The number of businesses accepting bitcoin for payment grew in the District of New Colombia (DNC), an area approximately one hour’s drive from Paraguay’s capital city Asunción, through the on-boarding of a popular food and wellness vendor well known in the local community, Naturheiler / Casa Alfred. Their first bitcoin transaction was prompted by a local resident who took the initiative to on-board the vendor.
Naturheiler / Casa Alfred offers a range of quality products, including fresh produce, milk and dairy products, health and wellness products, and hand-crafted leather goods. Naturheiler / Casa Alfred is located within the gated community known as “The World of Dreams” (El Mundo de los Sueños) and is conveniently open to the public on Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m.
The individual who reached out to the seller has been a regular attendee at the local monthly Bitcoin meetup in DNC, which provides a venue for people to learn about Bitcoin, ask questions, get introduced to available tools such as smartphone apps and hardware wallets, receive guidance on how to safely navigate the new financial technologies, and generally connect with the Bitcoin community.
The meetup organiser was present for this on-boarding, serving in a supportive role while the bulk of the communication occurred between the resident and the seller in their native German language. The husband-and-wife sellers also speak English and Spanish.
“Many people who find themselves in Paraguay are frustrated with the traditional financial systems, both internationally and locally, which are often more of a hindrance to economic activity than an enabler. It is surprisingly common for people in the area to express a preference for bartering as a more direct and efficient means of value exchange, which is a stark indictment to the traditional financial systems,” said one local resident of DNC. In addition to its local use, local business owners in DNC have expressed excitement to learn that the use of bitcoin could provide a more economical way for their customers in other cities to send payment.
Satoshi, D.N.C. describes bitcoin this way: “Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer payment network, which means it grants equal financial access to all individuals or businesses (as “peers” or “equals”), regardless of one’s identification documents, economic standing, source of funds, financial history, opinions expressed, or any other discriminatory factors. It allows everyone to participate, giving every resident the opportunity to share the fruits of his labors and enjoy what every other resident has to offer.”
“Even small, informal businesses that operate out of their homes can benefit from Bitcoin because it facilitates economic activity from the grass roots, with no barriers. There is no need for expensive business hardware, and it comes with no red-tape or unnecessary financial burden to hinder productivity.”
“Above all, buying and selling is a social endeavor. This vendor who recently began accepting bitcoin as payment was voluntarily pursued by a local bitcoiner out of the simple desire to enjoy a better quality of life through the products that the seller is known for in the community. This is how Bitcoin adoption makes the world a better place—by enabling mutually beneficial trade, beginning with those who are nearest.”
A spokesperson for Satoshi, D.N.C. said “I am very excited because they were brought on board by a member of our community on their own initiative.” Another member of Satoshi D.N.C. clarified the significance by adding, “This shows how the use of Bitcoin can spread to all of Paraguay.”
“Heartfelt appreciation goes to our first lay “orange piller” for facilitating this progress. This advancement was made under the auspices of Satoshi, D.N.C., which is a community-service project focused on developing the circular Bitcoin economy in the local area. Satoshi, D.N.C. predates Bitcoin Paraguay as one of its founding communities and has reverted to independent status as of March 1, 2025 in order to remain laser focused on bitcoin-only methods.”
