June 2026: 45 merchants accepting Bitcoin in Isla Mujeres.
We managed to onboard 15 of them in one single month.
The person who made it happen flew in from Paraguay, door by door, in 35-degree Caribbean heat.
Contrary to what everyone thinks we built through the bear market, because I will forever die on that hill. Bare market art for building
So, this is how we 3x'd merchant adoption on a tiny island in the middle of the Mexican Caribbean. 🧵
First of all we have a great fucking team. Huge shout out to my boy Vince, who has been part of @btcisla family for 2 years.
He is originally from France… The Bitcoin-hating capital of the world, luckily he was able to escape recently. But that's a story for another time.
It is safe to say that he cared about this island more than most people who actually live here.
In March I called him: "What if you came for a month and helped us onboard merchants on the ground?"
He said yes before I finished the sentence.
His first day on the island, we handed him a scooter.
His orange pill mobile.
He rode through the streets, the narrow ones, past the food carts, past the hotels, frente al mar… and then he started seeing them.
Bitcoin stickers. On actual merchant windows.
For the first time in his life as a Bitcoiner, he could eat breakfast, grab a coffee, get dinner…no bank, currency conversion, or asking if they take card.
Just Bitty.
Two years of believing in something from a screen and finally, he was living it on a scooter in the Caribbean sun.
Day one, he went straight to Avenida Lopez Mateos.
A long street of food carts in the north of the island. Carritos lining the road, vendors setting up for the night, smoke from the grills, locals walking through.
2 carts there were already accepting Bitcoin. He confirmed they were still active, perfect social proof.
Then he noticed the young man next to Jose's carrito. Setting up for the night and the guy obviously looked like he'd been listening.
So, Vince walked over. In his mind this was the perfect guy to onboard.
Showed him the BTC Isla map. Had him download a wallet. Walked him through send, receive, the QR code.
Ten minutes. That’s all it took for Merchant #1 of the month of June.
Who are we kidding? Obviously it wasn't smooth sailing from there on… it’s not like every door opened. He has thousands turn him down. Literally, in one of the ice cream shop when the owner heard the word "Bitcoin" mid-sentence… Made him stop talking and pointed straight to the exit to kick him out
and that's when it hit Vince… Satoshi’s iconic line:
"If you don't believe me or don't get it, I don't have time to try to convince you."
Rejection is part of the game guys. Every no is just a door you don't have to stand in front of anymore…on to the next one.
Here's the thing nobody tells you about orange pilling strangers in 35-degree heat.
Every single merchant, yes or no, offered him something: Water. Fresh juice. Coffee. Tacos. Burgers.
But who would have thought? A French guy showing up to a small business on a Caribbean island asking them to change how they think about money.
And every single one of them, gave them the most important currency of them all… their time.
That's Mexico… that's Isla Mujeres for you. The kindness here is not an accident it's the whole point.
Look, everyone said wait for the bull market to grow. Hype, FOMO, a lot of different feelings going on…
BUT, here's what they get wrong:
During the bull, merchants are suspicious. They think they missed the boat. The price is the headline and they have no time.
During the bear? Inflation is grinding them down. Chargebacks are killing their margins. Banks are charging fees on fees.
They have time, they have a reason to listen, theres no pressure, no drastic price drops.
That being said, 45 merchants didn't happen in spite of the bear market. They happened because of it. I will forever die on the hill that the bear market is for building. Always has been. —— In 5 years, here's what we're building toward:
— 150 merchants across the island
— A Bitcoin school with weekly classes and a real curriculum
— 4 Bitcoin Boot Camps a year — one every quarter
— Monthly community meetups, documented and growing
— A BTC Isla original Bitcoin conference, right here on the island
— The Bitcoin Café as a self-sustaining permanent institution
— A replicable, exportable framework other communities can copy
Picture it: a Caribbean corridor running on Bitcoin. Tourists planning trips specifically to live on a Bitcoin standard. Kids on the island growing up knowing how money actually works.
—
We're celebrating all of this Monday.
June 29. Merchant meetup on the island.
🍔 Burgers 2x1 — yes we accept Bitcoin
📍 Bitcoin Café, Isla Mujeres
45 merchants.
Come see what building during the bear looks like in real life. We'll save you a burger. ⚡
We managed to onboard 15 of them in one single month.
The person who made it happen flew in from Paraguay, door by door, in 35-degree Caribbean heat.
Contrary to what everyone thinks we built through the bear market, because I will forever die on that hill. Bare market art for building
So, this is how we 3x'd merchant adoption on a tiny island in the middle of the Mexican Caribbean. 🧵
First of all we have a great fucking team. Huge shout out to my boy Vince, who has been part of @btcisla family for 2 years.
He is originally from France… The Bitcoin-hating capital of the world, luckily he was able to escape recently. But that's a story for another time.
It is safe to say that he cared about this island more than most people who actually live here.
In March I called him: "What if you came for a month and helped us onboard merchants on the ground?"
He said yes before I finished the sentence.
His first day on the island, we handed him a scooter.
His orange pill mobile.
He rode through the streets, the narrow ones, past the food carts, past the hotels, frente al mar… and then he started seeing them.
Bitcoin stickers. On actual merchant windows.
For the first time in his life as a Bitcoiner, he could eat breakfast, grab a coffee, get dinner…no bank, currency conversion, or asking if they take card.
Just Bitty.
Two years of believing in something from a screen and finally, he was living it on a scooter in the Caribbean sun.
Day one, he went straight to Avenida Lopez Mateos.
A long street of food carts in the north of the island. Carritos lining the road, vendors setting up for the night, smoke from the grills, locals walking through.
2 carts there were already accepting Bitcoin. He confirmed they were still active, perfect social proof.
Then he noticed the young man next to Jose's carrito. Setting up for the night and the guy obviously looked like he'd been listening.
So, Vince walked over. In his mind this was the perfect guy to onboard.
Showed him the BTC Isla map. Had him download a wallet. Walked him through send, receive, the QR code.
Ten minutes. That’s all it took for Merchant #1 of the month of June.
Who are we kidding? Obviously it wasn't smooth sailing from there on… it’s not like every door opened. He has thousands turn him down. Literally, in one of the ice cream shop when the owner heard the word "Bitcoin" mid-sentence… Made him stop talking and pointed straight to the exit to kick him out
and that's when it hit Vince… Satoshi’s iconic line:
"If you don't believe me or don't get it, I don't have time to try to convince you."
Rejection is part of the game guys. Every no is just a door you don't have to stand in front of anymore…on to the next one.
Here's the thing nobody tells you about orange pilling strangers in 35-degree heat.
Every single merchant, yes or no, offered him something: Water. Fresh juice. Coffee. Tacos. Burgers.
But who would have thought? A French guy showing up to a small business on a Caribbean island asking them to change how they think about money.
And every single one of them, gave them the most important currency of them all… their time.
That's Mexico… that's Isla Mujeres for you. The kindness here is not an accident it's the whole point.
Look, everyone said wait for the bull market to grow. Hype, FOMO, a lot of different feelings going on…
BUT, here's what they get wrong:
During the bull, merchants are suspicious. They think they missed the boat. The price is the headline and they have no time.
During the bear? Inflation is grinding them down. Chargebacks are killing their margins. Banks are charging fees on fees.
They have time, they have a reason to listen, theres no pressure, no drastic price drops.
That being said, 45 merchants didn't happen in spite of the bear market. They happened because of it. I will forever die on the hill that the bear market is for building. Always has been. —— In 5 years, here's what we're building toward:
— 150 merchants across the island
— A Bitcoin school with weekly classes and a real curriculum
— 4 Bitcoin Boot Camps a year — one every quarter
— Monthly community meetups, documented and growing
— A BTC Isla original Bitcoin conference, right here on the island
— The Bitcoin Café as a self-sustaining permanent institution
— A replicable, exportable framework other communities can copy
Picture it: a Caribbean corridor running on Bitcoin. Tourists planning trips specifically to live on a Bitcoin standard. Kids on the island growing up knowing how money actually works.
—
We're celebrating all of this Monday.
June 29. Merchant meetup on the island.
🍔 Burgers 2x1 — yes we accept Bitcoin
📍 Bitcoin Café, Isla Mujeres
45 merchants.
Come see what building during the bear looks like in real life. We'll save you a burger. ⚡
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