bitcoin Beach team, Bullish Guatemala, visitors from Bali and El Salvador, a workshop and hotel payments in bitcoin. Amaranto is called the best place for an event in Panajachel, and a post says Eliazar installed every one of the signs, three years of proof of work. Source: 1 2 3

Halving meetup in Panajachel with a Q&A screen, April 2024
Halving meetup in Panajachel with a Q&A screen, April 2024. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Bitcoin workshop at AMA School, May 2024
Bitcoin workshop at AMA School, May 2024. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Students around a small mining device at AMA School, May 2024
Students around a small mining device at AMA School, May 2024. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
A galaxy and little prince mural painted at LTK School by the new bitcoiners, June 2024
A galaxy and little prince mural painted at LTK School by the new bitcoiners, June 2024. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Mining equipment opened up for the LTK School mining class, July 2024
Mining equipment opened up for the LTK School mining class, July 2024. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Handwritten sign reading LAST BITCOIN CLASS (Ultima clase de Bitcoin), August 2024
Handwritten sign reading LAST BITCOIN CLASS (Ultima clase de Bitcoin), August 2024. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
A neighborhood shop sign with payment logos including Bitcoin, April 2024
A neighborhood shop sign with payment logos including Bitcoin, April 2024. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Chinajul Cafe in its new location on Calle Santander, Panajachel, April 2024
Chinajul Cafe in its new location on Calle Santander, Panajachel, April 2024. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
A pharmacy storefront, Salud Esperanza y Vida, accepting bitcoin with a discount, May 2024
A pharmacy storefront, Salud Esperanza y Vida, accepting bitcoin with a discount, May 2024. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Bitcoin education table at the UVG Altiplano talk in Sololá, November 2024
Bitcoin education table at the UVG Altiplano talk in Sololá, November 2024. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X

2025

  1. The first Bitcoin Circular Economy Summit in El Zonte

    Eliazar travels to El Zonte for the first Bitcoin circular economy summit, and Bitcoin Beach thanks everyone afterward. On January 22 he also announced that bitcoin was starting in another town, not named in the post. Source: 1 2 3

  2. A Bitcoin shelf at the public library and the Looking Glass course

    On February 4, 2025 Eliazar says the public library in Panajachel has a space for bitcoin books in English and Spanish and asks for donations or PDFs he can print. On February 20 the Bitcoin course begins again at Colegio Ebenezer with Looking Glass material, supported by Bitcoin Oriente and visiting teachers. Source: 1 2 3

  3. First university course, at UVG Altiplano

    On March 17, 2025 the first Bitcoin course with Looking Glass starts at what Eliazar calls one of the best private universities in Guatemala (UVG Altiplano). The first class is about what money is. On June 2 he reports the course completed. Source: 1 2 3

  4. Graduation at Colegio Ebenezer and a visit from Escuelita Bitcoin

    On May 13, 2025 the Ebenezer students graduate, after a call in March for sats for the 50 students. In the same week Escuelita Bitcoin visits the lake with La Crypta, paying with bitcoin at Tekoa Spaces and in San Juan La Laguna. Pizza Day on May 22 is held at Amaranto, with a celebration for the smallest students at LTK School. Source: 1 2 3

  5. 200 students at Ciencias Comerciales in Sololá

    A Bitcoin course starts on July 30, 2025 at the Ciencias Comerciales school in Sololá, with 200 students ready to learn. On November 28 Eliazar concludes the last group of 200 students in the Looking Glass diploma course there. Over the same months new businesses join in another town and in San Juan La Laguna. Source: 1 2 3

  6. Bitcoinismo meetup, books in coffee shops and bitcoin in Santiago Atitlán

    On November 22, 2025 the community meets at Amaranto for the presentation of the book Bitcoinismo by Adrián Bernabéu. Copies are then left in coffee shops as a book puzzle and in the LTK School. In December Eliazar and Bernabéu take bitcoin to Santiago Atitlán. Source: 1 2 3

A welcome mural in another lake town where bitcoin started, January 2025
A welcome mural in another lake town where bitcoin started, January 2025. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
A textile stall in San Antonio Palopó. The post introduces a hard-working local businesswoman who can be paid by lightning, March 2025
A textile stall in San Antonio Palopó. The post introduces a hard-working local businesswoman who can be paid by lightning, March 2025. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Hidden Coffee, a brick cafe with a Bitcoin logo, March 2025
Hidden Coffee, a brick cafe with a Bitcoin logo, March 2025. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Two men at the UVG Altiplano campus sign on the day the first university Bitcoin course began, March 2025
Two men at the UVG Altiplano campus sign on the day the first university Bitcoin course began, March 2025. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Graduation certificate for the Bitcoin Diploma with the Looking Glass and Bitcoin Lago logos, April 2025
Graduation certificate for the Bitcoin Diploma with the Looking Glass and Bitcoin Lago logos, April 2025. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Invitation photo for Bitcoin Pizza Day at Amaranto, 22 May 2025, with Lake Atitlán behind
Invitation photo for Bitcoin Pizza Day at Amaranto, 22 May 2025, with Lake Atitlán behind. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Blue Bitcoin Diploma books on the shelf at the Panajachel public library, August 2025
Blue Bitcoin Diploma books on the shelf at the Panajachel public library, August 2025. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Welcome mural of San Antonio Palopó, the Mirror of Sunsets, November 2025
Welcome mural of San Antonio Palopó, the Mirror of Sunsets, November 2025. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Bitcoinismo booklet at Chinajul, one of the coffee shops where the books are left for readers, December 2025
Bitcoinismo booklet at Chinajul, one of the coffee shops where the books are left for readers, December 2025. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X

2026

  1. Global Bitcoin Circular Economy Summit in El Zonte

    Eliazar represents the lake at the Global Bitcoin Circular Economy summit in El Zonte. His posts show greetings from circular economy groups from Bolivia, Uruguay, Haiti, Cuba and South Korea, and he brings 21 bags of Bit Mayan Coffee. Source: 1 2 3

  2. Circular Economies book meetup and a Bitcoin boat ride with Gabriel Kurman

    On February 1, 2026 a meetup at Amaranto presents the book Economías circulares de bitcoin by Gabriel Kurman. Kurman and the Bitcoin for Humanity team sail on the Bitcoin boat, and a podcast episode tells the story behind the project. Source: 1 2 3

  3. The Bitcoin tuk tuk is back

    Eliazar celebrates the return of the Bitcoin tuk tuk. Later in March he pays tuk tuk rides with Lightning using Tiankii, which helps people without a phone or internet access. Source: 1 2 3

  4. The first graduation of the year is recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain

    On April 6, 2026 Eliazar announces that the first graduation of the year is recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain, with Looking Glass. On May 1 the children at LTK School complete the Bitcoin diploma and do Lightning transactions with Blink. Source: 1 2 3

  5. New merchants and a Lightning workshop for a women's group

    In August 2026 Rosa, a local businesswoman, starts accepting bitcoin, and a new viewpoint opens. Marcela, a Santa Catarina Palopó weaver with over 50 years of experience, is learning about bitcoin. On September 3 Eliazar explains money and Lightning to a group of working women. Source: 1 2 3

  6. Another 200 students at Ciencias Comerciales

    In September 2026 Eliazar teaches six sections, 200 students in all, at Ciencias Comerciales in Sololá with Looking Glass, with lots of Lightning transactions on Blink and Wallet of Satoshi. He says one idea is to plant bitcoin seeds in all schools. Source: 1 2 3

  7. Monthly meetup at El Horizontal

    The September 2026 Bitcoin meetup is set for Tuesday September 29 at 6 PM at El Horizontal in Panajachel. Afterward Eliazar reports a great night of bitcoin transactions, shared sats and Bit Mayan Coffee, and invites people to the next monthly meetup. Source: 1 2 3

  8. A container hotel and a new coffee shop join

    On October 7, 2026 Steelcraft, described as the first hotel at the lake made from shipping containers, announces it accepts bitcoin. The next day Chui Juyub coffee does the same. Source: 1 2

  9. Atitlán Bitcoin Tours is introduced

    On October 21, 2026 Eliazar introduces Atitlán Bitcoin Tours, with the account @AtitlanTours21 and the line: The Lake unites us, Bitcoin connects us. Gabriel Kurman tells every bitcoiner to visit the circular economy of Lake Atitlán with Eliazar the same day. Source: 1 2 3

A Bitcoin tuk tuk numbered 37, February 2026
A Bitcoin tuk tuk numbered 37, February 2026. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Visitors in front of the orange Bitcoin boat with a Bitcoinismo booklet, February 2026
Visitors in front of the orange Bitcoin boat with a Bitcoinismo booklet, February 2026. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Stack of Bitcoin Diploma graduation certificates, April 2026, recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain
Stack of Bitcoin Diploma graduation certificates, April 2026, recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Children's drawings of the Earth from the Earth Day class at LTK School, April 2026
Children's drawings of the Earth from the Earth Day class at LTK School, April 2026. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Word search on the properties of good money, from a kids Bitcoin versus fiat class, September 2026
Word search on the properties of good money, from a kids Bitcoin versus fiat class, September 2026. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Poster for the Bitcoin meetup on Tuesday 29 September 2026 at 6 PM at El Horizontal, Panajachel
Poster for the Bitcoin meetup on Tuesday 29 September 2026 at 6 PM at El Horizontal, Panajachel. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Meetup group at the monthly Bitcoin night, September 2026
Meetup group at the monthly Bitcoin night, September 2026. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Steelcraft, a hotel made from shipping containers, now accepting bitcoin, October 2026
Steelcraft, a hotel made from shipping containers, now accepting bitcoin, October 2026. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
A Chui Juyub Coffee Co. mug, a new coffee shop accepting bitcoin, October 2026
A Chui Juyub Coffee Co. mug, a new coffee shop accepting bitcoin, October 2026. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Atitlán Bitcoin Tours launch graphic: a quetzal, the lake and volcanoes, a boat and a woven textile, October 2026
Atitlán Bitcoin Tours launch graphic: a quetzal, the lake and volcanoes, a boat and a woven textile, October 2026. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X
Rosa at her table making crocheted items, now accepting bitcoin, August 2026
Rosa at her table making crocheted items, now accepting bitcoin, August 2026. Photo: @JUN_AJPU_btc on X

What we do, topic by topic

Where bitcoin is accepted, by town

Panajachel is the center: cafes, restaurants, hotels, a pharmacy, shops, a gym, a haircut, phone top ups and the tuk tuks. Other lake towns named in the posts: San Juan La Laguna (a painter, a pier restaurant, shops, margaritas paid with a Lightning card), Santiago Atitlán (the first business there in August 2022, a pizzeria, and a December 2025 post saying bitcoin arrives in Santiago Atitlán), San Antonio Palopó (a typical clothing shop, education and meetups) and Santa Catarina Palopó (a weaver learning in August 2026). In Sololá the work is in schools, a university and the public market. Antigua Guatemala appears too, outside the lake. Source: 1 2 3

Kaboom, waste to energy mining

Kaboom runs a generator on used cooking oil to power bitcoin miners, and a post says the aim is that the oil does not end up in the lake. The posts use the tags waste to energy, waste to hash and waste to sats, and We All Eat. Eliazar posts blocks and updates from September 2022, and in November 2022 the project asked donors to help pay the rent and internet of the Kaboom site. A German TV crew filmed it, Bitcoin Magazine wrote about it in September 2022, and a video creator covered it in April 2024. A post in October 2024 mentions plastic to diesel. Source: 1 2 3

Mining class

Mining is taught as a class in several settings: a mining class in August 2023, Colegio Ebenezer (April 2024, in the second classroom), AMA School (May 2024), LTK School (July 2024 and an Earth Day class in April 2026 that talked about mining), a mining class in October 2024 and another in March 2025, often with volunteer Enoc Santiago. In August 2025 Eliazar posts a volunteer explaining mining to the next generation. Source: 1 2 3

My First Bitcoin partnership

My First Bitcoin (Mi Primer Bitcoin) runs the Bitcoin Diploma. The first class in Guatemala started in February 2023 at Centro Educativo Josué, the first graduation was April 12, 2023 and was described as the first Bitcoin Diploma graduation outside El Salvador, and the second was on September 9, 2023. Teacher Reyna Chicas worked at the lake for several months in 2023 and Rudy Gallardo is named as a My First Bitcoin instructor in Guatemala. In August 2024 My First Bitcoin and Fedi announced a partnership. Source: 1 2 3

Looking Glass diploma (ABC de Bitcoin)

From 2025 the courses use Looking Glass Education material, called the Bitcoin Diploma or ABC de Bitcoin. It was used at Colegio Ebenezer (course in February to May 2025), at UVG Altiplano (March to June 2025), at Ciencias Comerciales in Sololá (200 students in 2025 and again in 2026) and at LTK School. The posts say graduates receive a certificate and that the first graduation of 2026 was recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain. Bitcoin Oriente supported the lake with this material and training. Source: 1 2 3

First Lightning payments in class

In nearly every course the students make their first Lightning transaction in class, using Blink, Wallet of Satoshi and Fedi, and sometimes receive small amounts of sats donated by supporters. Eliazar asks followers for sats before graduations to give each student a first balance, for example for the 50 Ebenezer students in March 2025. Source: 1 2 3

Schools reached

Schools and groups named in the posts: Centro Educativo Josué, PanaKids, LTK School (The College LTK), Colegio Ebenezer, AMA School, INEDSC in Santa Catarina Palopó, a school called Santa Catalina, Academia Para Futuros Líderes, UVG Altiplano in Sololá, Ciencias Comerciales in Sololá, and the Panajachel public library. Eliazar also returned to the elementary school where he studied in March 2026. Source: 1 2 3

LTK School routines

LTK School appears all through 2024 to 2026: a school year start in January 2024, English tests and a call for volunteers in April 2024, older children teaching newer ones in May 2024, a mural painted by the new bitcoiners in June 2024, kids exploring Fedi in July 2024, pizza day in May 2025, paying with Blink and Wallet of Satoshi, a painting project for the school in December 2025, ABC de Bitcoin on paper in February 2026, an Earth Day class in April 2026, and Bitcoin 4 Kids completing the diploma on May 1, 2026. Source: 1 2 3

Education in local language

San Antonio Palopó is described as one of the towns where bitcoin education is given in the local dialect. Eliazar also shares a wallet interface in Kaqchikel, calls it a good idea, and in April 2025 meets people who cannot read or write but who send sats. He describes San Antonio Palopó as a town without banks or ATMs. Source: 1 2 3

Public library shelf

In February 2025 the public library of Panajachel offered a space for Bitcoin books in English and Spanish, and Eliazar asked for donations or PDFs he can print. By August 2025 he invited readers to visit the library, where the blue Bitcoin Diploma volumes sit on the shelf. In 2022 the library was also used for English classes for children. Source: 1 2 3

Books donated and read

Bitcoin Evangelism books arrived from two visiting supporters in July 2023 to educate people in Guatemala. Bitcoinismo by Adrián Bernabéu (also written bitcoinisimo in the posts) was presented at Amaranto on November 22, 2025 and left in coffee shops and at LTK School, and Eliazar reads with him at Café Palopó in April 2026. MissioTeca announced in September 2022 a Spanish translation of The Christian Case for Bitcoin, the book by Patrick Melder. Source: 1 2 3

Swiss donations

In February 2024 donors from Switzerland, DezentralshopCH, BitBox and Bitcoin Alps, sent tools to help educate local children and adults about bitcoin. BitBox is also tagged when students received their first sats in May 2024. Source: 1 2

Fedi at the lake

Fedi was welcomed in January 2023, and in March 2024 the team opened its first federation with Colegio Ebenezer students. Fedi was used with LTK School kids in July 2024, with students at the Santa Catarina institute in October 2024, to pay in early 2026, and in the posts about empowering circular economies from September and October 2024. Source: 1 2 3

Blink at the lake

Blink Wallet is the everyday wallet of the project: a quetzal (GTQ) balance option helps merchants, Nativo Cafe switched to Blink from Stablesats in March 2024, students and merchants use Lightning addresses at blink.sv, Blink supported the orange Bitcoin signs, and a Blink video series, Bitcoin por el Mundo, highlights global adoption. Source: 1 2 3

Bullish Guatemala

Bullish Guatemala (@bullishguate) is a Bitcoin-only company in Guatemala: an exchange that sends sats to your own wallet, hardware wallets, advice and meetups. Eliazar says it was the first volunteer of the lake project and is now part of the Blink team. It announced the Bitcoin Halving Meetup at the lake for Friday April 19, 2024, visited on October 22, 2024 to give sats to locals with Blink, was at the Bitcoin Lake 2024 conference, and organizes numbered Bitcoin meetups: number 8 on Thursday September 25, 2025 (registration at luma.com/kvbn2his) with Eliazar as community leader, and a book signing with Gabriel Kurman in February 2026. It also shares a Guatemala inflation calculator at inflacionguatemala.com, said Veintiuno.lat cards arrived at the lake in November 2025.sv. Source: 1 2 3

Escuelita Bitcoin

Escuelita Bitcoin visited in May 2025 with La Crypta: paying with bitcoin at Tekoa Spaces with an on-chain wallet, with margaritas in San Juan La Laguna using a La Crypta card, paying for a hotel and buying Kaqchikel art, and a game that simulates a bank run. In June 2025 they held a workshop on bitcoin and money with Guatemalan children who received a LaWallet card. In April 2026 they congratulated the graduation. Source: 1 2 3

Monthly meetups and venues

Meetups are held about monthly in Panajachel at changing venues: Amaranto (Rancho Grande), Jazz Café (Centro Comercial El Pueblito, Avenida Los Árboles, July 24, 2024 at 7:30 PM), and El Horizontal (Tuesday September 29, 2026 at 6 PM). Typical content: swap sats, make bitcoin transactions, talk, and drink Bit Mayan Coffee. Eliazar says that two years earlier information about bitcoin was scarce and that meetups now show interest from local people. Source: 1 2 3

Pizza Day

Bitcoin Pizza Day on May 22 is a yearly event. In 2022 pizza lovers sent sats for kids and pizza. In 2023 it was held with the new Bitcoin ATM at Amaranto, in 2024 Osmo announced it would sponsor it, and in 2025 it was held at Amaranto on May 22 with a first transaction and free satoshis through Blink, plus a pizza celebration with the smallest students at LTK School. Source: 1 2 3

Tuk tuks

Bitcoin tuk tuks are a signature of the lake. A Bitcoin tuk tuk was introduced in 2022 to orange pill the region, number 147 was shown in September 2023, and Blink posted tuk tuk rides paid with bitcoin in October 2023. The tuk tuk was damaged by a drunk driver in April 2023, which prompted a call for donations for its driver, Augusto, and in March 2026 Eliazar celebrates that the Bitcoin tuk tuk is back. A 2026 post lists private tuk tuk drivers at the lake on a booking site, and Tiankii is used to pay rides. Source: 1 2 3

Bitcoin boat

The project had a boat painted with Mayan themes to match the orange tuk tuk. The artist started in September 2022, work was under way in October and a boat appeared in a post on November 2, 2022, ahead of the visitors who came after Adopting Bitcoin. Visitors ride the Bitcoin boat, including the Bitcoin Beach team in July 2023, a boat tour in August 2024 and Gabriel Kurman in February 2026. A post from December 2024 teases the boat name with the hashtag PeerToPeer, and the existing site calls it Pier to Pier. Source: 1 2 3

Murals, signs and ads

Education and acceptance signs are a core activity. A mural on a chicharrones shop in August 2022, signs in businesses in September 2022, five shops with Bitcoin painted on the front in October 2022, ads around the lake in October 2023, new orange ads in April 2024, more orange dots with Blink in May 2024 and a new ad in June 2024. Bitcoin Beach supported the signage. A post in December 2024 says Eliazar personally installed each one and orange pilled every merchant, three years of proof of work. Source: 1 2 3

Bit Mayan Coffee

Bit Mayan Coffee is a Guatemalan coffee that Eliazar sells and shares under the tag BitMayanCoffee. It appears from April 2024, is tasted in July 2024, served at cafes, sent to visitors, sold in bags in El Zonte (21 bags in January 2026) and offered with bitcoin mugs in Panajachel in December 2025. Hidden Coffee serves it in April 2026 with payment in bitcoin. Atitlán Bitcoin Tours lists coffee tours around the lake in April 2026. Source: 1 2 3

Real estate and rentals paid in bitcoin

Eliazar advertises property that can be paid for with bitcoin: an apartment with volcano views for rent in October 2022, land for sale in the heart of the lake in September 2023 and January 2024, and land around the lake in June 2025. In January 2026 a post lists real estate, Bit Mayan Coffee and bicycle tours together. Source: 1 2 3

Everyday payments seen

Posts show bitcoin used for daily life: a phone top up with the best lines in Guatemala (April 2023), a gym (September 2025), the electricity bill (June 2025), fresh fruit at the public market (July 2025), tuk tuk rides, a T-shirt for 5,989 sats (April 2024), a haircut, a ceviche in Sololá, and a Bitcoin Burger on Plaza Santander. A business owner at Jazz Café said it gets 20 to 25 Lightning transactions (March 2026, period not stated). Source: 1 2 3

Bitcoin ATM

A Bitcoin ATM installed at Amaranto, Rancho Grande, Panajachel in May 2023 lets people buy and sell bitcoin for quetzales. CriptoNoticias posted about the ATM, and Eliazar says that San Antonio Palopó, a town without banks or ATMs, needs its own solution. Source: 1 2 3

Lago Summit 2023

The Lago Summit was held in early May 2023 with Eliazar, Rudy Gallardo, the Osmo CEO Piero Coen, a coffee tasting workshop, San Antonio Palopó as a location, a private boat ride with Tekoa Spaces and a demo of mining with used cooking oil. Visitors bought VIP tickets, and Blink promoted the event. Source: 1 2 3

Adopting Bitcoin

The lake team attended Adopting Bitcoin in November 2022 in El Salvador, with its own Econ Track slot, and again in 2023, with the circular economy projects dinner and a talk with Mike Peterson. A 2023 podcast episode (ABP307) covers My First Bitcoin in Guatemala with Eliazar, Rudy Gallardo and Reyna Chicas. The @entsurg account of Patrick Melder was announced as a speaker in 2022. A fifth episode of an Adopting Bitcoin series in July 2025 focuses on Guatemala. Source: 1 2 3

Bitcoin Beach and circular economy networks

The project uses the Bitcoin Beach wallet in 2022 before moving to Blink, and Bitcoin Beach supported the signage. Eliazar visited El Zonte for the first circular economy summit in January 2025, did a fellowship week at Bitcoin Beach in October 2025 and attended the Global Bitcoin Circular Economy summit in January 2026, where he met delegations from Bolivia, Uruguay, Haiti, Cuba and South Korea. In October 2025 the Bitcoin Beach team and the lake team visited Punta Mango, El Salvador, to educate and present. A Bitcoin Beach team member called him the Guatemalan Bitcoin boss. Source: 1 2 3

Visitors and visitor media

Many visitors post about the lake after being shown around by Eliazar: HODLing Apparel (Feb 2023), Kinetic Finance and Adam O'Brien videos (Dec 2022 to March 2023), Run with Bitcoin (Nov 2023), Nicki and James (Aug 2024), a visitor who spent a week in October 2024, travel with bitcoin (June and August 2025), Escuelita Bitcoin (May 2025), the Bitcoin Beach team (July 2023, Oct 2025, Jan 2026), Adrián Bernabéu (Nov 2025), Gabriel Kurman (Feb 2026) and a first time visitor in October 2026. Several describe a full day with Eliazar as a guide. Source: 1 2 3

Language and culture posts

From 2025 Eliazar posts about Maya culture alongside bitcoin: traditional costumes by town, weaving looms and guipiles, a painter in San Juan, Casa Ixcacao, a painting souvenir, mural art, kites in Palopó, and walks and viewpoints such as Santa Elena (opened January 2024) and the Mayan Nose. These posts show the culture and craft content that fits the tour and website storytelling. Source: 1 2 3

Eliazar as a guide before the tours account

Eliazar was named tour master in the project's first recruited Bitcoin tourists post in May 2022, runs guided days for visitors, and from 2022 promotes boat trips, paragliding with a 10 percent bitcoin discount, ATVs, motorcycle and coffee tours, bicycle tours and viewpoints. The tours account @AtitlanTours21 formalizes this in March 2026. Source: 1 2 3

Google Maps and BTC Map

Eliazar asks people to leave comments on Google Maps about businesses that accept bitcoin, and visitors add the lake's places to BTC Map. Several visitors say they found places using BTC Map. Source: 1 2 3

Tekoa Spaces

Tekoa Spaces, a cafe and rental spot, appears repeatedly: coffee paid with bitcoin (January 2023), the private boat for the Lago Summit crew (May 2023), scooter and paddle board rental (October 2024), and a visit by Escuelita Bitcoin paying on-chain (May 2025). Source: 1 2 3

Amaranto

Amaranto, a hotel and restaurant in Rancho Grande, Panajachel, was onboarded in March 2022, hosts the Bitcoin ATM, many meetups, Pizza Day 2025, the Bitcoinismo and Kurman book presentations, and is called the best place to have an event in Panajachel. Its founder is described by Bitrefill as a hotelier and bitcoiner who also founded another hotel in Guatemala. Source: 1 2 3

Giving back: local social needs

The project also supports families: donations after a tuk tuk driver's accident (April 2023), funds for kids and pizza (2022), a snack for graduating students (April 2024), painting the LTK School (December 2025), and a family who lost a house in a fire supported by Centro Educativo Josué (April 2024). Source: 1 2 3

Interviews, podcasts and talks

Partners

Organisations that work with Bitcoin Lago and support Bitcoin at the lake.

  • Federation of Bitcoin Circular Economies

    A global federation that connects and supports local Bitcoin circular economies like ours.

  • Bullish Guate

    Bitcoin-only company in Guatemala: buy bitcoin straight to your own wallet, hardware wallets, advice and free meetups.

  • Bitcoin District Próspera

    A Bitcoin-native district and community in Próspera, Roatán, Honduras.

  • Bitcoin FilmFest

    A festival of Bitcoin films and culture, born in Warsaw, with screenings around the world.

  • Blink

    A Lightning wallet for everyday bitcoin payments, formerly the Bitcoin Beach Wallet.