Bitcoiners - Live From Bitcoin Beach

He Sold Everything, Moved to El Salvador, and Found Something Bigger Than Bitcoin | Chris Meinhart

• Mike Peterson

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How much longer can productive labor stay trapped in a crumbling European fiat system before the logical move is to opt out entirely, escape rigid structures, and seek an anti-fragile alternative? Many wonder whether El Salvador is truly a sovereign haven or just a developing nation running a clever marketing stunt, but the answer becomes clear when you look at how the Ministry of Education and Bitcoin Beach are using El Zonte as a blueprint to transform the local economy through financial literacy. 

In this episode, Chris Meinhart (@ChrisMeinhart) drops by to give us a raw, boots on the ground perspective of his radical personal pivot away from the highly regulated German job system straight to the frontier of Bitcoin Country. It is a wild testimony of what happens when you stop asking permission from failing institutions and actively choose geographic arbitrage to secure your wealth on a sound money standard.

Living on a parallel economic standard is about way more than watching a chart or speculating on a digital currency. It is about seeing how honest money completely reshapes a local economy from the grassroots up. Chris lived this firsthand. After getting hit with a corporate tech layoff back in Europe, he used X to connect with sovereign networks and eventually transition to Central America. He is incredibly open about his early days managing communities for local NGOs, including the tough lessons he learned from public internet drama, and why true sovereignty means tuning out the online noise to focus entirely on building real-world regional infrastructure.

If you are serious about building an anti-fragile life, you have to get out of the transient tourist bubbles and plant real roots in the community. Chris started out navigating the standard residency paperwork while living near the volcano in San Salvador, but he ultimately found his home in the western mountains of Juayúa. Along the Ruta de las Flores, he and his Salvadoran wife bought land and built a small, self-sufficient homestead from scratch in just three months. It is a fantastic blueprint showing the kind of personal freedom that opens up when you approach a developing nation with cultural humility, learn the language, and build alongside the local people.

The real magic happens when you bring structural financial literacy directly to the youth instead of just waiting around for organic adoption. Chris is right in the thick of this now, working with the National Bitcoin Office to roll out the Bitcoin Diploma 2.0 pilot program in public schools. Working hand in hand with the ministry of education, this ten-part curriculum deliberately leaves out wallets and technical coding at the start. Instead, it teaches kids to rethink their relationship with money, focusing on delayed gratification and saving for the future. By scaling the exact circular models we originally proved out here in El Zonte into a nationwide framework, they are helping the next generation build true generational wealth.


—Bitcoin Beach Team


Learn more about Chris Meinhart:
X: https://x.com/ChrisMeinhart


Support and follow Bitcoin Beach:
X: https://www.twitter.com/BitcoinBeach 
IG: https://www.instagram.com/bitcoinbeach_sv 
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livefrombitcoinbeach 
Web: https://www.bitcoinbeach.com 


Browse through this quick guide to learn more about the episode:
00:00  Intro
01:30  What is real grassroots hyper-bitcoinization like in El Salvador?
03:41  How to build a sovereign expat network using X Twitter
07:05  Is Bitcoin used as everyday money in Bitcoin Beach El Zonte?
10:07  How learning Spanish helps expats with geographic arbitrage in El Salvador
11:16  How to buy land and build a homestead in Juayua El Salvador
13:16  How to protect Bitcoin circular economies from toxic social media drama
17:44  How the National Bitcoin Office deploys Bitcoin Diploma 2.0 in public schools
24:30  Why you must teach low time preference before using Bitcoin wallets
28:44  How living on a sound money standard triggers a spiritual awakening

Live From Bitcoin Beach

Chris Meinhart:

It's something, it's a feeling I cannot describe, and I really try to explain it, to describe it how I feel when it comes to a Salvador, to the people, and I could describe it, I could try it, and they're, they're laughing, they're smiling, they're welcoming me, but there's something for me, at least I see it in that way, there's something really special, and for me it's really hard to describe, but I see it in Canada, I see it in that way. So I'm just being grateful and thankful to be here, and I think the country is hitting in a very good direction at the moment. At least I'm not saying that here everything is working, because here still he,

Mike Peterson:

Is still a developing country,

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, and still a lot to do, but at least I think, and as you mentioned earlier, we have a government which is acting in a good way. They're not only doing things for Bitcoin or for Bitcoin education, there are also many other programs or initiatives they are involved in where they're trying to to to develop the country

Mike Peterson:

Chris with us today. Chris is actually part of the Bitcoin Beach team, and he could probably tell you more what's going on a day-to-day basis than I can at this point, so Chris, why don't you give us a little bit of your back story? What, what brought you here to El Salvador? How you've started helping out with the Bitcoin Beach team. I know you guys are doing a training with the teachers tomorrow, training, training the teachers so that they can go on and train the students, but yeah, I'm.. I actually don't know a lot of your backstory, so I'm looking forward to hearing, first time.

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah. First of all, thank you very much for having me. Thank you for this opportunity. And so my name is Chris. I'm 35 years old. I'm originally from Germany, and the last 10 years I lived in the Canary Islands, so it's part of Spain, and right now I am living here in El Salvador since December 2024 and yeah, back in the days in Germany's after high school I started a course to being a salesman during three years. Then, after this course, I went the first time abroad to the Dominican Republic. I spent there almost one year. I was working for a German guy, he sold like boat trips and excursions, and then I went back to Germany. Worked, for example, in a clothes store for men. I sold three suits only, only to men. And then, for example, in Germany, I tried to, I trained to, I tried to change my profession, and because I had always a certain passion for the tourism area, and because back in the days when I went to school, for me it was not so easy to find out where am I and what I want to do, or where do I see myself actually later,

Mike Peterson:

And then the German system, and correct me if I'm wrong, you kind of have to make those distinctions early, and they kind of put you on a track that sets you from a young age, like in a direction for a certain career, correct?

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, correct. And also, it's for example, in my parents' house, my parents always wanted the best for me, and they always told me, son, study, go to school after that, study, and make your bachelor, and things like that, and because at the end of the day, they only wanted the best for me, and today I understand it, but I was not looking, for example, what do I really want to do for myself, or what's really where I have a certain passion for it. So, but yeah, anyway, long story short, I wanted to make a change in the profession in Germany. They didn't allow it to me, and then I saw an announcement from,

Mike Peterson:

What do you mean they didn't allow it to like

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah yeah yeah

Mike Peterson:

Maybe elaborate on that

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah for example inside the government the German government you have the possibility to change your profession and they give you the opportunity to do a course for example we. Than one month, and in this course, for example, you, they will test you, and they will give you the chance to find to look for another profession, for example, and when I made this course,

Mike Peterson:

Sorry, I'm going to keep interrupting you, just because I want to understand, yeah, are you talking like they allow you to change, because are we talking about government jobs here? Are we talking about private industry jobs, or both? Like, what role does the government play in?

Chris Meinhart:

We're talking definitely about, like, private industry jobs, but for example,

Mike Peterson:

Might need to get permission from the government to change for a private industry job.

Chris Meinhart:

Well, yes and no. For example, you can, you can do it. You have two opportunities, for example, you do it by yourself, and you just apply for another training course, which normally takes you like up to three years, definitely. Or you, you have the opportunity to speak with the government and to ask them if they will help you to change your profession,

Mike Peterson:

Okay.

Chris Meinhart:

And yeah, in this fact, they, they are offering some different courses or trainees programs,

Mike Peterson:

So it's not that you need their permission per se, it's but if you want to, there's certain courses that are available for you, that okay.

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, , exactly. Lexi, this is exactly what they, what they're offering. And, well, I attended a course, and for a total amount, for example, and all my colleagues, they said to me, Chris, you're exactly the perfect person when it comes to tourism, I see it. You have a, you have so much passion, so much love for it. And at the end of the day, to make it short, they didn't give me the profession I was, I was looking for, and they wanted to. They offered me something very similar for what I've learned. So, I've learned to become a retail sales person, and then they want to put me inside office.

Mike Peterson:

Hey guys, just a reminder, the best way to really understand how Bitcoin is impacting El Salvador and what's happening here is to get some boots on the ground and come visit, and of course, we're excited now to have locations both in El Zonte and Punta Mango, where we have guest homes there that you can rent, that everything can be done in Bitcoin, so we have the Bitcoin Beach Suites in El Zonte, and we have Punta Mango Villas in Punta Mango, and you can find all that on the Stay at Bitcoin Beach website, so make sure that you check that out, and if you're planning on coming down, make sure you're staying at a place where Bitcoin is going to be welcomed, and that you'll be surrounded by other Bitcoiners.

Chris Meinhart:

And this was very, very similar, and when they actually said, 'No, Chris, we won't give you what you are looking for, what you want to do, I was really upset, and thanks to God, I saw in the internet an announcement where Thomas Cook - I don't know if you're aware,

Mike Peterson:

aAtravel agency, exactly. Yeah,

Chris Meinhart:

And they were looking for destination reps for abroad. And then I applied. I had to go to Frankfurt for an assessment day assessment center, I realized it, and at the end of this assessment center, they told me, "Well, Chris, we like you, we are taking you, prepare your, your, your luggage, and in one week we'll send you to Portugal. There you will have, like, formation, a training, and they sent me over to Portugal, and at the last day of this training, they told us the destinations, so where we are going in which country, and they sent me over to Gran Canaria, to the Canary Islands, and over there I was already almost living 10 years, so yeah,

Mike Peterson:

I've never been to the Canary Islands. We went to Madeira this past year, which is kind of just north of the Canary Islands. I think they even had a ferry that we could have taken, like an overnight ferry, but I've heard there's good surfing there, and I've heard good things about the Canary Islands. So, did you enjoy your time there? Was,

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, definitely. So, for example, the first, the first year I worked as a destination rep, and then what happened, the company wanted to send me to another destination, but I fell in love immediately with the island, and then I said, "No, I don't want to leave this island, and I looked for a job in the hotel industry, so I worked, or I had my first job in the tourism area in a hotel as a receptionist. Then later I worked for Radisson Blu, also as a receptionist. Then I changed the company. I worked as a reservation agent inside the office and a hotel group. Then in another position I worked in public relations. Yeah, and then, for example, as we all know, COVID appeared, and they closed the hotel.

Mike Peterson:

Okay,

Chris Meinhart:

And my contract ended, and yes, so I was for some, for some, for two or three months, I was at home, and without working I couldn't,

Mike Peterson:

You stay at home in the Canary Islands, or in Germany?

Chris Meinhart:

No, in the Canary Islands. Yeah, yeah, it was my ex-girlfriend, and the lockdown actually was very, very hard. We couldn't leave the house, we only were allowed to, yeah, go like with a dog like two or three meters away from the house, but then we have to immediately come back to the house, and we were well, they, they locked us down for in total three or four months, and well, then I started to work in the B2B area, I started to work from home for startups both in Germany and in Spain, but I worked from the Canary Islands, and yeah, then for example to come to make the bridge to El Salvador, the last company which I was working for in Europe and Spain and the Canary Islands, they fired me, and then on X, I met a guy, and we were talking about El Salvador, so, and of course, as a Bitcoin, I knew a bit what's going on over there, and what is the current situation? Just for information, I got into Bitcoin like in 2020 roundabout, and well, anyway, we, I met a guy on X. We, we spoke about El Salvador. At the end, we opened a Telegram group, and then this inside this Telegram group we had like a lot of people, like in total maybe 30 or 40, but in the end,

Mike Peterson:

Mostly Europeans?

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, mostly Europeans, and mostly Germans, mostly Germans. Yeah, and in the end of the day, we were three people, so myself and the other two guys, we decided to fly to El Salvador. And for your information, we opened this group in 2024 in February, March, and then in September 2024 we, we decided to come here to visit the country, and the other two guys, their name is Samuel and Christopher, and I don't know if by any chance we will see this. I hope you're doing well, but yeah, I went with these two guys to I came with them to El Salvador. We never saw each other face to face, only we had, like, yeah, we sent over voice messages and WhatsApp Telegram, and we saw ourselves the first time face to face at the airport, Madrid, and the first time I came here to the country September 2024.

Mike Peterson:

Okay, and then what did you think on your arrival? What was your impression of El Salvador? And then did you, did you leave after that? Have you stayed here since then? What's been kind of the trajectory since then?

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, well, we decided before to stay a total month, so the whole month of September, and at the end of the day, when September ended, I decided to stay a month longer, but when I came first here to the country, and the first stop was El Zonte, I thought, like, well, it's actually true here, Bitcoin is working as a, as a money, and you have the possibility to pay here with Bitcoin in a lot of merchants, not in all merchants, okay? But you definitely, Bitcoin is, is money, yeah, Bitcoin is not only money, Bitcoin is the people are using Bitcoin as a money here in El Zonte, and also in other departments, or in other areas of the country, but this was a first impression. I immediately fall in love with the country, with the culture, with the people, and,

Mike Peterson:

Would you.. I'm assuming you spoke decent Spanish, since you'd been in the Canary Islands for 10 years.

Chris Meinhart:

Exactly, this this was one of my big advantages, so for example, I really learned to talk Spanish in the Canary Islands, for example, in the high school. Back in the high school, I had also Spanish, but back in the days in the school, I was not so interested in the language, you know. And one day, I don't know when the day, when the day came, everything changed. I had immediately the interest in the Spanish language and the Spanish culture, food, and I decided to make my first vacation in the Dominican Republic, and yeah, so therefore it was a big advantage, and of course. And I talked to the people here in the country, because as we know, here is happening, still happening, a certain transformation, right? And I think also you can, you know better than me, what happened here, you, you are living here since many, many more years than me, and therefore I came also here to speak to the people, I asked them, How do you feel after this change? How do you feel, and I spoke to a lot of people, and what really impressed me was this kindness, the the the art to welcome to welcome me, and even it's very difficult and hard to describe it with words for me, and I just want to give you a small example that you are able to understand what I want to say. For example, I'm a believer in God, and I also saw a lot of testimonies when it comes to near-death experiences, so I saw a lot of testimonies, and many people are talking about when they have such experience like that, they are, see, they are seeing colors, for example, in their visions or in their experiences they, they, they had, but they couldn't describe with words, for example, certain colors they, they saw, and for me it's exactly the same. It's something, it's a feeling I cannot describe, and I really try to explain it, to describe it how I feel when it comes to a sourdough, to the people, and I could describe it, I could try it, and they're, they're laughing, they're smiling, they're welcoming me, but there's something for me, at least I see it in that way. There's something really special, and for me it's really hard to describe, but I see it kind of, I see it in that way. So,

Mike Peterson:

No, I get what you're saying. There is something just kind of special about El Salvador. You see that with so many people, when they come, and a lot of times they wind up, you know, staying. They weren't planning originally. We especially see that here in El Zonte, people that were just passing through, going to stay a night or two, and then you see them two months later, and you're like, What are you doing here still now? Oh, we decided to cancel the rest of our trip and just stay here. So, so I'm curious as to from your first trip to deciding to move here, did you just never leave or did you go back and to Germany and then come back here, or what was that process? And then you are living kind of more in the coffee country up in the mountains, the weather is a little bit cooler. How did you kind of make that decision to do that?

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, of course. Sorry, as I mentioned when we came here, in the September, September 2024 the month was coming to an end. I decided to extend my stay for one further month, so I stayed here until the end of October, and well, during this stay here in this country, I already felt a decision. After a few weeks, I like it. I have the possibility, actually, to come over here, because in the Canary Islands, I didn't have any responsibilities. I was not working for a company at that time, so I decided when I was still here I will come back, I will, I will move here. So, and in that way I did it, actually. So, at the end of October, I went back to the Canary Islands. I canceled my flat, so my apartment. I sold my car. Then I went to Germany in November 2024 to my mom, of course, because she's living over there, and I spent more or less a month with her, and then at the beginning of December 2024 I came here, and the journey actually started. So, yeah, and also before I came, before I moved here, finally I found a flat in San Salvador at the volcano El Boqueron. So, so,

Mike Peterson:

You were up on the volcano? Yeah, I love that area up there. It's got this beautiful view of the city. The weather's nice and cool, and

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah,

Mike Peterson:

Yeah.

Chris Meinhart:

Because, for example, when I was here in September and October, and when for me the decision was clear, I want to, I will actually move to this country. I was already thinking, or I was trying to think a few steps ahead, and I was looking for a flat, and thankfully I found a flat over there, and I was living there six months, and then yeah, I lived also in Ilopango and San Bartolo the next six months, and right now today I'm living in the mountains, so close to who are you, maybe some of you also know when it comes to El Salvador Ruta de la Flores, it's a very known area. Here in the country, in the west side, and the funny thing is, in Canary, in the Canary Islands, in Gran Canaria, I was living up in the mountains.

Mike Peterson:

Oh, really?

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, and,

Mike Peterson:

I always think of it being just beaches. I didn't know there was mountains, and,

Chris Meinhart:

For example, Gran Canaria is a very, very small island, and therefore, for me, this country is so big, because in Gran Canara, actually, it's, it's, it's almost, it's, it's always from one point to the exactly opposite point, it's never more than 80 kilometers.

Mike Peterson:

Okay,

Chris Meinhart:

Of course, because of the streets and the altitude, it will take you certain time, depending where you're going on the island, but I mean, the, the distance you can make with it with a car here, it's much, much, much bigger than in the Canary Islands, but anyways, yeah,

Mike Peterson:

Because most people talk about how small El Salvador is, but I guess if you come in from an island, it's yeah,

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah,

Mike Peterson:

And then what drew you to the place that you're living in now? What was kind of the reason you decided to make that move?

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, well, I had the opportunity to buy a small piece of land before, for example, last year, 2025 My, my wife and I, we were looking for, yeah, for a small, for a small piece of land. We were searching, but it was a little bit difficult because we couldn't find something where we said, well, it's, it's this, you know,

Mike Peterson:

So, and I didn't get this part of your story earlier, so did your wife move here with you? I, where did, where did, did you get married when you're in the Gran Canaria? Or

Chris Meinhart:

my wife, I knew her. I met her the first time when I came here on vacation.

Mike Peterson:

Ah, okay. So she's Salvadorian.

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, exactly.

Mike Peterson:

Okay,

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, exactly. And well, it's, it's, it's a gift from God, because she's a very beautiful person. Yeah, and therefore I'm very grateful that I got to know her,

Mike Peterson:

Yeah.

Chris Meinhart:

And we met, we got to know each other, and then we decided, yeah, to start a relationship, and it was a little bit difficult, especially for her, because I told her, well, look, I will come back, but I have. First of all, I have to go back to Gran Canaria. I have to, yeah, settle up certain things, and I have to cancel the flat and everything. But meanwhile, we always stayed in contact, and yeah, and also, what I can mention, a few weeks ago, well, like one month and a half ago, we married.

Mike Peterson:

Congratulations.

Chris Meinhart:

So, yeah, things happened fast, but I'm very thankful and grateful that I met her, and we are living together and got made it possible. We found a small piece of land, we built a small house.

Mike Peterson:

You've already built the house.

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, exactly.

Mike Peterson:

Wow, so how long did that take, and what was that process like for you?

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, well, for example, I never built a house before, so it was a very unique and special experience, and in both ways. For example, we still, we had some problems, and certain things went well, but I think this is actually quite,

Mike Peterson:

You can't build a house without having problems.

Chris Meinhart:

I think. I guess so. And yeah, so it happened very fast. So they built it within three months, but I also have to mention, and to say it's a very small house, for example, eight by nine meters, maybe in total something like between 60 and 70 square meters in total, but it's fine for us, it's only, it's only her and me.

Mike Peterson:

Well, especially in that area, it's so nice to be outdoors, so it's yeah, awesome. So, wow, so your life really transformed since she came to El Salvador. It's married, bought a property, built a house, and then kind of, what's the longer term plan? I know you've been doing a ton of work for Bitcoin Beach. I see your posts on Twitter all the time, or X, but I don't know what else you have going on, or what? How you became involved, I think you came on while, while I was out of the country. So, tell us a little bit about that story.

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, of course. So, to give you a little bit more context, and also to the people who are listening, or who are seeing this episode, last year I was working with the NGO, which is called My First Bitcoin, for example. The first six months I worked for them as a volunteer, and then the other six months I worked as an employee with a contract, and yeah, for example, this was my. First work relationship here in this country, and I was working for them as content and community manager, so yeah, and this relationship ended last year in August, September, and maybe some of the guys who are following what's happening here in El Salvador, maybe they, they noticed what, what actually happened, because I can remember when it happened, and when this relationship came to an end, I was emotionally touched, and I was disappointed, because what I did for them, I really loved my work. I enjoyed it to work together with the with the colleagues, and I was just feeling happy and grateful to work for them, and for the people that they are able to understand it. I was inside this project with all my heart and was all passion. And then when the relationship ended, I felt

Mike Peterson:

Yeah. like, yeah, first of all, I was disappointed, and I unfortunately I started to make some, some noise on Twitter on X, because I felt like I have to tell the world what happened, and, and right now we are coming to the interesting part, and to the most important. I may, I did some, I did some mistakes, and I'm not perfect. I'm still learning, and today it doesn't matter if I was right, if they were right, everything. Everything, or when it comes, when it comes to this point, it doesn't matter, zero, because what I've learned since I moved here, and since my relationship to God increased significantly, I learned to choose peace over chaos, and I really learned what it means to love and to forgive, and as I understand, as a son of a god, as a child of a god, it's all about that, it's about love and forgiveness, love and forgiveness, the most important, so, and I already, I also want to say, regarding my first Bitcoin, they, they did a great job here, and they did a very important part, because I did, I see it in that way, and these days, for example, today, as I understand, they're not, they're not already here, so because they moved, or they decided to, they are working, they are acting like today in an international way. Yeah,

Chris Meinhart:

And yeah, anyway, but this relation came up to an end. I worked with amazing talents over there, and this organization was also great Salvadoran people, both Salvadorian people and foreign people, and yeah, today thanks to God, I have the possibility I'm involved again in the Bitcoin space. I'm working for Bitcoin Beach, or for Roman, and right now, as many Bitcoiners may know, here are so many things happening inside the country, as you mentioned. Right now, we are started recently a pilot program with the Bitcoin Diploma 2.0 where, for example, I am together teaching with the, with a team, for example, with Freddy's and where's with Brian, at least from from from our side, from the team from Bitcoin office, we are supporting supporting the National Bitcoin Office, and this work, and just to give also the people a bit more of context, what it actually is. So, for example, the Ministry of Education and the National Bitcoin Office, they started collaboration, a partnership, something like that, and company, which is called We Spark, they developed, they created the Bitcoin Diploma 2.0 and right now, recently, one month ago, we started the pilot program, and right now, what we are doing is we are going into some schools, into some public schools, I think, in total like seven or six, and we are teaching the teachers with this Bitcoin diploma in this pilot program, and the goal is for next year to roll it out in a nationwide level, and yeah, that is what I'm doing right now. Also, on the side was with great people, was young Salvadorian people. I really enjoyed, and that's for example on a professional level what I'm doing right now today.

Mike Peterson:

Now that this, and then it's taken a lot of twists and turns as the government's tried to figure out how to roll out Bitcoin education across the country, and so I love that they keep kind of pushing and they keep reiterating and building new curriculum, and you can see the seriousness from the government side, like this. They want this, and it's not just Bitcoin, it's it's teaching financial literacy to the young people, but based on a Bitcoin standard.

Chris Meinhart:

When I can, like, let's say a very important point, because you said it, for example, with the Bitcoin Diploma 2.0 What we're doing, for example, the first, the first chapter, it's not about software for the people that they understand this Bitcoin diploma has in total like 10 chapters, and in the very first chapters it's not about the technology, it's not about Bitcoin, it's even not about money. What we are teaching right now with the first chapter, it's about certain habits and the mindset, because I think it's all started, or it all starts with a with a certain mindset to change your habits to develop a certain mindset.

Mike Peterson:

Yeah,

Chris Meinhart:

And yeah, as you mentioned, it's, it's, it's very great, and it's also impressing to see that they're keep pushing in terms of Bitcoin education, because I think, and I don't know if I'm wrong, and if I'm wrong, please correct me, but worldwide, I don't know if there is another country which is showing, for example, high school, high school students, the topic of Bitcoin. So, I think this is really something unique, which is happening here. It's a transformation, and for me, it's such a pleasure and such an honor to be, to be alive in this moment, and also to be a small part of it, because, as I mentioned, I'm already living here like one year and a half, but the work, actually the big work, did other people, and I think other people deserve the credit when it comes, or when we're looking back to the start, how everything started, so I'm feeling just so grateful and thankful to be, to be a small part of it, and just to help and to support, and yeah, that's great. It's amazing.

Mike Peterson:

I'd love to dig a little deeper into your, your own spiritual journey that you kind of brought up earlier, as you've moved here to El Salvador. I don't, I don't know how much you know of my own history, but, but we came here as missionaries, working with the missionary community here in El Salvador, and for me, Bitcoin has always been a tool. It's not the end goal for me. I want to see people come to know God, to know Jesus as their savior, and so I'm curious to kind of dive in with you and hear a little bit about your history and why you feel like things kind of changed for you in El Salvador versus where you were before.

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, absolutely. Sure. Great. First of all, and I will start very quickly with Bitcoin, for example, Bitcoin for me it's a, it's a tool, it's a very powerful tool, but it's not everything, so this, this at first, first of all, there is, like, for example, or as a people, as a Salvadorian people here saying Primero Dios First God this, is the first step, and this is the very first beginning. So, First God, then for example, friends, family, your own state of mind, and then topics like what tools like Bitcoin, very important, and, but yeah, so for example, when I came here to this country, what I earlier also mentioned, I met a, I met a couple, a German guy and a Salvadoran woman in the immigration at immigration office here in San Salvador, because when I first came here, or when I moved here, I had to had to order the paperwork, so I had to start the paperwork to get the residency, and so on. And well, in this migration office, I met a German guy, his name is Viana, and he is married since a long, since many, many years to a Salvadorian woman, his her name is Claudia, and we, we met, got made it possible to, yeah, to he made it possible in that way that we met over there in this migration office, we, we came, we became friends, so on these days we are very good friends, but in the beginning when we first met and also we changed numbers at this migration office. A few weeks later, we met at the Boqueron at the volcano in San Salvador. We went to a restaurant, and she was speaking about God and God-related topics. And today, when I, when I, when I really look back to this situation and to this moment, I know it was God speaking to me, and I started to read the Bible. I'm still reading the Bible, I'm not finished with it. So, but for example, since I was a child, I was a believer, because with my parents, we always went to the church in Germany, and so I always prayed, for example, I was a believer, but not in a very intensive way, for example, but since I am here, the intensitivity, for example, increased so much that right now I have developed a relationship with Jesus, where I can say where I also learned, like for example, prayer is powerful to pray. I really try to pray every day, sometimes, of course, because of work and because of family, or whatever, it's a bit hard, or it can be a bit hard sometimes to remind yourself to take your time, actually, and to pray, but here also I've learned prayer is so powerful, and the funny thing is it's actually working, so to pray it's working, and it doesn't mean always when you're not seeing things with your, with your eyes, that they don't exist. And what I can say, and what I've experienced, prayer is powerful. I'm so thankful that my relationship to Jesus really increased in that way, because as we know, this world in which we are living today is very crazy.

Mike Peterson:

Yeah,

Chris Meinhart:

So I think I don't have to mention, I think many of you know what's actually happening in the world. I mean, you name it, Epstein files, whatever. So I think I don't have to talk about that, but I think it's, it's more important than then than never to, to maybe to first of all to, to think about maybe to ask theirself the questions, why, why are we here, and why everything started, you know, I mean, and for me it's very important, everyone has their own opinion, and it always should be like that, but for me, for example, when I close my eyes, or when I ask myself, How everything started, and what was before the Big Bang, I always say to myself, from absolutely nothing they cannot burn nothing. So, I think there, there is a creator. I'm absolutely convinced that there is a God, that there is a creator. And I think also He will come back, and it seems like we are very close, or we're living right now on the time where also say we need him to come back, because of course at one at one side we have tools like Bitcoin, and I'm so thankful for for Bitcoin, that Bitcoin appeared, that they, that they found it, even, even I would say, and we don't know it, who the, who's the creator of Bitcoin, maybe it's also a kind sign of God to try to show us, well, you guys, you human, you tried a very, very long time to find the money, which is more or less fair, which is working, but as we, as a Bitcoin, and also many people know, there are some very serious problems with the financial system all over the world, so, and I think there's also a certain possibility that maybe it's a creation of God. We don't know, but yeah,

Mike Peterson:

Yeah, well, we know everything is God-inspired, so no matter how it came came to being, we, we know it's something that he knew was going to happen. So, no, I love that story. I love that it's, it's impacted you in that way. And I know for a lot of Bitcoiners, Bitcoin can become their God, they, they're so focused on that, and they think like Bitcoin's the end all be all, but I've seen people are really left really empty when they put Bitcoin in that position. So, I'm like you, I think Bitcoin is like an amazing tool, but I mean, talk about low time preference when we're talking about eternity, and where we're going to spend eternity, and the impact. That our decisions here on earth make on that, I mean, that's the lowest time preference decisions you can make, and so, and I can be guilty of it sometimes myself. You get excited about Bitcoin, and you're focused more on that, and sometimes I have to even remind myself, like, hey, Bitcoin is just a tool, it's an amazing tool, we're very thankful for it, and we, we think that it's bringing fairness to the world, but, but it is still just a tool, and so we need to be about something beyond that.

Chris Meinhart:

Maybe just chat one thing. I think we are, we are all aware of it, and we all know that we will face a material death, for example, but when we, when we will, when this moment will come, and, and we will experience this material death, for example, our body will die, or our brain. I'm convinced the journey will continue. The question is, where we are going?

Mike Peterson:

Yeah,

Chris Meinhart:

And I really want to see everyone, absolutely everyone up there. I don't think so, that's it, will be possible for everyone to go there where they want to go, and I'm including also my myself on that, because I'm not a child of, or I want to say, my past, I made, I made a lot of mistakes, and I'm trying to learn from my mistakes, but I'm convinced when we are, when we are gone, and when we are not anymore here, we will continue, and we are energy, we are energy, and inside, my myself, I know we will continue, and so therefore, whenever I can, and I have the possibility, I just try to speak about it, and yeah, because, as I said, I want to see everyone in a place where they're happy, but yeah, I invite everyone to just to think about it, and to give them self the chance to open their mind, because I think for me it's more than clear we are energy, and yeah, but as I said, and to end it up with a sentence, I really hope that that we are able to to awake as many people as we can, because today we are living in a world where, where it seems like in many different, many parts of the world we are losing, we are losing the very important values, and I think, and I feel like here in this country, in El Salvador, here we, or the society, or the people are still able to save certain values, and this was also one of the one of the big reasons I came here to this country, for example, Bitcoin brought me here. Well, we couldn't say the marketing department made a great job. You can name it how you, how you want it. I don't care, but I came here for Bitcoin, and I stayed for the people, for the culture, and also, yeah, for the for the closeness I feel to God, which the people have, they are, they are close to Jesus, they are close to God, and thanks to the to the Salvadorian people and their society, I was able to increase this relationship with God, and I'm so I'm just being grateful and thankful to be here, and I think the country is hitting in a very good direction at the moment. At least, I'm not saying that here everything is working, because here still he is,

Mike Peterson:

Still a developing country. Yeah,

Chris Meinhart:

And still a lot to do, but at least I think, and as you mentioned earlier, we have a government which is acting in a good way, they're not only doing things for Bitcoin or for Bitcoin education, there are also many other programs or initiatives they are involved in where they're trying to to to develop the country, and yeah,

Mike Peterson:

Yeah, no, I love that. I love your story. Is there any other things you want to leave people with, like where they can follow you? What your X handle is? I don't know, you know, work wise, if you're doing consulting or other stuff. If there's any other things you know, plugs you want to put out there, please take this opportunity, let no people where they can follow you or reach out to you.

Chris Meinhart:

No, I will take this opportunity to say, follow the signal, follow the project, which, doing actually the real work, and I'm not doing this because I'm right now. A part of the team of Bitcoin Beach, but for example, projects like Bitcoin Beach, and, and there are also many, many other projects, and it's about them. So, I think the credits, the real credits, deserve other people, which, yeah,

Mike Peterson:

But make sure you give people your ex handle, because a lot of times you're promoting these projects, so for them to follow you.

Chris Meinhart:

You will find me under the under my real name, Chris Meinhart on X, and what I'm doing, and when you follow me, what you will see, I'm just loving it, and I'm so enjoying it to show what's happening here. And as I earlier said, I'm very proud to be, to be here right now in this time, and to support my team, and just to do my work to put into my work as I can, and, but yeah, it's not about me, it's about, it's about other things, it's about the country, it's about all the great projects, which are existing here, and yeah,

Mike Peterson:

Awesome. Well, I think you summed it up perfectly. So, I'll be excited, we'll have to revisit, have you back on next year, and get some updates, you know, as your household grows, and yeah, be excited to hear what you're doing.

Chris Meinhart:

Yeah, thank you so much. And I wish you all the best, and stay safe, and yeah, all the best. Thank you for this opportunity.

Mike Peterson:

Awesome.