Last Wednesday, August 18, the Bitcoin Café Venezuela opened operations in Caracas, the country’s first technological themed coffee focused on the main cryptocurrency. To learn more details about this initiative, CriptoNoticias spoke with the CEO of the establishment, Carmen Salvador, who is also CEO of FinTech 4.0, a company dedicated to consulting and technological training.
The executive highlights that Bitcoin Café was born out of the educational and outreach activities organized by Fintech 4.0. It is conceived as a place for recreation, but it also wants to be identified as a meeting and discussion point around technological innovation , says Salvador.
– How did the idea of a café associated with bitcoin and cryptocurrencies come about?
– In Fintech 4.0, which started operations in August 2018, we have now spent three years dedicated to advising and training technology in the financial technology area. We have participated in several initiatives in conjunction with the Fintech Association of Venezuela and, for a year, we conceived the project of a space for the meeting of the community interested in financial technology and cryptocurrencies.
The project of a café identified with financial technologies and specifically with bitcoin and cryptocurrencies began in September 2020, due to the demand for the dissemination activities that Fintech 4.0 had been carrying out , in addition to the academic activity they carry out, says Salvador.
The executive explains that they teach a diploma in Trading, Investments and Digital Economy that has been taught to 6 cohorts and they are starting the seventh. This specialization program is endorsed by the Avepane University Institute. “We also organize technological talks to introduce the topics of financial technology and cryptocurrencies to interested people”, says the executive.
“We have a little more than a week in operation and we have had a good reception on the part of our associates in the fintech area ”, says the specialist. He adds that they will continue to schedule outreach events to further promote the space and invite other companies to present their projects in the financial technology area there. The Bitcoin Café is located in the eastern area of Caracas known as Los Dos Caminos.
The usability of bitcoin is key to its adoption
Before the Asking how to combat the widespread perception that bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are a complicated issue, or that they are difficult to operate, the specialist and teacher argues that it is necessary to disclose the usability of bitcoin, and especially its attributes as store of value .
«This year we begin with an informative conference on cryptocurrencies, which we call Crypto Lunch, designed for 10 people. 42 people enrolled in the first call, so four days had to be scheduled », explains the specialist.
Credit: Café Bitcoin Venezuela.
In addition to the introductory concepts about blockchain and cryptocurrencies, Salvador explains, they made demonstrations of bitcoin trading through the Binance platform.
The concept of being able to protect the value of fiat money, using bitcoin, is very important in an inflationary economy such as Venezuela. The possibility of having access to a bitcoin wallet and acquiring their first satoshis was one of the skills most appreciated by the participants in these sessions on cryptocurrencies.
Carmen Salvador, CEO of Bitcoin Café Venezuela.
Both in the Bitcoin Café, as in the training activities, which are paid except occasional free conversations, Fintech 4.0 receives payments in bitcoin. In this regard, its CEO pointed out that they are in talks with the company CriptoBuyer for the use of its payment gateway with bitcoin, which would make it easier for customers to use that payment method.
As part of its short-term plans, Fintech 4.0 is considering the installation of a Bitcoin node and also a cryptocurrency ATM that facilitates the sale of cryptocurrencies to users and visitors.
