The 3 tourist cities in Brazil using Bitcoin as money

Discover the cities of Jericoacoara, Rolante, and São Thomé das Letras, three tourist cities using Bitcoin as everyday money. Understand how the Lighting Network plays a crucial role in promoting the use of Bitcoin as a payment method.

Store of Value or Medium of Exchange?

Bitcoin (BTC), the leading crypto on the market, is establishing itself as a reliable, liquid, and international store of value. With a market value of more than US$1 trillion, bitcoin is already larger than several currencies issued by national governments. Notably, Bitcoin is already larger than the Russian ruble and Swiss franc.

After years of technical discussions, Bitcoin’s base layer is establishing itself as a network for large-value settlement. At the same time, transactions requiring low fees and high speed are being carried out on second-layer, centralized, or decentralized solutions.

In particular, the Lightning Network (LN), a solution proposed to improve Bitcoin’s scalability, is probably the most used tool for settling small bitcoin payments or making everyday purchases.

At least in Brazil, LN is establishing itself as a popular option for making everyday payments in three tourist cities: Jericoacoara, São Thomé das Letras, and Rolante.

Notably, these cities are in the North, Center, and South of Brazil. In all three cities, Bitcoin use was driven by local non-profit projects.

Learn a little more about these three success stories from the Bitcoin world.

This article was originally published on the Brazilian blog Coinext, and focused on bringing educational content about Bitcoin and the digital assets market.

São Thomé das Letras

São Thomé das Letras is undoubtedly one of the most mystical places in Brazil. The city, which has just 8 thousand inhabitants, is one of the main tourist cities in Minas Gerais, the state of which it is part.

São Thomé das Letras is located high on a set of mountains, which provides stunning views from anywhere in the city. Furthermore, the city is surrounded by waterfalls and rivers that are easily accessible. Another highlight is the countless legends and mysticism linked to the region, which involve gnomes, aliens, elves, and other mythological beings.

And it was amidst this scenario that the Mountain Bitcoin project emerged. The project, started by a local bitcoiner, aimed to spread knowledge about the leading crypto to the city’s residents, mainly merchants and students.

The result was impressive. Dozens of local businesses display…