Interesting 🤔
## Introduction
For the past three years, we have been **orange-pilling the West of Portugal** — onboarding merchants, educating the community, and growing a real circular Bitcoin economy.
Now it’s time to take it to the next level.
The **Bitcoin Coast Initiative** is a recurring 3-month program that brings **builders**, **educators**, and **Bitcoiners** from around the world to **live, build, and spend sats** together in Caldas da Rainha.
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We’re creating a **full-stack Bitcoin hub**:
* Builder Residency
* National Bitcoin Meetup
* International Bitcoin Conference
* Permanent Bitcoin Space & Shop
* Local partnerships and merchant adoption
> “We are building a bridge between two systems — one that is dying and one that is being born.”
> — *Jeff Booth*
This is where that bridge becomes real.
## Vision
Our vision is to make the **West of Portugal** a **hub for practical Bitcoin adoption** — a living example of how Bitcoin empowers communities, builders, and individuals.
A place where:
* Builders innovate using Bitcoin, Nostr, and open-source tools.
* Merchants accept Bitcoin naturally.
* Visitors can live fully on a Bitcoin standard.
* Education, freedom, and community grow hand in hand.
> “Bitcoin is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s a get-free-slowly scheme.”
> — *Gigi*
## Builder Residency – “Bitcoin Builders of the West”
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### What We Offer
* Discount Accommodation & workspace in **Caldas da Rainha** (in partnership with [**Prontos**](https://prontos.pt))
* Mentorship and technical infrastructure (Lightning nodes, APIs, workshops)
* Integration with local businesses to test real Bitcoin payment flows
* Media visibility and networking opportunities
* Exposure to investors and global Bitcoin companies
### What We Expect
* Each builder or team develops a **Bitcoin-native project** (wallet, plugin, adoption tool, Lightning app, etc.) or similar permissionless software.
* Contribution to the local ecosystem: at least one workshop or onboarding event
* Presentation and demo at the final conference
> “Cypherpunks write code.”
> — *Eric Hughes, 1993*
We are bringing this ethos to life — **build first, talk later.**
## Program Structure
The program runs **two times per year**, each cycle lasting **three months**, followed by a **three-month pause** for reflection and preparation.
| **Month** | **Focus** | **Key Events / Milestones** |
| ----------- | ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Month 1** | Onboarding & Community | Builders arrive, orientation, workshops, local merchant onboarding
National Meetup #1 |
| **Month 2** | Product Development | Builder sprints, mentorship, demos, Lightning adoption
National Meetup #2 |
| **Month 3** | Launch & Global Exposure | Final project pitches, conference prep, media, Bitcoin Space activation
International Conference & Grant Awards |
## Bitcoin Space & Shop
A **permanent Bitcoin hub** in Caldas da Rainha — part store, part classroom, part hangout.
* Hardware wallets, books, nodes, and Bitcoin merchandise
* Education: self-custody, Lightning, privacy, philosophy
* Demo zone: test Lightning payments and merchant POS
* Lounge for community meetups and visitors
* Library of Bitcoin and Austrian economics classics
> “Freedom is not something you ask for. It’s something you take.”
> — *Alex Gladstein (HRF)*
## Partnership with Prontos
We are proud to partner with **Prontos**, Caldas da Rainha’s innovation and coworking leader — a space built for creativity, collaboration, and meaningful work.
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### Why Prontos
* Premier coworking hub with spaces at *Avenida 1º de Maio* and *Impact Village*
* Community-driven mission focused on regional innovation
* Perfect physical home for our residency, workshops, and hackathons
Together, we make Caldas da Rainha a **Bitcoin builder’s paradise** — combining purpose, productivity, and freedom.
## Events
### **National Bitcoin Meetup**
A one-day event at the end of the first month — a celebration of Portugal’s Bitcoin community.
* Panels & lightning talks
* Merchant showcases
* Live Bitcoin-only market
* Networking sunset gathering by the ocean
### **International Bitcoin Conference**
A 2–3 day event concluding the residency, open to the world.
* Builder demos and live pitches
* Keynotes from Bitcoin thought leaders
* Merchant area: spend sats locally
* Workshops: sovereignty, privacy, Lightning, Nostr, education
* Final night concert or beach celebration
**Grants & Awards:**
* **Bitcoin Coast Grant** – best technical project
* **Community Choice Award** – voted by attendees
* **Adoption Impact Award** – most effective local integration
> “The task of our time is to build parallel structures of freedom.”
> — *Václav Benda*
## Why Sponsors & Investors Should Join
### Sponsors Gain
* Branding across all events, media, and physical spaces
* Year-round visibility across three program cycles
* Alignment with authentic, grassroots Bitcoin adoption
* Partnership with Prontos and regional government visibility
* Exclusive networking with builders and educators
### Investors Gain
* Early-stage access to builder startups and prototypes
* Real-world testing ground for Bitcoin business models
* Authentic credibility inside the maximalist community
* Strategic presence in the first functioning Bitcoin region in Europe
> “Sound money is the foundation of a free and prosperous society.”
> — *Saifedean Ammous*
## Why Caldas da Rainha
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* **Mild climate** and year-round sun
* **Affordable lifestyle** compared to Lisbon or Berlin
* **Friendly and safe** for families and remote workers
* **Surf, nature, and creativity** by the Silver Coast
* **Bitcoin-ready merchants** thanks to 3 years of groundwork
> “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”
> — *Epictetus*
## Call to Action
We invite:
* **Bitcoin companies** to sponsor residencies and grants
* **Local government & partners** to support logistics and merchant networks
* **Builders** from around the world to apply for our next cohort
* **Educators & community leaders** to spread adoption locally
> “We’re all just running the code until freedom wins.”
> — *Matt Odell*
Together, we’ll make Portugal’s West the **heartbeat of Bitcoin in Europe**.
## Closing
> “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”
> — *Thomas Jefferson*
Bitcoin is freedom in code.
The **Bitcoin Coast Initiative** is how we bring that code to life —
in Caldas da Rainha, under the Portuguese sun,
with builders, dreamers, and sats.
**Live. Build. Spend. Repeat.**
with love,
Francis 💜
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