🎙️ My guest today is Hermann Vivier, co-founder of The Surfer Kids nonprofit and Bitcoin Ekasi project. Hermann's journey began in 2010 with the dual goals of creating a tourism business and empowering marginalized youth through surfing. Over time, Bitcoin became a critical tool for his initiatives, particularly when geopolitical challenges forced his business to adopt Bitcoin as a medium of exchange. In this episode, Hermann shares how The Surfer Kids nonprofit uses surfing as a vehicle to teach life skills and foster resilience among South African youth, while Bitcoin Ekasi builds a circular economy, paying salaries in Bitcoin and empowering underserved communities to adopt financial sovereignty. From leveraging Bitcoin to navigate failing state systems to inspiring others through grassroots education, Hermann’s work highlights the transformative potential of Bitcoin as both a medium of exchange and a tool for societal change. Tune in to learn about the unique challenges of operating in underbanked regions, the importance of using Bitcoin as money, and the power of building circular economies.
This episode is also on Twitter, Spotify, Fountain, Rumble and more.
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We talked about:
00:00 Coming Up…
01:06 Introduction
03:59 The Bitcoin Ekasi Project
07:08 “Surfer Kids” Nonprofit and Community Impact
08:31 Bitcoin Adoption and Bank Failures
14:41 Store of Value vs. Medium of Exchange
22:09 The Work of Bitcoin Ekasi & Surfer Kids
33:06 Inspiration from The Bitcoin Beach Model
38:14 Fundraising with Bitcoin
40:01 More Circular Economies In Africa
55:04 Bitcoin vs. CBDCs
1:01:48 Challenges of Onboarding People to Bitcoin
1:06:55 “Covid Red Pilled” Not Getting Orange Pilled
1:09:08 Bitcoin Regulation in South Africa
1:15:24 Hermann’s Tattoo
1:17:45 Hermann’s Message of Hope
My takeaways:
Hermann's journey with Bitcoin began out of necessity during geopolitical challenges in 2014.
The Surfer Kids nonprofit empowers youth through surfing and life skills in South Africa.
Bitcoin Ekasi pays staff in Bitcoin, creating a circular economy in an underserved community.
Practical Bitcoin use fosters adoption in areas with failing state systems.
Education alone isn't enough—demonstrating Bitcoin as a medium of exchange is key.
Trust in Bitcoin grows as individuals experience its store-of-value potential firsthand.
Circular economies thrive by maintaining Bitcoin and not trading it back to Fiat.
Bitcoin adoption is advancing faster than centralized digital currencies like CBDCs.
Hermann credits grassroots projects like Bitcoin Beach as an inspiration for Bitcoin Ekasi.
True financial freedom comes from using Bitcoin as money, not just as an investment.
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