A session at Bitcoin MENA 2025 explored whether the Middle East can repeat the Bitcoin adoption model seen in Latin America.
The panel brought together Michael Peterson and Roman Martínez from Bitcoin Beach, along with Mariangel García from the Women in Investment Network.
Speakers shared how Bitcoin transformed one small community and how similar change could happen across the region.
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Bitcoin Changed How One Community Understands Money
Michael Peterson explained that introducing Bitcoin to a community required first teaching people what money is. He said one of the biggest early challenges was helping people understand that money does not need to come from the government — it can simply be something people agree to use to exchange value.
Roman Martínez said younger people accepted this idea faster than adults. Many older residents thought Bitcoin “must be a scam” because they couldn’t touch it, while young people were already used to digital interactions on their phones.
Peterson said the concept of digital money made sense for a community where 90% of people did not have a bank account and had never done digital transactions. He explained that Bitcoin helped them learn to save, manage assets and think differently about their financial future.
Martínez added that Bitcoin education changed their mindset. He said there is a common saying in the community: “You don’t change Bitcoin — Bitcoin changes you.” The process helped many people understand money for the first time in their lives.
The speakers also noted how tourism accelerated Bitcoin adoption. As more tourists visited El Salvador after it adopted Bitcoin, vendors began receiving requests from travelers who wanted to pay in Bitcoin for small street purchases like coconuts or cocoa.
Martínez said this pushed the community to participate more in the digital economy, especially when visitors asked to pay in credit cards or Bitcoin and local sellers had no banking options at all. While, Peterson said this transformation shows how Bitcoin can create opportunities, modernize communities and connect local businesses with global visitors.
He added that similar results could happen in the Middle East if countries invest in education, infrastructure and open systems that allow people to join the Bitcoin economy.
