Bitcoins <\/p>\n
If I told you that Berl\u00edn was the real-life embodiment of a fictional Bitcoin City, you\u2019d be forgiven for wondering when Germany became so crypto-friendly.<\/p>\n
But look again \u2013 Germany has nothing to do with it.<\/p>\n
No, Berl\u00edn is a 20,000-strong city a few hours from the capital of El Salvador, the nation that rose to international fame for adopting Bitcoin as legal tender.<\/p>\n
And while the results for much of El Salvador\u2019s economy have been mixed<\/a>, a handful of locations are thriving.<\/p>\n And Berl\u00edn might just be the most organic of the bunch.<\/p>\n Related: <\/strong>VanEck Estimates $23 Billion Surge in Bitcoin Buying from State-Level Reserve Bills<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n There were strong economic reasons for El Salvador to adopt Bitcoin as a national currency. But a large part of that \u2013 or at least, how it has evolved \u2013 is a strong push for tourism.<\/p>\n Bitcoin Beach, for example (also known as El Zonte), is primarily a tourist attraction bringing in crypto lovers to bathe and surf within a town that supports Bitcoin spending. That, in itself, is where much of Bitcoin\u2019s value lies as legal tender.<\/p>\n But over in beautiful Berl\u00edn, tourism is practically non-existent. Rather, the community has banded together to leverage Bitcoin \u2013 and the blockchain\u2019s \u2013 unique advantages. It is one of the few cases where an entire city has leveraged decentralisation\u2019s power to try and solve financial inequality.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s hub, called the Berl\u00edn Bitcoin Community Centre, acts as a community-building location. It includes a fully-decked-out cafe, recording studio, a cafe\u2026 and of course, a Bitcoin ATM.<\/p>\n Approximately 150 establishments throughout Berl\u00edn accept Bitcoin as payment, representing about 25% of merchants in the city.\u00a0<\/p>\nStep Aside Bitcoin Beach \u2013 BTC Has a New Best Friend<\/h2>\n