Artificial Intelligence Meets Bitcoin: Inside Bukele’s Trillion-Dollar Plan for El Salvador | Will Hernandez of AsoBitcoin

Is El Salvador truly a Bitcoin paradise, or are banks winning the war? AsoBitcoin President Will Hernandez (@whbitcoin) reveals the truth about banking, taxes, and real estate.

If El Salvador is the ultimate haven for financial freedom, why is it still an absolute nightmare for a Bitcoin company to open a simple savings account? There is a massive disconnect between political idealism and reality on the ground even though several years have passed since the historic bitcoin law entered into force. In this episode, Will Hernandez, President of the El Salvador Bitcoin Association (AsoBitcoin), joins us in the studio to pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to operate a business inside the first country to make Bitcoin an official legal tender.

We tackle the legacy financial system because it represents the biggest battleground for business owners right now. Traditional Salvadoran banks are actively utilizing their legal right of refusal to lock out crypto startups, which proves that institutional hostility remains a major hurdle. To bypass this friction, we lay out a major three month challenge for the association to develop a sovereign tax framework alongside the government. If businesses can pay their corporate and payroll taxes entirely in Bitcoin via OTC intermediaries, entrepreneurs can finally opt out of the fiat system and achieve true corporate asset protection.

International capital continues to flood into the country due to unprecedented corporate tax incentives. Will explains how international founders are completely restructuring their corporate balance sheets because El Salvador charges zero percent capital gains tax when you hold a digital asset in your corporate treasury. This unique tax exemption has triggered a massive boom in the local property market, and it has transformed the coastline into a global hotspot for real estate investment where buyers use specialized OTC desks to close deals entirely on a bitcoin standard.

The grassroots movement is winning the long game through localized Bitcoin circular economies while legacy institutions stall. From surf towns like El Zonte to new tech hubs, communities are building a parallel economy where everyday users constantly refine the software UX. Will emphasizes that the next critical step involves structural education, and he is pushing the Ministry of Education to mandate Bitcoin literacy in private school curriculums so that the next generation natively understands sound money systems.

El Salvador is already positioning itself for the next technological super-cycle by exploring the intersection of decentralized money and sovereign AI. The government is actively pushing its own officials to adopt these emerging technologies because it anticipates a future where autonomous AI agents use the Bitcoin network for automated machine-to-machine payments. This episode provides an unfiltered, boots-on-the-ground look at the triumphs, structural bottlenecks, and future of the ultimate macroeconomic experiment.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to keep supporting open source freedom money, please make sure to subscribe to the channel, share this with a fellow Bitcoiner, and drop a comment below. Just let us know if you think Will can pull off the tax challenge in three months or if Mike needs to call him out on the next show.

—Bitcoin Beach Team

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Browse through this quick guide to learn more about the episode:
00:00  Intro
01:48  Will Hernandez: The famous 3 BTC birthday piñata story
03:37  Why Bitcoin entrepreneurs must study the Satoshi white paper
06:36  How AsoBitcoin filters out crypto scams in El Salvador
09:31  Is the El Salvador Bitcoin Association private or government?
13:28  Why do traditional banks in El Salvador reject Bitcoin startups?
15:05  What is the El Salvador Law of Alternative Funds?
17:26  How to buy real estate in El Salvador using Bitcoin and OTC desks
24:34  How to pay corporate taxes on a pure Bitcoin standard
28:58  Pushing for a mandatory Bitcoin curriculum in private schools
36:09  Sovereign AI: How autonomous agents use Bitcoin for payments

Live From Bitcoin Beach

Transcript

Will Hernandez: 0:00

In El Salvador, what we are looking from the Bitcoin companies that everybody right now see El Salvador as a place to build on Bitcoin, and this is key, you know. So we're looking like companies, you know, like Btasker, you companies that are being born outside, you know, like Airbtc, instead of, like, you know, Airbnb, yeah, or Btasker instead of Upwork, and I always say, like, for example, the Bitcoin Hardware Store, as well, you know, some, some of a few examples, as well, of people building in El Salvador, a that gives you know a representation of everything that happens in the Fiat world you can do it with Bitcoin.

Mike Peterson: 1:09

We have Will with us in the studio today. Will is the President of the El Salvador Bitcoin Association, or also Bitcoin? Have we had you on the podcast before?

Will Hernandez: 1:18

No, it's the first time. Yes, we were gonna have one, but yes, yeah.

Mike Peterson: 1:23

This has been a long time coming, then. I'm gonna expect you to carry the show today. I, my son talked me into doing legs with him today, and I'm hate doing leg day, but, but I'm gonna try to rally here for so tell us a little bit about your history. You're obviously from El Salvador, and how did you get into the Bitcoin space?

Will Hernandez: 1:48

Well, I'm from El Salvador. Well, I learned about Bitcoin when Bitcoin was$400 actually, and it was amazing. Where I paid for a job that they did. A guy from Poland in Chicago asked me, 'Hey, listen, you can just pay me in Bitcoin. So I went to see what is Bitcoin, where do I buy it, and everything. So I went to this platform, and I bought Bitcoin, you know. There it was Coinmama.

Mike Peterson: 2:16

Coinmama.

Will Hernandez: 2:18

Long time ago. Yeah, so I was like, I bought it with my debit card, and I said,"Okay, here, I don't have to pay, I don't have.. I didn't have to go through banks or anything, I just bought Bitcoin and send it to me.

Mike Peterson: 2:27

So he was like a subcontractor work for you guys.

Will Hernandez: 2:30

Yeah, something with a website,

Mike Peterson: 2:32

Okay.

Will Hernandez: 2:33

So then I just.. and I was like, "Oh my god, this is amazing, just going through paying Bitcoin peer to peer without banks in the middle, and you know, just, hey, did you get it? Yes. Thank you. Okay, done. Okay. So then I started, you know, going into it, but everybody has that story of like the pizza that we're gonna be having very shortly on this Friday here, but I didn't. I commit a mistake, I didn't study the white paper at that moment, so you know, I said, 'Oh, I have some Bitcoin, I have to pay for a pinata. So I had my pinata for my daughter paid on Bitcoin, and I, I spent like three Bitcoin on that pinata at that time, you know. So I have my, my own pizza story, but with a pinata, so that's that's funny, because I mean, but that made me understand that people need to study Bitcoin. Yeah, and it's super important to study the white paper, and everything is, and education is key, and that's why I see,

Mike Peterson: 3:31

Mistake wasn't paying for the pinata in Bitcoin. That's a great thing, mistake was not replacing the Bitcoin afterwards.

Will Hernandez: 3:37

Yeah, making it fast. Yeah, that's why, yeah, so, so, yeah, and I learned Bitcoin about it. Then, then I went to work for this company called Paxful, you know, where was one of the platforms that people used to buy Bitcoin, and I became director for Latin America and created use cases around it. People were using Paxful for importation and exportation payments on Bitcoin from Africa, from all over the place, but since,

Mike Peterson: 4:08

And when was that, that you started working with Paxful?

Will Hernandez: 4:10

That was in 2020.

Mike Peterson: 4:12

Okay, it was after they kind of made the announcement, yeah, but before the law had gone into place. Okay,

Will Hernandez: 4:20

Yes, yes, and yeah, I was like, you know, telling the government as well to a listen, you should settle the gold, or the gold that was sold, that you know, if the amount of gold that was sold in the past government was, could have been placed in Bitcoin, we could have, like, be a become a little bit more for our treasury, so that started happening, you know. I started like getting involved into those conversations as well, and you know, learning about Bitcoin every day, and how people use it every day. Immediately, you know, we came to Bitoin Beach, of course, to check out how it was, you know.

Mike Peterson: 4:57

So, were you surprised when you heard that the proposed law, when you heard the announcement?

Will Hernandez: 5:02

As soon as, as soon as the law was passed, you know, I was on the Twitter space, you know, at 1am in the morning when the law was passed, or 1:30am in the morning the next day. I mean, I came here to El Salvador and check out and start having, like, you know, meetings and everything with the Chamber of Commerce, you know, with my friends in different, different places in El Salvador, that they were asking why, what is this, what's going to be happening, you know. So I started going into the space like that,

Mike Peterson: 5:33

Yeah. And I'm sure it was probably a total surprise to you, you had this history with Bitcoin, and then, yeah, out of nowhere, you hear this announcement, the government's adopting it.

Will Hernandez: 5:40

Yeah, because I was living in Guatemala when I was impactful, and I came here, like, for that, and then afterwards, you know, well, I, after Paxville, I, we, they, we created the Bitcoin Association.

Mike Peterson: 5:52

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 Manga 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,

Will Hernandez: 6:36

You know, we saw a need of creating the Bitcoin Association with support with the Bitcoin office due to the fact that you know the Bitcoin office was created as a decree from the government, so that you know they dictate the policy, having Stacy and Max, you know, guiding it. Yeah, and we had a meeting and we said, "Hey, listen, we should create the Bitcoin Association, so that we can identify the Bitcoin companies that are landing in El Salvador, and also identify the companies that are not Bitcoin, so that people do not fall on Ponzi's and everything like that.

Mike Peterson: 7:11

No, because at that time there was all the different Shitcoin companies were pouring in, they were, they were meeting with different government officials, yes, saying that they were like Bitcoin or the better than Bitcoin, and yes, and a lot of these government officials had no background, and so they didn't know, and so they were inviting them to come down because they had promised these big investments, and so yes, that was a.. I remember at that time it was, I mean, even here in El Zonte, we had people come up and try to set up shop across from from Hope House, and it was, it was horrible, and that's that's why I'm so thankful to Max and Stacy. They've always really done a great job of keeping that type of trash out of the country and really kind of focusing on that, and I know the Bitcoin Association was kind of born out of that same desire, but also to have a number of companies, Salvadoran companies, that would have a say in the direction that things were going, and they could kind of be a voice to the government of what policies would be helpful and which ones would be harmful. Yes, when was that founded?

Will Hernandez: 8:15

It was founded in 2022 February 2022 and one of the things that it was very important is that you know it when we launched it, you know, it was the Minister of Tourism, you know, the Minister of Economy, Max Stacy, you know, everybody from the,

Mike Peterson: 8:32

They we're both amazing ministers, have done, yeah, done amazing, yeah,

Will Hernandez: 8:36

That they have made a big, I mean, an amazing job, you know, bringing, bringing a, you know, a companies to invest in El Salvador as well. We had invited also from Invest El Salvador as well there, and it was very important just to like let everybody know that, hey, listen, we have a Bitcoin Association, but is the Bitcoin Association supported by the government of El Salvador, and that create a different scenario of a any other Bitcoin association that is created, but there's no regulation or there's no law in any other country. This is like the first Bitcoin association in a, in a country that Bitcoin is legal tender.

Mike Peterson: 9:16

So, just, just to understand the technical details of it, because I'm a little fuzzy myself. I know the government was in support of the also Bitcoin, but there it's not officially a government entity, correct?

Will Hernandez: 9:31

It's a private entity. Yeah, it's a private entity with the support, and like for example, if there's like important event, like for example, right now we have, you know, coming up, or you know, the Bitcoin Histoico in November. Yeah, you know, so we coordinate with with Max and Stacy with the Bitcoin office. A listen, okay? Can we get a, a, how, how can we help, you know, a from the Bitcoin companies like. Like, for example, to create speaker spots or panels, and everything we did that last year as well, and we also not only do that for like events in El Salvador, you know, like in the past we took a - it was twice that we went to the Bitcoin conference as well, that you know they gave us a booth of El Salvador, and we showcase the Bitcoin ecosystem, you know, of El Salvador through the booth. So we invited the companies to

Mike Peterson: 10:30

Which that booth was one of the most popular booths in the trade show, and

Will Hernandez: 10:35

Yeah,

Mike Peterson: 10:35

It was definitely missed this year. Bitcoin conference, you guys should bring that booth back.

Will Hernandez: 10:40

Yes, definitely. Where it was very important for us, but we had an event, you know, a side event this year. It was very important that event, due to the fact that we say,"Okay, let's go and have a side event, because, like, that we also have time to control the panels. Who's gonna be talking? We invited some people for sponsor, and we had very good, you know, support also from the Bitcoin office. They gave us the seal of the Bitcoin office in order for the, and you know, that event was a, that was our, you know, our, our how to call it, our trigger marketing,

Mike Peterson: 11:17

Yeah.

Will Hernandez: 11:18

Mystery place.

Mike Peterson: 11:20

And I do think it's so important, because you know things have drifted in the direction of becoming so corporate, and I would say kind of fiat focused, and so I think it's important that at these events that we, you know, that we hold on to what Bitcoin really is about it's freedom money, it's money that is open for everybody to use. It's, it's, yes, corporations and governments can use it, but really it's the money of the people, and so we need to make sure we maintain that ethos at these events.

Will Hernandez: 11:53

Yes, and one of the very important things is what you guys are doing as well, you know, with the Bitcoin education, but in El Salvador, what we are looking from the Bitcoin companies that everybody right now see El Salvador as a place to build on Bitcoin, and this is key, you know. So we're looking like companies, you know, like b-tasker, you know, even companies that are being born outside, you know, like Airbtc, instead of, like, you know, Airbnb, or b-tasker instead of Upwork, and I always say, like, for example, the Bitcoin Hardware Store, as well. You know, some, some of a few examples, as well, of people building in El Salvador that gives you know a representation of everything that happens in the fiat world, you can do it with Bitcoin, you know. So it's in decentralized, it can be, you know, it's not only, you know, just peer to peer, but it's a technology that is used to build more jobs for people, so that we can scale and bring prosperity. What we have seen here, especially with the circular economies.

Mike Peterson: 13:03

Yeah,

Will Hernandez: 13:03

Wherever there's a circular economy, it was born here, and I see, for example, the companies that are being used in the Bitcoin circular economies all over the world are creating the UX, which is very important for the companies, so that you know, prosperity grows because it's easy for them to experiment what Bitcoin is in their hats.

Mike Peterson: 13:28

No, and I think there's still.. I mean, the reality is El Salvador is by far the easiest place to live on a Bitcoin standard. I mean, it's.. it's.. I mean, I would.. I would say 10x what the closest other country is, as far as being able to use it on a daily basis, but we still have so far to go. There's still a lot of challenges for Bitcoin companies that are trying to run on a Bitcoin standard. They're still, because they have to pay taxes and fiat, there's still the need to interact with the fiat system, which is, is a real shame, and so I do think that's important, for you know, there to be organizations like also Bitcoin that can kind of like

Will Hernandez: 14:11

Channel

Mike Peterson: 14:11

Speak to the government, they could kind of be this conduit to let them know that hey, there's these challenges we still face, and I mean, quite frankly, the banks and El Salvador are still pretty hostile to Bitcoin companies. Like, I've found if you start a company here and you have Bitcoin in the name, you're going to face a lot more scrutiny than if you don't. And so, how do we have it that we have Bitcoin country and we have the banks, you know, kind of trying to squash these these companies? So, there's there's a lot of work to be done.

Will Hernandez: 14:42

Yes, for example, yes, within the banks, I mean, we saw that in the, but we, we addressed this before, and we saw that, a, you know, the bank law here says that they have that right of refusal, yeah, and that's why they grab themselves, because I mean, Bitcoin is a competition for the banks, and we all know that, so that's why, but now you know, a now there's the, there wasn't, there's a new law created, which is the Law of Alternative Funds, in which you know you can create a fund or a Bitcoin bank, in which you know your minimum investor can bring, you know,$250,000 worth of, you know, you can receive it in Bitcoin inside a Bitcoin bank, so this is something that is triggering, you know, in placing the eyes of the bank. Say, listen, I mean, the government is like going forward into Bitcoin. We are a Bitcoin country, and yes, definitely, we're buying Bitcoin in our treasuries, and they are creating loss related to Bitcoin, so I see that, you know, some, some events have a has has has happened, but right now, definitely, like in the retail area, is kind of like difficult in order to go ahead and do that,

Mike Peterson: 16:00

Yeah.

Will Hernandez: 16:01

You know,

Mike Peterson: 16:01

No, I know they, they passed the some, some legislation that there can be Bitcoin banks. I'm still trying to understand what that's going to look like on a practical level, and I'm very anxious to see them rolled out. I mean, I know these things take time, but we want everything to happen yesterday. So, for those of you out there that are working on that. Let's, let's get going, because we, I mean, the banks, the reality is the banks in El Salvador are holding back the economy, and we need to see real change here.

Will Hernandez: 16:32

Yes, yes, I remember, like, you know, some people were trying to, like, bring, you know, to purchase real estate here in El Salvador with Bitcoin, and they said, hey, listen, but sometimes you know the owners do not want to take Bitcoin, so then there has to be a structure on which you know there has to be an OTC operation, and then you know that's why you know that that's why I believe that you know regulation is good, so that the OTC operations can vouch for a real estate purchase on Bitcoin, you know, because, like, that you set up in the purchase agreement of the of the property the price of Bitcoin and everything, and that what this is placed there, so there's an advancement there, you know, and there's a few companies in the Bitcoin Association that they provide that service, and that has helped a lot people invest in El Salvador with Bitcoin.

Mike Peterson: 17:26

I'd love for you to give a shout out to those companies that, if you know them offhand.

Will Hernandez: 17:31

Oh, no, yeah, definitely. Yeah, well, we have a Athena Bitcoin, they do OTC as well. We got a Dito Banks, they do OTC, and they were also a Silver wallet, they do silver investments, they call, they, they also do OTC regarding property, property purchase of Bitcoin, and right now that there's like it's a big boom, El Salvador

Mike Peterson: 17:52

is Ibex a member of us,

Will Hernandez: 17:53

Ibex as well, yes, Ibex is a member, and also Ibex, and Ibex, not only do that, they also provide liquidity for other companies in Bitcoin, that they can go ahead and, you know, a move money around, move Bitcoin around through, through, through, through their process as well, and also Troquera, which is a company that was born in Colombia, came to El Salvador,

Mike Peterson: 18:17

Blanking on the names right now, but they actually hosted me in Colombia when we were there for the conference, for the conference.

Will Hernandez: 18:23

Troquera yeah, and,

Mike Peterson: 18:24

Went out and we rode those horses, the ones that go real quick,

Will Hernandez: 18:29

The Caballo Peruano, the Peruvian horses.

Mike Peterson: 18:31

No, but the Colombian ones, the ones that like the what did they call that, Paco? It's like the dancing horses, yeah. I got thrown, yeah,

Will Hernandez: 18:41

You got thrown, okay? No, so there's many companies like looking to do all these operations as well here, and they are helping the economy, they're helping Bitcoiners come to El Salvador to invest, you know, when we had the event right now in Las Vegas, the side event over there, I, you know, there's people approached us saying, How do I invest in El Salvador? Where do I go to invest? You know, I want to go and check out a, you know, I want to go surf. Yeah, I want, you know, and, and some people don't even go to San Salvador, they go straight from the beach, so from the airport to El Zonte, you know, and this is something very, very interesting.

Mike Peterson: 19:24

So, as the, you're still the president, right? Yes, Vasa Bitcoin is, as the president, what do you see as the top priority for the association in this next year? Like, what do you have your sights set on?

Will Hernandez: 19:36

Well, right now, what we're looking to see is, it is that many more companies, they, they are following the example of what's happening in El Salvador. So, if there's, you know, the law of a, there's no capital gain tax when there's Bitcoin in their treasuries. So I see that right now, there's companies, family offices, and everything, they are trying to come over and install themselves in El Salvador, and one of the very good things, and one of the things that is very important for the Bitcoin Association is to provide, like, you know, the right members in order for them to go ahead and get the right legal assessment, so that they can come here and become successful on what they want to do,.

Mike Peterson: 20:21

And I think there's a number of lawyers that part of the Bitcoin Association.

Will Hernandez: 20:24

We got more than more than six law firms in the Bitcoin Association. You can check them at the asobitcoin.org and you can place them in competition, all of them, so that they can go ahead and, you know, get, get, get, you know, get the best price, get the best service, get everything, and if some something you don't like about any of them, well, you can. I receive it sometimes, you know. Hey, listen, I believe that there could be a better service or everything. So, I, we also receive a, you know, a feedback from people that are trying to come to El Salvador, and they don't like the service. I mean, we get that information as well, and we share it with them to see, like, how can we improve this service for the people that are trying to come to El Salvador, because there's a lot of people from Europe, from North America, from South America, they're looking to El Salvador as the place for them to get regulated and be and go out.

Mike Peterson: 21:17

Yeah, one thing I've found in dealing with lawyers in El Salvador, that's a little different than the US. You kind of have to push them a little bit. Yes, it's.. I'm like, don't you want my money? Don't you want to get this thing given in the US? You're afraid when they call you because they're going to bill you a crazy amount. But yeah, here you have to push them a little bit. So, if you're starting a company here, don't be.. don't be afraid to be the squeaky wheel.

Will Hernandez: 21:36

Yes, yes, you'll have to tell them, "Hey, listen, how's my process going? Did you go.. did you check this out? So, but this is normal here, and it's, and it's fine to go ahead and do it, because lawyers here are used to it. Yes,

Mike Peterson: 21:46

So for people that are interested in starting a company in El Salvador, or at least, you know, like looking to see what's what's out there, can they contact you, get somebody at asobitcoin, or what type of services do you guys provide anything, or is it more just a website and a page that kind of pass on to other providers?

Will Hernandez: 22:06

Yes, we have a, we have a, an email called a, which is info@asobitcoin.org and we have received a lot of, like, a requirements there from people that they want to go here, and you know, we, we, we provide them, you know, like the law firms, the people, they want to go ahead and they want to make a request. Hey, listen, how do I buy land? You know, we give them, you know, the real estate companies, like Good Life, you know, like a 503 silver as well. And so we have a little bit of anything that touches Bitcoin in El Salvador can be in the Bitcoin Association. Okay, so why? Because we want Bitcoin to be moved here a lot. So this is one of the things that is very important as well.

Mike Peterson: 22:52

And so in this next year, you're just more focused on making that more accessible for everybody.

Will Hernandez: 22:58

Yes, making, making that more accessible, trying to, well, the get promotion out of the Bitcoin companies that are here. We have seen very successful stories of companies in the Bitcoin Association that have gone, you know, outside of El Salvador for the Bitcoin conference, and you know, a, they have made their name out, you know, we have seen, you know, like for example, or otherwise, a like the ATM company, What's.. I just like lost from.. from what's the name of this ATM company here?

Mike Peterson: 23:39

Gosh,

Will Hernandez: 23:40

You know, the little one, the little one, he just got,

Mike Peterson: 23:43

Paco? No, no k1 k1

Will Hernandez: 23:49

Yes, k1 like for example, they came out and they were a big success, you know, in the Bitcoin conference, and you know, because of the promotion in these conferences, they got like orders in, and now, They ship around the world, they're like all

Mike Peterson: 24:02

They ship those things around, over, and that's just one example. And also, you know, Bit Driver, you know, Bit Driver, when people want to come to El Salvador, they are promoted outside, they call Bit Driver in order for them to get picked up at the airport and move them around, and everything, you know, and right now we're looking, also, you know, the how also good life is like, you know, increasing, increasing, little, like little by little, but, but fast, yeah, you know, and, and because of the promotions that are happening outside as well. So I have a task I'd like to give you, I have something I'd like to see also Bitcoin do that. I think is very important for the ecosystem. Is you guys need to work with the liquidity providers and the government. There needs to be a way that companies can pay their taxes in Bitcoin. I know that there's an issue with the IMF of them, the government actually receiving, but that doesn't mean that. Couldn't be a company that serves as an intermediary, and they can charge a fee, kind of like credit card companies do in the US. If I want to pay my taxes in the US by credit card, I have to pay a convenience fee to do that. And so it's kind of a simple fix. It would allow

Will Hernandez: 25:10

Bitcoin Association, they have said, companies that are currently trying to be on a Bitcoin standard to not have to deal with the banks at all, because we've run into is we're opening a couple hotels, we have no way to pay the payroll taxes and the other things, because they, there needs to be a service provider that we can pay in Bitcoin, so I don't have to touch fiat.'Listen, let's try to implement this, you know.

Mike Peterson: 25:46

So, I mean, it's a win-win for everybody. It's a win for the government. They'll get their taxes faster. It's a win as far as Bitcoin companies. They don't run afoul of any of the IMF things. The company that does it can make money off of it, like it's a win win.

Will Hernandez: 26:01

In thing, just like buying appropriate Bitcoin, you know, there's there's an OTC in the in the equation, and you know that the end user, like in this case the government, they will receive the fiat, yeah, yeah,

Mike Peterson: 26:15

So yeah, that's that's your task, yeah, we have that, we'll bring it back on, we got a noted whip, you if you have not done that? All right, now I've told you what my priority is. What would you, if you could ask the government for one thing, like what is something that you think needs to change in order to allow Bitcoin companies to flourish here?

Will Hernandez: 26:38

Well, right now, one of the, well, actually, the government is doing a great job. Everything, like you can create a company really quick, you know. Here, as such, you can do it like in one, two days, you know. And well, lawyers take one week and everything for, because you know, you hire them for them to do it as well. But the government is managing, you know, the creation of companies like a startup, you know, this is one of the government, what the person wanted to run the country that way.

Mike Peterson: 27:14

I agree, the government's doing a great job, but I want to hear one thing you want them to work on to change.

Will Hernandez: 27:19

Well,

Mike Peterson: 27:19

We got it, we gotta push to make it better, so what always be better.

Will Hernandez: 27:24

What I would like is to have in the retail easy access to banking, like you know, have the banks open the accounts for Bitcoin companies easily, because this is something that has been since day one. It has been a problem,

Mike Peterson: 27:40

That was problem for us. Yeah, we had, as we were doing this, hotels, it was like crazy trying to get an account opened up, and because we had Bitcoin in the name of it, and it was,

Will Hernandez: 27:51

Yeah, so, so, so, so, this is something that it has nothing to do, you know, if they, but you know, there's, there has to be, you know, lobbying in the change of the law of the banking law and everything, so yeah, there's, but this is something that we need, you know, we're Bitcoin country, and banks are private, but Bitcoin is legal tender, but yes, we have to do that. One of the things that also we saw, it is that, you know, payment processor companies here in El Salvador, as soon as the Bitcoin came out, like, say, oh, it's now it's optional to accept Bitcoin, and everything. I mean, more payment processors started being asked, so now this is something that we saw in the how people were behaving. If you get it, like, you know, you gotta do it like this, then you know they stop. Yeah, now, now, now, when it is optional, they say, like, oh, I wanna, I want,

Mike Peterson: 28:39

That's what I tell people, like, oh, I heard it's not retired anymore, and nobody's accepted. I'm like, actually, it's easier to use Bitcoin now than it's ever been, and I think that is part of it, because some of the people that, when they're told they had to, they,

Will Hernandez: 28:52

Yeah,

Mike Peterson: 28:52

But all of a sudden, when it was optional, they're like, oh, but my competitors are doing it, so maybe I need to get in on this.

Will Hernandez: 28:58

Yeah, and also, you know, one of the things also that we're looking to see is, you know, a the education area of the government are going into public schools, but it would be great for also the private schools, put them in the curriculum, so the Minister of Econ, the Minister of Education need to place Bitcoin as well in all private schools, that would be great to have, so that you know, a also, I mean, not only public schools get their Bitcoin education, also private schools in Osaka. That is something that I would love to see.

Mike Peterson: 29:32

No, I think that that's something that I think for a lot of private schools, if they were given the right tools and it was made fairly easy for them that there would be ones that adopt and the ones that don't will, I think, pay the price for it. So hopefully we'll see somebody kind of step into that and start pushing that.

Will Hernandez: 29:50

Yeah, with all the documentation that Bitcoin Beach has done in education, and also, you know, the new diploma that has been presented as well, I mean. There's no way people cannot learn about Bitcoin in El Salvador. Yeah, so, and not only that, now, now that that's for retail, but Bitcoin also in El Salvador is getting more institutional. We see that, you know, like I told you, like there's, you know, trusts, family offices, also a to implement that companies, normal companies in El Salvador, that they're not Bitcoin companies, they put Bitcoin into treasuries, like in their balance, because they have no capital gain tax, and not that they, many people know about it still. So, I guess you know also the Ministerial Deci, and that should like percent all they have it out there because the law is there, yeah, but like to promote it as well.

Mike Peterson: 30:47

Well, and it's a big difference if a company is, has you know, say they have a million dollars in their treasury and they don't want to leave it in cash because they know cash is just going to keep depreciating, if they invest in stocks when they sell that they're going to have to pay capital gains on that, but if they put that in the Bitcoin in El Salvador, they don't have that, so it just makes sense over time that companies will move in that direction, and the ones that don't will probably go out of business, because they won't be able to compete with the others.

Will Hernandez: 31:16

Yes, and we see that also in other countries when we hear that a company is placing Bitcoin in their treasury, in their balance sheet, their stock goes up, you know. And we've seen, so we need to like present that,

Mike Peterson: 31:28

Especially when it's real companies doing real things. I'm, I'm the whole Bitcoin treasury company thing. No, to me that's just a sideshow, but when real companies, yes, saving Bitcoin in their balance sheet, the balance sheet. Yes, that is the way to do it.

Will Hernandez: 31:42

Yeah, yeah. Bitcoin under balance, actual Bitcoin.

Mike Peterson: 31:44

You guys are seeing that in companies here in El Salvador.

Will Hernandez: 31:46

Yes, I'm like, when I talk to my friends about it, we say I tell them, hey, listen, you know that if you put Bitcoin in your balance sheet, you can, I mean, you, I mean, you don't have to pay capital gain tax, and they said, really. Okay, so now, How do I do that? Well, you need to get a wallet, and then you start, you know, orange peeling them.

Mike Peterson: 32:06

Yeah,

Will Hernandez: 32:06

Then you need to register that wallet with the Minister of Hacienda, and that's how you go ahead and start. So, and some are doing it, so we're looking, you know, a shift, because they see, oh, you know, and real estate companies, you know, or develop developers, you know. I just had a meeting last week, in which one big developer coming from another country, they have like this big two actual two big projects here in El Salvador, say, "Listen, I don't know why, but people want to pay me on Bitcoin. Okay, of course they want to pay you on Bitcoin because they are investors from outside. Yeah, they don't want to go through the correspondent banks, and then you know, doing all that. So, so that's that's happening right now. And so they call us and say, hey, listen, how do we do this? So we are looking where we are seeing all these changes in El Salvador, and in the projection that we are getting out when we go to different conferences, as well. I mean, when we say, "Listen, we come from El Salvador, we are a Bitcoin country, and everything they say, "Listen, we, we like what you guys are doing. I know that you said, Mike, I mean, there's so much way to go. Thanks for the test that you have given me, but definitely, I mean, these are tests that I mean, some companies also are working themselves also with the government to try to do that relationship as well themselves, but we are just going to be supporting them as well.

Mike Peterson: 33:38

Yeah, no, to me that's a very practical thing that would be very easy for a company to make money, provide the government a service, and make life easier for Bitcoiners like myself that don't want to have to deal with fiat.

Will Hernandez: 33:50

Like for example, like Airbtc came, you know, he was in the show, Jake, so he came and we took him to the Minister of Tourism, and then they placed in the, in the, in the site of the Minister of Tourism, Air BTC, because that's going to increase Bitcoiners to come to El Salvador and pay on Bitcoin, you know, in the, on the Bitcoin standard to get real, you know, their hotels, or to, you know, their extended stays here, so that's how you see that the government is supporting the Bitcoin ecosystem. So this is just like one example as well. Also, we see Bitcoin Hostorico, it is the moment in which the President opens, you know, the and I tell people, listen, a good time for you to go to Salvador, you know, right now that we just had, I was, I went to the Bitcoin conference, and then consensus, and is Bitcoin Historico in November. Why? Because there's no rain, you know, and the President opens,

Mike Peterson: 34:48

Sort of summer in El Salvador. It's in November.

Will Hernandez: 34:50

Yeah, so the President opens our national jewels, you know, that have been changed as well, and you know everything is red carpeted that. National Palace, yeah, all downtown, and the theater, and everything, and it's like, very, it's very special, you know, that, that, that happens,

Mike Peterson: 35:09

And we got to set up the podcast studio in what was originally like the Senate, for, yeah, where they used to meet a long time ago, so that was a lot of fun,

Will Hernandez: 35:20

Yes, so it was like the first time that our government go ahead and does that, so you know, so there's a lot of people that are going to be arriving in November for Bitcoin Historico I know that. Yes,

Mike Peterson: 35:32

That's definitely a time. So, if you're making plans to come to El Salvador, definitely plan on November. Yeah, that's the time to do it. Is there anything else that you wanted to touch on that we didn't cover?

Will Hernandez: 35:44

Well a,

Mike Peterson: 35:45

What you're doing now, or what have you got anything exciting up your sleeve?

Will Hernandez: 35:49

What do you think of a, you know, Bitcoin and AI, that what do you, what do you feel about that, Mike, regarding Bitcoin in the joining of AI and all these agents using, you know, Bitcoin to pay and everything. I want, I want, I wanted to ask you, what's happening with, with what do you think of that?

Mike Peterson: 36:09

Yeah, I, I think that obviously we're in the middle of this huge revolution. I had my eyes opened, even during the Bitcoin conference, talking to some people, yes, that run companies in the Bitcoin space, and, and them, you know, talking about how they actually view their agents as employees, they're setting up of their own identity, their own tasks, and definitely it's going to transform things, and to be able to use a decentralized money in that space. Yes, I think is a natural, and so I do think that we're going to see. I'm kind of thankful I'm a little old, and I think I can kind of just skate by and not have to delve too much into that. I'm sure my kids will have to, but you know, I have some concerns with AI, just, you know, like everybody else. But I do think it's going to be the future, and there'll be some amazing things that come out.

Will Hernandez: 36:58

Yes, because right now, for example, there's companies starting to ask that question. Hey is El Salvador is very interested in AI, you know, in Bitcoin, like agents to use Bitcoin for payments automatically. That is something that's going to start happening as well. So, you know, we're going to start probably looking in the Bitcoin Association. Some companies as well, like, are gonna be touching Bitcoin and agents as well. So, this is something that is gonna be happening right now. I believe that this is a, you know, it's like you said, a new revolution.

Mike Peterson: 37:32

Yeah, but I think the government is very smart to be, to be focused on that, and to be looking forward. Yeah, it doesn't surprise me at all that they're doing that.

Will Hernandez: 37:40

So yes, I mean, definitely, that's that's what we were happening. One of the big conferences is this, and also a Bitcoin Historico,

Mike Peterson: 37:50

And there was a recent AI conference here focused on that. Yes, last a few weeks ago, right?

Will Hernandez: 37:54

Yeah, it was like two weeks sovereign AI, yeah, sovereign AI, and it was very important due to the fact that that's where you know things the government is ahead of everyone,

Mike Peterson: 38:05

And I heard, too, that the government, like they said, "Hey, most of the officials, you need to go to this, you need to understand, you need, so they're really pushing their own people to be adopters and understand this technology.

Will Hernandez: 38:17

But we need to bring the Bitcoin into that mix,

Mike Peterson: 38:20

Yeah, 100%.

Will Hernandez: 38:22

Yes. So, so the, you know, having, you know, the miners becoming more efficient through AI, you know, the analysis and everything. So, yes, this is something that is happening as well.

Mike Peterson: 38:32

Awesome.

Will Hernandez: 38:33

Yeah, so I mean, in the Bitcoin Association, we are ready to promote, you know, this type of this any Bitcoin company that are landing in El Salvador that would like to land here in El Salvador as well, and definitely we are there to to have the that relationship, so that they can talk to the Bitcoin office when necessary. If there's, you know, something that a something that you suggest, like in a law, in a law change, or anything like that, we can provide with the legal committee of the Bitcoin Association, a, you know, some suggestions, so that the government can look at it. So this is something that we, we have also been looking as well.

Mike Peterson: 39:20

Perfect. Yeah. So, where can people find information on this? What website? What Twitter handle? Where can they start sending you threats if you don't follow through?

Will Hernandez: 39:35

No, you can go ahead and put us a Bitcoin. We just, we, we use a lot of us X, so on X, you can, you can reach out to us as well, and info at Asobitcoin.org and our communication is Communications at Asobitcoin.org. So we have a, you know, we have a good team of people in the Bitcoin Association that we work together, when, and we get, you know, we got together to make things happen, you know, just like we did that event, when, since we did not get that booth that we wanted, you know, we had to say, let's do a great event, so what's,

Mike Peterson: 40:14

Next year Bitcoin conference, do better.

Will Hernandez: 40:17

No, but we, I want to say, thank you to like all the sponsors that helped that happen as well, and all the invites, you know, the support from Stacy, you know, a as well, a in the Bitcoin office, you know, Jimmy Song, you, the, you had a great panel there, the people from Block Stream as well,

Mike Peterson: 40:38

Did we put that, we are put those up, Paco It, yeah, it was, it was, it was a fun event. I don't really like Vegas, but I really like this side event. It was, it was a lot of fun.

Will Hernandez: 40:50

Yeah, so there was, you know, we got legal companies there as well, so you know, you know, Mike Germano was there, who was the lead of the Bitcoin conference in the past.

Mike Peterson: 41:01

Yeah, I didn't recognize him as first with his long hair. He looks like he's undercover, you know, working for the DEA or something. Now that's that Mike right there.

Will Hernandez: 41:11

No, and the good thing is that there were people that have been in El Salvador that had no El Salvador that no more excited people were like doing.

Mike Peterson: 41:20

There was energy in that event.

Will Hernandez: 41:21

Yeah, so, so it was a good, so yeah. I think we're gonna be having more side events as well in Bitcoin conferences. We are talking to see, but I don't want to like do it. The spoiler, but maybe there's gonna be another definitely side event in Europe as well. So we're just talking to see if that's gonna be happening in the

Mike Peterson: 41:42

Front conference?

Will Hernandez: 41:44

Maybe,

Mike Peterson: 41:44

Maybe, that's soon.

Will Hernandez: 41:48

Yeah, but we're talking about it, we were talking to see, we can go ahead and we pull that off, but definitely, I mean, that's that's one of the things that helps, you know, a the companies in the Bitcoin Association to get promoted outside and in a very strong position, you know, because we had the space was for 150 people and we have more than 400 people getting registered into that event, so people want to know what's happening in El Salvador, so that's the way, you know, to go as well.

Mike Peterson: 42:19

Yeah, no, I was, I was shocked at the how many people showed up, because there was like 50 side events going on at the same time, but they actually, we were packed out, yeah,

Will Hernandez: 42:32

Yeah. So it was good, it was good, it was a great event, it was a success, yeah.

Mike Peterson: 42:35

So you got three months to get this tax thing done, and then we're gonna call in, we're gonna put an announcement for them to start tracking you down.

Will Hernandez: 42:45

We're gonna, we're gonna have more people here. Yeah,

Mike Peterson: 42:49

I will. Well, so do you have your own Twitter handle? Do you want people to follow that?

Will Hernandez: 42:53

Yes, the people can reach me out at WH Bitcoin at X, and for the Bitcoin Association is AsoBitcoin period. Yes, and oh, and I want to make an announcement as well, due to the fact that what's happening in El Salvador in the Bitcoin Association we have created also and helped support it create the Bitcoin Association of Mexico.

Mike Peterson: 43:16

Oh, really?

Will Hernandez: 43:17

And we have the Bitcoin Association of the Dominican Republic, so there's also Bitcoin Mexico and Asso Bitcoin Dominican Republic, so we can Peru is in the formation, and right now, so Bitcoin Colombia is trying to, like, you know, trying to check something out, but this is something that is gonna create a synergy between Bitcoin companies from different locations, because they are some are not here, and like that, we can, you know, combine efforts to take Bitcoin global.

Mike Peterson: 43:46

Awesome.

Will Hernandez: 43:46

Yeah.

Mike Peterson: 43:47

All right., Will, well, you got your work cut out for you this year ahead, so appreciate you coming in. And, oh, thank you for that invitation. My update.

Will Hernandez: 43:55

Thank you, thank you, Mike, for an invitation. It's great, always to be here at El Zonte. Yeah, you know, Bitcoin Beach, Bitcoin Beach. Yeah, appreciate it.