Suriname flag on the mast
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Thanks to the efforts of hardworking Bitcoin advocates, Bitcoin circular economies are beginning to grow in Suriname.
These economies, the first and most well-known of which is Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, are small-scale jurisdictions in which bitcoin is commonly used as currency amongst residents and merchants. They also often include a Bitcoin education center and are led by locals who have the respect of the community.
Suriname, which has been in Bitcoin-related press as of late because of its pro-Bitcoin presidential candidate Maya Parbhoe, now has two Bitcoin circular economies — Bitcoin Sranan and Bitcoin Alfonsdorp.
In both, residents are learning how to make and accept payments in bitcoin as well as to use bitcoin as a savings technology. The latter has become particularly important as the Surinamese dollar (SRD) has seen inflation rates as high as 59% in recent years.
Bitcoin Sranan
Parbhoe founded Bitcoin Sranan in the nation’s capital, Paramaribo, in 2021 after visiting El Salvador and seeing the impact Bitcoin had on communities like El Zonte firsthand.
Paramaribo, Suriname
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Terence Coronel, a highly-motivated, yet soft-spoken local, has since taken the reins on the project. He spends his days educating community members via the Mi Primer Bitcoin (My First Bitcoin) curriculum and onboarding merchants and other locals to Bitcoin.
“When I started, I decided to go on the road three times a day and approach locals with a sales pitch of ‘Hey, I’m from Bitcoin Sranan, a non-profit organization, and I’m here to let you know that you can accept money through Bitcoin instead of just with bank transfers,” Coronel told me in an interview.
Coronel said that he then helps those interested download the Blink Wallet, a Bitcoin wallet that enables payments via the Lightning Network, before conducting a test transaction with them in which he sends them $3 worth of bitcoin.
While some are reluctant to engage with Coronel at all, he said that dealing with rejection during cold approaches isn’t the hardest part of his work. The bigger challenge lies in getting those interested to show up to the Bitcoin Sranan education center to learn more about Bitcoin.
“The difficult part is getting them to come to and complete the Mi Primer Bitcoin course,” said Coronel.
“It’s 10 weeks long. Some people have trouble finding transport, and some lose interest. Some also think that Bitcoin is about getting rich fast. Most ask ‘Can you teach us to trade?’ or ‘Can you teach us how to buy a car fast?’” he added.
“Usually I respond with ‘We’re not teaching trading. We’re not teaching people to get rich fast. We’re trying to create awareness around Bitcoin so people understand what Bitcoin is, how it works and what it can mean for their future.’”
Due to his perseverance, Coronel and his team have onboarded 110 merchants, many of which, he claimed, are now happy to be part of the Bitcoin network.
“When we onboard them, we place them on BTC Map, on 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 merchants and the merchants are quite surprised and happy, because the funds help them so much in their daily life.”
Bitcoin Alfonsdorp
After learning about Bitcoin at the Bitcoin Sranan education center and beginning to experience the positive effects of saving in bitcoin, Terence Karijondomo felt compelled to begin teaching Bitcoin himself.
Karijondomo is a technically-minded indigenous Surinamese citizen who installs security systems at banks and for private companies for a living. He’d wanted to teach technical skills to people in his village, Alfonsdorp, which is located in a rural region in northeastern Suriname near the border of French Guiana, for some time and feels that teaching Bitcoin is a good gateway to doing this.
“One thing I had in mind was trying to start an education center where I could teach basic ICT — things like how to use a computer, Word, Excel,” Karijondomo told me in an interview.
“I was also going to share my experience in installing security cameras so that people could use the information to help find some work. I’m still going to do that, but now I’m putting Bitcoin first and then, after that, I’ll teach ICT,” he added.
Karijondomo is also motivated to make sure that the indigenous in Suriname don’t miss out on Bitcoin.
“In Suriname, indigenous people are always the last to adopt new technology,” said Karijondomo.
“I want to teach the younger generation about Bitcoin because otherwise they are going to take other paths that are not very good for them,” he added.
“I’m trying to change that, and, in Bitcoin, I found a way to relate to them, so that’s my mission.”
With that said, Karijondomo also pointed out that many have fallen victim to Bitcoin scams in Suriname, which has left them viewing Bitcoin in an unfavorable light.
“Many are traumatized right now because of Bitcoin scams, so some just don’t want to hear anything about it,” he said.
Tailoring Bitcoin Education To The Local Context
A local Surinamese Bitcoin enthusiast who asked that I not disclose his identity and who goes by the pseudonym “NOMAD” on Nostr, also told me in an interview that many in Suriname are “traumatized from being scammed.”
For this reason, NOMAD, a teacher in the Bitcoin Sranan community, explained that Bitcoin educators in Suriname should find creative ways to get through to the people they aim to teach.
He suggested introducing Bitcoin through cabarets, a beloved pastime in Suriname.
“Plays and skits are really popular in Suriname,” said NOMAD.
“With cabarets, you can get people laughing and then go into Bitcoin. For example, every politician in Suriname says the previous government took all the money from the central bank. If you’re on a bitcoin standard, when a politician tells you there’s no money in a central reserve, you just go on your phone and you say ‘Hey! No, you’re lying,’” he explained.
(In this scenario, NOMAD referred to how anyone can audit the Bitcoin blockchain, which can bring more transparency to government spending and foster more accountability for politicians and other officials. This increase in transparency and accountability is part of the reason why Parbhoe wants to put her country on a bitcoin standard.)
NOMAD drove home the point that Bitcoin education must be offered with the local context in mind.
“Maybe 50% of what works in El Zonte will work here,” said NOMAD. “The rest needs to be tailored to Suriname.”