José Luis Garcia is a coffee-lover and entrepreneur attempting to make his mark within the metropolis of Medellín — the birthplace of Colombia’s trendy coffee business.
For the reason that October launch of his start-up Lightning Koffee, Garcia has two targets in thoughts: Make a respectable cup of joe and unfold the phrase about Bitcoin (BTC).
His coffee beans — which he’s referred to as “The Bitcoiners Coffee” — are sourced and processed regionally and are recognized for having a candy after-taste.
Garcia believes his Colombian coffee can function a bridge for his fellow Paisas (Medellín locals) to reduce their reliance on the unpredictable Colombian peso and lean extra towards adopting Bitcoin.
“We now have one of the best coffee on this planet and I need my coffee model to unfold the phrase about Bitcoin in order that different companies will start to obtain it too,” Garcia mentioned in an interview with Cointelegraph.
He added it might “assist drive the Bitcoin round economic system” — the place solely Bitcoin is traded in trade for items and companies.
@LightningKoffee ⚡️☕️ #LightningNetwork #bitcoin pic.twitter.com/VP6nb235RE
— José⚡️☕️ (@josebitcoiner) October 30, 2022
Lightning Koffee presently doesn’t settle for fiat however does settle for different cryptocurrencies moreover Bitcoin. Nevertheless, Garcia mentioned he’s a self-confessed maxi and wastes no time changing different tokens to Bitcoin.
“If a particular person goes to pay me in shitcoins, I’ll settle for it as a result of, at the tip of the day, it’s cash. Then I convert it instantly into Bitcoin, which is what I’m concerned with.”
Garcia mentioned he’ll quickly begin taking fiat funds by the likes of Mastercard and Visa, at which time he plans to cease taking cryptocurrencies that aren’t Bitcoin.
Lightning Koffee joins different Medellín companies bringing collectively crypto and consumables. In June 2022, Thoughts Cafe, or “Crypto Cafe,” was one of the primary cryptocurrency-focused eating places in El Poblado, the vacationer space of Medellín.
As well as to accepting Bitcoin and Lightning funds, the cafe presents its clients the chance to immerse themselves in a metaverse-themed atmosphere the place they’ll construct their very own avatars and purchase a coffee or some conventional Colombian meals with Bitcoin.
You stroll in they usually have a BTC machine to buy and promote #BTC
In addition they have some merch, footwear, tshirts, hoodies, and so forth.
Sure in all probability not nice for OPSEC, however man are we EARLY.
We received there and had been principally the ONLY desk . 3/9 pic.twitter.com/IboBfVQMwv
— Camila Campton (@camilacampton) July 16, 2022
Garcia is a part of a group of native Bitcoiners which have come collectively to assist promote Bitcoin’s circular economy within the metropolis — and extra newcomers are popping up each month.
“The artful issues we’re doing are meetups with different Bitcoiners and other people within the metropolis of Medellín,” Garcia mentioned.
Shopping for some scrumptious coffee with #Bitcoin in Colombia ☕️ pic.twitter.com/K9FfCQqe8w
— Luke Mikic⚡️ 9-5 Escape Artist (@LukeMikic21) April 26, 2023
Bram Kumuly, an impartial Lightning developer who as soon as lived in Medellín, instructed Cointelegraph he felt a “new power” among the many Bitcoin group on his final go to to the town, making him optimistic that Bitcoin’s presence there’ll stay long-term.
Nevertheless, Kumuly acknowledged that a wider crypto, nonfungible token and blockchain tradition exists in Medellín, whose values aren’t essentially aligned with conventional Bitcoiners.
Some Colombians but to see the orange gentle
Sadly for Medellín’s Bitcoiners, it’s been a robust time convincing everybody of Bitcoin’s deserves.
Kumuly principally attributed this to Colombians not understanding how cash works, how the Colombian peso is failing them and the way Bitcoin presents an alternate answer.
“Most individuals there nonetheless assume Bitcoin is about buying and selling and getting wealthy fast,” Kumuly mentioned, including many don’t understand Bitcoin may very well be a monetary instrument that may take energy and management away from the politicians that many Colombians have little religion in.
This information hole is mirrored in Bitcoin’s staggered circular economy in Medellín, which remains to be confined to Bitcoiners and isn’t “very strongly or visibly increasing,” says Kumuly.
“There could be extra locations accepting it, however presently, solely six locations that settle for Bitcoin are marked on BTC Map and it has been like this for a lengthy time already with no development.”
There are presently 106 shops in Colombia that settle for Bitcoin as fee, which lags behind essentially the most Bitcoin-friendly nation within the area of El Salvador with its 451 shops, according to BTC Map.
Kumuly mentioned the lion’s share of Bitcoin spending has come from digital nomads and foreigners with little ongoing native presence. In the meantime, on the service provider aspect, Kumuly mentioned companies are nonetheless reluctant to settle for Bitcoin due to its worth volatility.
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There are indicators of life on the technical aspect of Bitcoin and Lightning improvement in Medellín, which might improve Bitcoin spending within the space, says Kumuly.
I requested some rappers in Medellin about #bitcoin. Right here’s what occurred…
And sure, I tipped them with
lightning ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/2rS5Ocozzb— Plan Marcus ⚡️☣️ (@plan_marcus) April 6, 2023
He mentioned Medellín-based Bitcoiners want to push momentum by constructing on Bitcoin tradition to doubtlessly win over clients and retailers.
He believes what Medellín wants as a subsequent step are “native Bitcoin-only tech firms who construct Bitcoin merchandise for the folks and retailers of Medellín/Colombia, and which might be up-to-date on a technological degree.”
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