There exists in Costa Rica a community project “Bitcoin Jungle” whose slogan is Cultivating the Digital Revolution in the Jungle.
But, you may ask, what is its objective or purpose and its vision for the future in Costa Rica? All this and much more will be detailed in the following paragraphs.
Bitcoin Jungle was founded on December 5, 2021, in Bitcoin block 712800.
Who founded it: Community members in Uvita de Osa (Puntarenas, Costa Rica). The motivation was to provide technical infrastructure, community events, and educational information for Costa Ricans to learn, use, and adopt Bitcoin.
The founders are entrepreneurs with private internet software development activities. Today, each of them (the founders) is passionate and committed to the promotion and adoption of Bitcoin in Central American countries.
“The Bitcoin training has been acquired through years of self-study and daily use”, highlighted one of the organizers Lee, through a pleasant conversation with our TCRN team.
The purpose of Bitcoin Jungle
The purpose of Bitcoin Jungle is to create a Bitcoin circular economy. “We do this by providing education, resources, and technology to the community, both on an individual and business level,” Lee said.
In that way, Bitcoin Jungle is dedicated to promoting the adoption of Bitcoin as a decentralized and accessible form of currency.
The goal is to continue its efforts in building a thriving and resilient Bitcoin ecosystem in Costa Rica that can help change the world and inspire others.
Why is it a community project?
Bitcoin Jungle is considered by its founders as a community project because it involves the local community and seeks to encourage the adoption of Bitcoin in Costa Rica. The first Costa Ricans to use the Bitcoin Jungle application were farmers and vendors at the farmer’s fairs in Dominical, Uvita, Tinamaste, and Ojochal.
The physical location of the community project is in Plaza Alfaro, second floor of Uvita, you can search for them in Waze or Google Maps as “Bitcoin Jungle”.
So what does Bitcoin Jungle offer Costa Ricans? As mentioned above, it provides education, resources, and technology related to Bitcoin. In addition, they facilitate the adoption of Bitcoin as a form of payment for physical and online businesses in Costa Rica.
The main focus, for the moment, is Costa Rica exclusively, however, Bitcoin is a currency that has achieved global acceptance, and being decentralized its network is public and open source, allowing anyone to participate.
They have thought of expanding to other areas of Costa Rica and, in that way, encouraging the adoption of Bitcoin in different areas of the country.
“The heart of Bitcoin Jungle is in a geographically small space in the South Pacific area of Costa Rica. Many communities are also ready to adopt Bitcoin throughout the country. We would like to hold events in different communities, in different areas, to promote Bitcoin adoption,” said Lee, one of the organizers.
How many users, clients and merchants have they had since the project was founded?
It is worth mentioning that BitcoinJungle works, for now, in the “Golden Triangle”: Dominical, Uvita, Ojochal, Platanillo and Tinamaste.
There are more than 400 establishments offering products and/or services throughout the country, which can be seen at: https://maps.bitcoinjungle.app/ or in the app that can be downloaded through the following link } https://www.bitcoinjungle.app/es/download/
They have around 5,000 total wallet users, with at least half of them active in the last 30 days.
How do you define Bitcoin and the impacts you have noticed in the world, mainly in Costa Rica?
For Lee and the entire team of founders, Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency that is used as a digital medium of exchange and is based on secure cryptographic technology to guarantee transactions.
Transaction fees are usually low and fast, therefore, it is ideal for example: for merchants who do not have access to expensive credit card payment gateways.
“In Costa Rica, Bitcoin has influenced the adoption of digital payments and has positioned the country as one of the leaders in Bitcoin acceptance by merchants. The BitcoinJungle community in the country has actively worked to promote adoption and educate the population about the benefits and risks of this technology,” he said.
Overall, Bitcoin provides local vendors with a simple tool to increase their wealth. It is easy to start using Bitcoin through the application.
How do you see yourselves in the future and what do you consider you have yet to do?
From Bitcoin Jungle, each member sees the future with a positive trend towards the adoption of Bitcoin nationwide. “The idea is to support the expansion and sustainability of Bitcoin Jungle throughout the country,” added Lee.
Regarding what they have yet to do, or what they need to focus more on, they detailed the following:
Technology Development: We will enhance our Bitcoin point-of-sale system and wallet infrastructure to ensure seamless integration with existing business systems and an improved user experience.
Community Outreach: We will conduct more educational workshops and events to increase Bitcoin awareness and adoption among businesses and individuals in Costa Rica.
Resource Development: We will continue to create additional educational materials and guides to help businesses accept Bitcoin payments.
Increased Support for Local Initiatives: We will also continue to support local initiatives that have positive interactions with the community and help associate the Bitcoin brand with positive outcomes.
Finally, Lee and other founders invite interested parties to join their project and learn more about Bitcoin Jungle. “We are a community passionate about Bitcoin adoption in Costa Rica and beyond, if you are interested in learning about Bitcoin, using it as a payment, or being part of an active community, we invite you to join us. Explore our app https://www.bitcoinjungle.app/es/download/ attend our events, and discover how Bitcoin can change your financial perspective. Join the digital revolution and be part of the Bitcoin jungle!”.
You can follow them on Instagram @thebitcoinjungley at X: @BitcoinJungleCR.
