Suriname flag on the pole
Thanks to the efforts of hard-working Bitcoin advocates, the Bitcoin circular economy is beginning to grow in Suriname.
These economies, of which Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador is the first and best known, are small jurisdictions where Bitcoin is widely used as currency among residents and traders. They often also include a Bitcoin training center and are run by locals who enjoy the respect of the community.
Suriname, which has been in the Bitcoin press recently for its Bitcoin-friendly presidential candidate Maya Parbhoe, now has two Bitcoin circular economies – Bitcoin Sranan and Bitcoin Alfonsdorp.
In both homes, residents learn to make and accept payments in Bitcoin and use Bitcoin as a savings technology. The latter has become particularly important as the Surinamese dollar (SRD) has experienced inflation rates of up to 59% in recent years.
Bitcoin Sranan
Parbhoe founded Bitcoin Sranan in the state capital of Paramaribo in 2021 after visiting El Salvador and seeing firsthand the impact of Bitcoin on communities like El Zonte.
Paramaribo, Suriname
Terence Coronel, a highly motivated yet quiet local, has since taken over the management of the project. He spends his days teaching community members about the Mi Primer Bitcoin (My First Bitcoin) curriculum and raising Bitcoin awareness among traders and other locals.
“When I started, I decided to go out three times a day and approach the locals with a sales pitch: ‘Hey, I’m from Bitcoin Sranan, a non-profit organization, and I’m here to tell you this.’ You can accept money through Bitcoin instead of just bank transfer,” Coronel told me in an interview.
Coronel said he then helps interested parties download the Blink Wallet, a Bitcoin wallet that allows payments over the Lightning Network, before conducting a test transaction with them in which he sends them $3 worth of Bitcoin .
While some may shy away from even engaging with Coronel, he said dealing with cold approach rejection isn’t the hardest part of his job. The bigger challenge is getting interested people to come to the Bitcoin Sranan training center to learn more about Bitcoin.
“The hard part is getting them to come to the Mi Primer Bitcoin course and complete it,” Coronel said.
“It takes 10 weeks. Some people have difficulty finding transportation, others lose interest. Some also think that Bitcoin is about getting rich quick. Most ask, ‘Can you teach us how to trade?’ or ‘Can you teach us how to buy a car quickly?'” he added.
“I usually respond with, ‘We don’t teach trading.’ We don’t teach people how to get rich quick. We are trying to create awareness about Bitcoin so that people understand what Bitcoin is, how it works and what it can mean for their future.’”
Thanks to his persistence, Coronel and his team have onboarded 110 traders, many of whom, he claimed, are now happy to be part of the Bitcoin network.
“When we integrate them, we place them on the BTC Map, in the Blink app and also promote them on X, Facebook and Telegram,” said Coronel. “What happens is that some international people send donations to these traders and the traders are quite surprised and happy because the funds help them so much in their daily lives.”
Bitcoin Alfonsdorp
After Terence Karijondomo learned about Bitcoin at the Bitcoin Sranan Education Center and began to feel the positive effects of saving in Bitcoin, he felt compelled to teach Bitcoin himself.
Karijondomo is a tech-savvy indigenous Surinamese citizen who makes a living installing security systems at banks and private companies. He has wanted to teach technical skills to people in his village of Alfonsdorp, which is in a rural region of northeastern Suriname near the border with French Guiana, for some time and thinks teaching Bitcoin is a good way to start.
“One thing I had in mind was to start an educational center where I could teach basic ICT – things like how to use a computer, Word, Excel,” Karijondomo told me in an interview.
“I also wanted to share my experience installing surveillance cameras so people can use the information when looking for work. I will still do that, but now I will put Bitcoin first and after that I will teach ICT,” he added.
Karijondomo is also keen to ensure that the natives of Suriname do not forego Bitcoin.
“In Suriname, the indigenous people are always the last to adopt new technologies,” Karijondomo said.
“I want to teach the younger generation about Bitcoin, otherwise they will take other paths that are not very good for them,” he added.
“I’m trying to change that, and with Bitcoin I’ve found a way to engage with them, so that’s my mission.”
With this in mind, Karijondomo also pointed out that many have become victims of Bitcoin scams in Suriname, which has led them to view Bitcoin in an unfavorable light.
“Many are currently traumatized by Bitcoin scams, so some just don’t want to hear about it,” he said.
Adapting Bitcoin education to the local context
A local Surinamese Bitcoin enthusiast who asked me not to reveal his identity and who appears on Nostr under the pseudonym “NOMAD” also told me in an interview that many in Suriname are “traumatized because they have been scammed.”
This is why NOMAD, a teacher in the Bitcoin Sranan community, explained that Bitcoin…
