Bitcoiners - Live From Bitcoin Beach
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.