A 10,000-kilometer journey to “spread” bitcoin throughout Latin America

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Three friends, twelve countries, more than ten thousand kilometers of road, and a single goal on the horizon: to spread knowledge about bitcoin, the most widely used cryptocurrency in the world, through the most inhospitable places in Latin America, thanks to the “Bitcoineta”.

With many decorations inside and out, this vehicle departed this Friday from Buenos Aires on a long journey that will take its crew to El Salvador, the first country in the world to adopt this currency as legal tender.

“The “Bitcoineta” comes to fulfill this role of spreading the word, approaching small towns and talking to the people there to see if they are interested in this technology and see how it can help them,” Federico Andragnes, a collaborator of the NGO Bitcoin Argentina, told Efe a few hours before starting the most anticipated trip of his life.

TWO-MONTH JOURNEY

This Latin American epic also includes the maritime transport of the vehicle from Colombia to Panama, from where the young travelers will resume their journey to El Salvador.

“It’s a feeling of adrenaline because of the sense of adventure, of how many places there are to see, of people to interact with… I think that feeds the richness of the trip”, says Agustín Geldres, one of the travelers aboard the “Bitcoineta”.

WHY BITCOIN?

During these sixty days of adventures through deserts, forests, and jungles, the crew members of the “Bitcoineta” will put all their efforts into bringing this technology to individuals and small companies interested in it, either as a method of saving or as a way to increase their profits.

The van is equipped with a “bitcoin node”, a set of computers responsible for running the software of this currency, for showing more closely how it works.

However, what differentiates bitcoin from the most commonly used currencies? In the opinion of Federico Andragnes, its “decentralized” nature, independent of any government, company, or person, since “nobody can change the rules of the game” arbitrarily.

According to the expert, this technology is not limited only to monetary matters. It could have much broader applications in the future, such as government tracing tax expenditure or casting a vote in an election.

“I think this technology has enormous potential. For me, we are a bit like the Internet was in the 90s when we didn’t know all the uses it was going to have,” says Andragnes, for whom this trip is an excellent opportunity to create “communities” around this currency.

NERVES BEFORE DEPARTURE

With all their luggage packed and an unmistakable flash of excitement on their faces, Federico and Agustín set off for their first destination, the city of Rosario, in the company of Guadalupe Ares, the third crew member of the “Bitcoineta”.

This initiative came to the young woman’s ears in 2019, precisely when she was enjoying another van trip in New Zealand. As soon as she returned to her native Argentina, she did not hesitate to join the adventure.

“There is a bit of nerve and uncertainty, more so at this time of the pandemic, but there is also a part that drives me a lot: to go with a message, to bring information and help people who are curious about the subject,” Ares admits with enthusiasm.

In two months, this group of explorers will reach their last stop, the Salvadoran beach of Zonte, where another of the most peculiar projects around cryptocurrency is located: “Bitcoin Beach”.

There, Federico, Agustín, and Guadalupe will end their long journey with the donation of the “Bitcoineta” so that other fans of virtual currencies can travel the world’s roads.

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