Central America and bitcoin continue to be like two peas in a pod. Initially, the trend of Central America accepting and using bitcoin like it was actual money began with El Salvador in 2021. The country was the first to declare BTC legal tender and it hasn’t looked back. Now, the neighboring region of Honduras – while not going as far as to declare bitcoin money – is using the world’s number one digital currency to attract tourism through what it’s calling “Bitcoin Valley,” a section in the town of Santa Lucia.
Will Honduras Become the Next Big BTC Region?
In many ways, while not going as far, Honduras is taking a page right out of the El Salvador crypto playbook given that the latter nation established “Bitcoin Beach” right in the middle of the surfer hotspot of El Zonte. The region has become famous in recent years as all businesses within the area are accepting cryptocurrencies like bitcoin as methods of payment. Eventually, the country went full circle and now utilizes BTC for all purposes just like it utilizes USD.
While Honduras isn’t going this far, the town of Santa Lucia now contains a special brand of businesses and enterprises that are willing to give BTC a fair shake. All these companies accept bitcoin as a method of payment for goods and services. The name is a play on “Crypto Valley,” which is stationed in Switzerland. That region is known for hosting a wide array of crypto and blockchain startups.
Santa Lucia – the town at the center of Bitcoin Valley – is about 20 minutes from the country’s capital city of Tegucigalpa. It’s surrounded by mountains and offers a solid amount of beauty to both residents and visitors alike. The big clincher is that many businesses are counting on bitcoin to attract tourism. By accepting bitcoin as a method of payment, they are hopeful more people will come and take a gander at all the region has to offer.
Cesar Andino – manager of Los Robles shopping square – explained in an interview:
It will open more opportunities and attract more people who want to use this currency.
The goal of Bitcoin Valley will be to train 60 separate businesses in the ways of cryptocurrency acceptance. The plan’s executors are hoping the trend will catch on and that as more businesses throughout Honduras accept or are at least willing to look at crypto through a legitimate lens, the country can become the next version of El Salvador.
Giving Businesses More Opportunities
Bitcoin Valley was ultimately developed by the Blockchain Honduras organization in tandem with the Guatemalan crypto exchange Coincaex. Ruben Carbajal Velazquez – professor at Honduras’ Technological University – stated:
Santa Lucia’s community will be educated to use and manage cryptocurrencies, implementing them in different businesses in the region and generating crypto tourism.
