Packaged Bitcoin? A BTC vacation in Costa Rica is fiat free
Passport, sunglasses, beach towel, Bitcoin (BTC)? A BTC enthusiast on vacation demonstrated that the world’s largest cryptocurrency could soon become an important vacation. Eugenio, a Costa Rican Bitcoin maximalist, paid for his vacation with only Bitcoin in his wallet during a long weekend on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.
A hotspot for Bitcoin adoption and real-life whale spotting, the towns of Uvita, Dominical and Ojochal are home to Bitcoin Jungle, a Bitcoin beach-inspired project, as well as a burgeoning community of Bitcoin-friendly merchants. Eugenio documented the entire Bitcoin vacation to the destination on Twitter. He told Cointelegraph, “The only fiat I had to use was to fill the tank [of the car] before departure.”
I just had a 100% #Bitcoin holiday in Uvita, Dominical and Ojochal #CostaRica thanks to the work of @BitcoinJungleCR create a circular economy and support many merchants and businesses. Zero fiat was used, no banks involved, no trusted third parties, just real hard money. pic.twitter.com/YrcQfIumfx
— Eugenio Crypto Disrespecter (@E_moonwatcher) 18 July 2022
Eugenio explained that he wanted to support its adoption and show that anyone can do the same, in a practical and fun way, “using the Lightning Network seamlessly without payment processors or banks involved.”
“I wanted to be able to pay for my little sister’s gelato while I was at the beach, for example.”
Eugenio paid for more than his sister’s ice cream: he paid for pizza, coffee, steaks and even a trip to the kombucha market with Bitcoin.
Reportedly, sellers asked: “do you want to pay with lighting or on the chain?” On-chain transactions take an average of 10 minutes to confirm, are slow and sometimes expensive. Lightning transactions are almost instant, almost free, and are a “win-win for me and for the sellers,” Eugenio explained.
“It’s extremely convenient, Bitcoin is money. You can use it to spend and you can use it to save, you can do both easily without the fees and obstacles built into the old system, plus you always can buy back the stake with the fiat you were going to use in the first place.”
The Lightning Network is catching on, and examples of its adoption have slowly spread like roots stretching across the globe. From British families to Senegalese surfers, the appetite for transactions over lightning means that more and more Bitcoin is being used on the layer two platforms.
Related: Andorra green light for Bitcoin and blockchain with Digital Assets Act
Eugenio shares some advice for those reluctant to use LN or the event to visit Costa Rica. A proud Tico (local Costa Rican), he suggests, “Don’t overthink it. The place is fantastic, safe, full of nature and adventure. Use the Bitcoin Jungle Business Map for guidance and a Lightning Wallet.”
The place is adopting Bitcoin “organically” and some of the locals have been proud to accept Bitcoin, Eugenio told Cointelegraph.
According to the map above, a growing number of merchants across Costa Rica are accepting Bitcoin “with a smile.” With the summer holidays in full swing, Bitcoin wallets may be on packing lists around the world, along with passports, sunglasses and sunscreen.
