How El Salvador's Bitcoin Ecosystem Launched a Tech Company in 28 Countries | Edgar Borja of K1 Technology

— K1 Technology now operates self-custody Bitcoin ATMs in 28 countries, with new software enabling both on-chain and Lightning Network purchases directly from the machine without third-party custodians like Strike or Blink.

— The company recently expanded hardware to accept bills and coins from over 100 currencies worldwide, overcoming earlier limitations that restricted market reach.

— K1 developed educational tools including "Aprende Bitcoin con Crayolas" (Learn Bitcoin with Crayons), a 40–60 minute workshop using colored crayons to teach private keys and signatures, and MerkColor, a board game teaching Merkle tree concepts in under 30 seconds.

— Edgar Borja participated in X Founders, a month-long startup accelerator and reality TV show in El Salvador with eight companies, where he refined investor pitching and learned to articulate growth pathways from a VC perspective.

— Bolivia's currency is collapsing (official rate 6 Bolivianos per dollar versus street rate of 10), driving Bitcoin adoption; K1 deployed eight machines there with Kiosko Bitcoin, a boutique shop combining retail, coffee, and Bitcoin education.

— K1 operates as a self-sovereign Bitcoin machine aligned with Bitcoin principles, eliminating dependency on third-party services and enabling machine owners to set fees and currency feeds independently.

— For merchants and educators: K1 machines are available in three tiers (Mini, Mini Plus, Mini Global) at k1.sv and ship globally. They work buy-only for now, require minimal supervision (suitable for coffee shops or corner stores), and can be updated remotely with new software features at no cost to existing customers.

— For founders: Fall in love with the problem you solve, not the solution. Edgar emphasized that empathy for the customer's pain point, not technical elegance, drives sustainable revenue and investor support. Persistence matters—he pitched K1 an estimated 5,000 times across conferences.

— For Bitcoin educators: Free, open-source tools (Crayolas workshop and MerkColor game) are available under Creative Commons licensing to teach self-custody and blockchain concepts without language barriers, making Bitcoin education accessible in any community.