Ride with Brad Mines and Quincy Crypto to Bitcoin Beach, El Zonte, in the world's first Bitcoin taxi, driven by the trailblazer Napo. This special episode of Halving Report captures our journey through El Salvador's vibrant Bitcoin landscape, from the bustling streets of San Salvador to the serene Bitcoin Beach. Napo, the visionary behind this innovative taxi service, shares his firsthand experiences with Bitcoin's rise following its landmark legalization in the country.
As we navigate towards Bitcoin Beach, Napo reveals how Bitcoin has started to weave into the Salvadoran fabric, buoyed by President Nayib Bukele's progressive policies. He also shares his ambitious plans to scale his unique service to the forthcoming Bitcoin City, reflecting the broader national momentum toward Bitcoin adoption.
The episode briefly explores El Salvador's pioneering financial ventures, including Volcano bonds and the enticing Bitcoin investor visa, underscoring the nation's growing appeal to international investors. Highlighting the practicality and innovation of Bitcoin, we bring you an on-the-spot Bitcoin lightning network transaction, showcasing the ease and efficiency of using Bitcoin in daily life. Join us on this enlightening ride to witness El Salvador's bold embrace of Bitcoin, all through the lens of the world's first Bitcoin taxi experience.
Episode Chapters 📖
🎙 00:00 Introduction and BitDriver 🚀 01:06 Starting BitDriver and Involvement with Bitcoin 💼 02:27 Bitcoin Wallets 📍 03:18 Bitcoin Presence in San Salvador 📞 04:19 Contacting BitDriver 🤔 05:11 Opinions on Bukele and Bitcoin 🏫 06:10 My First Bitcoin Organization 🌍 07:06 Bitcoin Tourists in El Salvador 📈 08:02 Expansion of BitDriver 🏙 09:00 Bitcoin City and Volcano Bonds 👨🎤 10:27 Max Keiser and Bitcoin Visa Program 🗽 11:24 Bitcoin Freedom in El Salvador 🗣 11:54 Language in El Salvador ⚡ 12:25 Bitcoin Lightning Network Payment 🏁 12:56 Conclusion
We are here with the Bit Driver. First Bitcoin taxi in El Salvador with In the world, in the world, in the world. We can see we got the Bitcoin sticker on the dashboard. Where did you get the nickname Napoleon?
Speaker 2:
It's my name.
Speaker 1:
That's your name.
Speaker 2:
It's my name. It's my name. It's my name is Jose Napoleon.
Speaker 1:
Napoleon. Oh man, it is hot in El Salvador.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah, really hot Today it's more hot for the change, the claim.
Speaker 1:
Oh yes, canada, we got snow on the ground, we yeah.
Speaker 2:
From the Canada?
Speaker 1:
Yes, Maybe you know this exploratory visit for us. Maybe, maybe we move here one of these days. Hey really Maybe Welcome and welcome Welcome to every the people. Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:
It's welcoming in my country.
Speaker 1:
So I'll ask you a couple of questions about Bit Taxi, bit Driver. When did you start Bit Driver?
Speaker 2:
Bit Driver started in September 7th of September 21. 21. Exactly Official, the similar day or update in my country adopting Bitcoin legal tender in September 21. Sorry, sorry, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:
Okay, and you into Bitcoin before this.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Yes. No no I listen.
Speaker 2:
Bitcoin one years before the 21. Before 21. 21,. I meet Juan Daniel here. He's the founder of my first Bitcoin, okay, and he teach me and I'm learning. I.
Speaker 1:
Yes, yes, okay, very cool, cool. So you, obviously you take Bitcoin lightning for payments.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
And that's cool. What lightning wallet do you use?
Speaker 2:
I have two wallet really.
Speaker 1:
Okay.
Speaker 2:
My is a Blink wallet. Blink, blink, okay, blink, and Ditto Banks wallet. What is it? Ditto Banks, ditto Banks, okay, ditto Banks. Is the wallet? Salvadorian wallet.
Speaker 1:
Okay.
Speaker 2:
It's owner. Okay, it's private. It's private. Right Like you say no, no, no.
Speaker 1:
Faciti De empresa privada.
Speaker 2:
De empresa privada.
Speaker 1:
Okay, I'm not sure.
Speaker 2:
Business privada Business.
Speaker 1:
Wow, this is crazy. And we're on to going to Bitcoin Beach, elzante yeah, our first time, so we're super excited, man, and you know what's like the Bitcoin community in San Salvador. We just went, we just came from the mall. We saw a few merchants in there, but do you see much Bitcoin presence in San Salvador?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, in San Salvador and in the Sonte. I tripled really and you see many Bitcoiners. It's in San Salvador, in Sonte and in Berlin. Ok, berlin, usulutan yeah.
Speaker 1:
OK.
Speaker 3:
In our modeling, or if he dumps right when he gets the payment.
Speaker 1:
So we're back here and wondering how many people pay with Bitcoin.
Speaker 2:
Me and me, yeah, every people, everybody, everybody, everybody. Thank you, everybody, everybody. Pay me in Bitcoin, oh OK.
Speaker 1:
Wow. And so how do people get a hold of you, how do people connect with you?
Speaker 2:
Oh, the last week. I translate prox 30 people in the week. Ok, 30 people in the last week. 30 personas, 30 personas en una semana.
Speaker 1:
OK, very cool, and people just call you or WhatsApp.
Speaker 2:
Text me on WhatsApp or Twitter or ex Ex. Yes, so ex is a bit driver seven or elisua demo OK and ex and WhatsApp.
Speaker 1:
WhatsApp.
Speaker 2:
WhatsApp. Yeah, how do you say arroba At At? What do you say At At bit driver seven?
Speaker 1:
OK, ok, do you like Bukele?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, a country needed Needed Bukele. My country changed for Bukele, my country different for the new political of Bukele. Sure, it's my opinion.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, it's opinion. Everybody's got different opinions. He seems popular.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Very popular here and clean things up.
Speaker 2:
No more gangs yeah.
Speaker 1:
High security, yeah, yeah. Ok, do you buy and hold Bitcoin too, or just kind of hold your Bitcoin from payments or do you sell it?
Speaker 2:
My.
Speaker 1:
I, my seller my. Do you sell Bitcoin or just hold?
Speaker 2:
accept it, hold I use, I, hold I my life. My life is only Bitcoin. Today I have two jobs. My first job in my business is the driver and my second job is in I am teacher. In my first Bitcoin.
Speaker 1:
Oh, ok, in my first Bitcoin. Yeah, can you tell me more about my first Bitcoin?
Speaker 2:
My first Bitcoin is the first organization in El Salvador In teaching the people in El Salvador free of Bitcoin.
Speaker 1:
OK, is it online or real life?
Speaker 2:
Online or real life?
Speaker 1:
Both yeah, yeah, yeah, ok For free, free, free, ok. So many people Bitcoin tourists.
Speaker 2:
Now, or in the week, or in the month.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, oh, like, what are you seeing?
Speaker 2:
No, exactly exactly number. No, there's many people Right. So many many Bitcoiners, many Bitcoiners, many Bitcoiners.
Speaker 1:
OK.
Speaker 2:
Every day is receive different Bitcoiners. They're different countries Every day, every day, every day, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:
Many Canadians.
Speaker 2:
My company, my company start only me. Oh yes, Now my company have 21 drivers, 21 drivers yeah, yeah 21, good number. Yes, good number.
Speaker 1:
Just stay there. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, there will only ever be 21 drivers.
Speaker 2:
The next week I teach or I have a capacity of 10 drivers more. For a start in January, I have 31 drivers, the off-beat driver, except in Bitcoin.
Speaker 1:
And you guys are expanding more right.
Speaker 2:
Yes, more tourism. My company now is translate Every word in the cell. Bar rents the car and get tourists.
Speaker 1:
Tourists taxis, car rentals, minivans. Are you guys El Salvador's working on a Bitcoin city? Bitcoin city, Bitcoin city. What do you know about this?
Speaker 2:
Now, I think the Bitcoin city has started, in two years, the new construction of the Bitcoin city In two years?
Speaker 1:
Yes, maybe.
Speaker 2:
So I think the first Bitcoin city is in Berlin, but it's a new project now, a movie of the economy circular In El Salvador. Now two cities have the economy circular Sonte and Berlin. In Berlin is a city.
Speaker 1:
What about? Do you know anything about the plans? Volcano bonds?
Speaker 2:
Ah, yeah, yesterday the president Bukele sent the tweet and the Volcano bonds started the first three months, the 24. Oh, yes, yeah, I remember.
Speaker 1:
So yes, I saw that too, just like two days ago, yeah yesterday, yesterday, I remember two years ago.
Speaker 2:
Okay, sorry, man.
Speaker 1:
What about? Have you seen Max Kaiser around?
Speaker 2:
No, but I see in the meetups or the other places, yeah, but never, really never.
Speaker 3:
Not in the taxi no, never, never in service.
Speaker 1:
And there's a new visa program or something for foreign people, some sort of Bitcoin, foreign visa or investment to gain citizenship.
Speaker 2:
And yesterday it was announced that there were a thousand people who had already paid to be able to have their Bitcoin free, who saved their Bitcoin freedom, and it is expected that many people, many investors, can access that benefit. So we, as Salvadorians, are very happy with that.
Speaker 1:
We'll have to get a full translation after.
Speaker 2:
Okay, my life. My life is changing Every day. I speak English, I try and try to speak English, but maybe I sing months. I promise my English is good.
Speaker 1:
I think it's pretty good, it's better than my Spanish.
Speaker 2:
It's even better than your Spanish.
Speaker 1:
Cool, that's good man, that's good. Not too many people speak English. I find here you find like not too many English, no no, no, no, Now yes.
Speaker 2:
Now yes, yeah yeah, yeah, many people speak English. I think a half, a half, half, half, oh, okay, half the people in the country, half speak English In Spanish, the other people only Spanish.
Speaker 3:
Okay, bang bang family. We got some history in the making right here.
Speaker 2:
Okay, look through there, look through there.
Speaker 3:
We got a Bitcoin lightning network payment happening from the bit driver, the man of the hour. We got B-Minds having report. We're on, let's see what we got going on. Boom, easy peasy.
Speaker 1:
That's how it works, man.
Speaker 3:
Can't spend Bitcoin, though. Can't spend Bitcoin, though you can't spend it, man.
Speaker 2:
All right, yeah, I will see you?
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I will see you, hey, man.
Speaker 2:
Thanks a lot.
Speaker 3:
Hey man, thanks a lot, thank you. Okay, Thanks a lot, thank you you.