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@ LNbits
2025-04-29 09:57:21In Jericoacoara, Brazil, a beach town famed for its natural beauty and vibrant tourism, an innovative project is reshaping how locals and visitors think about money. Praia Bitcoin is an ambitious initiative to build a circular economy powered entirely by Bitcoin.
Launched in 2021 by entrepreneur Fernando Motolese, Praia Bitcoin was inspired by the Bitcoin Beach project in El Zonte, El Salvador. The vision is simple: create a self-sustaining Bitcoin economy where businesses and individuals use Bitcoin everyday in place of fiat money.
This idea holds special significance in Jericoacoara, where traditional banking services are scarce. The town lacks even basic infrastructure like ATMs, making financial inclusion a pressing need. With Praia Bitcoin, Bitcoin isn’t just a store of value—it’s a tool to empower a community and connect it to the global economy.
Transforming Jericoacoara with Bitcoin
Since its inception, Praia Bitcoin has worked to foster Bitcoin adoption in the area. Starting with a modest donation of 0.02 BTC, Fernando and his team have built a thriving ecosystem:
- Over 40 businesses now accept Bitcoin, ranging from souvenir shops and tour operators to beach vendors.
- Local students have received Bitcoin-loaded tap-to-pay, Bolt Cards, to use in their daily lives.
- Creative initiatives like “Bitcoin Banana Day” or "Frutas por Sats" (fruits for sats) where children buy fruits for 10 satoshis at school, have brought global attention to the project.
Praia Bitcoin’s success isn’t just about the adoption numbers, it’s about the stories. Families use Bitcoin to shop, business owners save on transaction fees, and children are learning the value of sound money at an early age.
LNbits - The Technology Behind Praia Bitcoin
Creating an economy on Bitcoin’s Lightning Network requires more than enthusiasm, it needs robust tools that are easy to use and adaptable to local needs. That’s where LNbits comes in.
Fernando and the Praia Bitcoin team have used LNbits’ open-source software to solve practical challenges and scale the project. With its modular design, LNbits provides tools that allow Praia Bitcoin to:
- Set Up Wallets: Community members receive user-friendly wallets that connect seamlessly to the Lightning Network, enabling fast, low-cost transactions.
- Issue BoltCards: Using LNbits’ BoltCard extension, the team has distributed NFC-enabled cards, allowing tap-to-pay functionality that makes Bitcoin payments as simple as using a credit card.
- Enable Flexible Payments: The project utilizes LNbits’ Point of Sale TPoS extension that allows merchants to easily receive Lightning Network payments.
Breaking Records, Building Community
Fernando doesn’t just implement solutions, he pushes boundaries. One of his most remarkable achievements was an attempt to set a world record for the most Lightning Network payments in the shortest amount of time. Over the course of one afternoon, 100 children in Jericoacoara received payments of 21,000 satoshis each, demonstrating the scalability and speed of Lightning-powered transactions.
This wasn’t just a technical feat, it was a community moment. The event showed how Bitcoin could serve as a tool for engagement, education, and empowerment, all while highlighting the possibilities of using the Lightning Network for real-world applications.
A Collaborative Approach to Innovation
One of the unique strengths of LNbits is its ability to evolve based on community feedback. While Fernando Motolese and Praia Bitcoin operate independently, their insights have helped refine the LNbits platform.
For example, Fernando’s need for a PIN-less ATM functionality led the LNbits team to implement that feature in the TPoS extension, that had the functionality but required a security PIN. This kind of collaboration isn’t about formal partnerships. It’s about how an open-source ecosystem thrives when real-world needs drive innovation.
The feedback loop between users like Fernando and developers ensures LNbits remains practical and relevant—not just for Praia Bitcoin but for countless other projects worldwide.
The Ripple Effect of Praia Bitcoin
Praia Bitcoin is a case study in what’s possible when Bitcoin meets a strong vision. By leveraging Bitcoin, the Lightning Network and LNbits, the project has redefined financial access in Jericoacoara, proving that small communities can lead big innovations.
For LNbits, Praia Bitcoin showcases the value of adaptable, open-source solutions. Whether it’s creating wallets, enabling NFC payments, or refining tools for real-world use, LNbits provides the infrastructure that makes projects like Praia Bitcoin possible.
But beyond the technical achievements, Praia Bitcoin reminds us of the human impact of Bitcoin adoption. It’s about children buying their first bananas with satoshis, families running businesses with lower fees, and a community connecting to a global financial network for the first time.
Conclusion
Praia Bitcoin’s journey is only getting started and its success is inspiring similar initiatives worldwide. For LNbits, being part of this story, is a testament to the power of the software and of open-source collaboration.
If you’re ready to build the future of Bitcoin adoption, LNbits offers the tools to turn ideas into impact.
Learn More:
- Visit Praia Bitcoin: Praia Bitcoin
- Explore LNbits: LNbits