Bitcoin Coast Initiative 🇵🇹

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.

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”#

What We Offer#

Discount Accommodation & workspace in Caldas da Rainha (in partnership with Prontos)
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.

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#

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 💜