Welcome to the Bitcoin Jungle.

The Bitcoin Jungle, situated in the Puntarenas province of Uvita, Costa Rica, represents a circular economy where over 600 merchants accept bitcoin. It has actually acted as home to Francis Pouliot, a Canadian expat and creator of Bull Bitcoin, for the previous 3 years.

Their dedication is to cultivate an inviting environment for fellow Bitcoin lovers who go to the area, and certainly, Costa Rica as a whole.

To advance this objective, Pouliot and his group at Bull Bitcoin established a web application that incorporates flawlessly with the Bitcoin Jungle wallet—an open-source, custodial Lightning wallet—and other Lightning wallets.

This web app user interface enables bitcoin lovers to negotiate in bitcoin over Lightning, despite whether the merchants or counterparties accept it straight.

Utilizing the Bitcoin Jungle app or accessing the web application, users can pay with bitcoin while their expenses are settled in the regional fiat currency, colónes, through Costa Rica’s nationwide electronic payment system, SINPE (Sistema Nacional de Pagos Electrónicos). This mirrors comparable performances provided by platforms like Strike, Bringin, and Bull Bitcoin that help with bitcoin payments to settle fiat expenses in systems like ACH in the United States, SEPA in Europe, and Interac in Canada.

With over 90% of Costa Ricans over 18 making use of SINPE for everyday transactions, the Bull Bitcoin app supplies a practical methods for non-residents to engage with the country’s digital economy (it is essential to keep in mind that a SINPE account is specifically offered to citizens), and for those desiring live according to a bitcoin requirement.

Functionality of the Bull Bitcoin Costa Rica Web App

When users engage with the Bull Bitcoin web app, they start a payment to a Bull Bitcoin Lightning node in the backend. Upon invoice of this payment, Bull Bitcoin processes a fiat deal through SINPE on the user’s behalf.

During the duration from May 2024 to May 2025, Bull Bitcoin assisted in an overall of 32,774 bitcoin-to-fiat transactions in Costa Rica.

Pouliot stresses the value of guaranteeing that the Bull Bitcoin web app runs with the dependability anticipated of charge card transactions, acknowledging its important function for numerous in the neighborhood, including himself.

“If a user finds themselves at a gas station in Costa Rica without a credit card after refueling, the effectiveness of the Lightning-to-SINPE payment system becomes essential,” Pouliot elaborated.

He kept in mind, “Many of us navigate life here without credit cards or cash. Therefore, if I’m at the fuel station, the app must function flawlessly; otherwise, I’m left with an angry attendant.”

The success rate of transactions surpasses 99%, with couple of taped circumstances of deal failures, credited to a management group skilled in the subtleties of the Lightning Network’s liquidity difficulties.

However, Pouliot clarified that the primary obstacle in keeping the app is sourcing fiat liquidity in a currency such as the colón, which does not have robust worldwide trading platforms.

“There is no accessible marketplace for bitcoin-to-colón trading, given that major exchanges like Kraken, Binance, or Coinbase do not support the colón,” Pouliot clarified.

To counter this problem, he constructively designed a “virtual bitcoin-to-colón exchange rate” by determining the colón’s worth versus the U.S. dollar and bitcoin, including a gross margin to guarantee functional practicality.

He highlighted that while producing and sustaining liquidity stays an obstacle, he acknowledges others internationally took part in comparable undertakings with equivalent success.

“Recognizing the complexity behind seamless service delivery is crucial, as these solutions often require sophisticated back-end processes,” Pouliot kept in mind.

The Case of Kenya’s Tando

In Kenya, a complementary effort, Tando, emerged—though unique from a web application, it is a fully-fledged application developed with motivation from Bull Bitcoin’s technique in Costa Rica.

As stated by Jason, a co-founder of Tando, the inspiration developed when the Bitcoin Jungle group showed bitcoin transactions at a gasoline station, with regional merchants getting currency in real-time.

“Observing that practical application led us to consider how similar functionality could be achieved within Kenya, given the existence of an API from Safaricom,” he showed.

In July 2024, Tando was released, making it possible for users to settle expenses in Kenyan shillings through M-PESA—Safaricom’s mobile cash system—while paying with bitcoin over Lightning.

Within Tando, the user just inputs the recipient’s contact number and starts the deal through a chosen Lightning wallet. The bitcoin is gotten by Tando’s Lightning node, which immediately settles the M-PESA costs.

This effective procedure is finished within seconds.

A direct account from the author throughout the 2024 African Bitcoin Conference highlighted its energy, as Tando assisted in smooth payment experiences that would have otherwise been restrained by the user’s absence of an M-PESA account.

Facilitating Bitcoin Transactions for Kenyans

Waithira, co-founder of Tando, at first did not have understanding relating to the Lightning-to-fiat transactions taking place in Costa Rica till Jason presented the idea to her. Her inspiration to develop Tando came from individual experiences where making use of bitcoin in Kenya showed tough.

“In my previous role at Bitcoin Dada, I would occasionally receive payments in bitcoin, yet, generating effective methods for its utilization became problematic,” Waithira shared.

She remembered often being asked by provider how they might use bitcoin, an inquiry that stayed mostly unanswered and eventually affected the creation of Tando.

“The ambition was to construct an accessible and intuitive application,” Waithira discussed. She kept in mind the resemblance in innovation adoption patterns amongst Kenyans, recommending a preparedness for Bitcoin combination, rooted in their familiarity with M-PESA’s mobile cash environment.

“We are committed to ensuring Tando mirrors the user-friendly aspects of M-PESA, recognizing that simplicity fosters acceptance,” Waithira included.

The favorable reception of Tando is evidenced by its steady uptake amongst the Kenyan people, now processing over 100 transactions daily.

Moreover, Tando has actually motivated comparable efforts, triggering designers like Bright Kportiklah from Ghana to develop comparable services.

Ghana’s BitSpenda

Kportiklah, who took part in the 2024 African Bitcoin Conference, was moved by Tando’s performance and connections made at the occasion. Upon going back to Ghana, he strove to establish his own Lightning-to-fiat user interface, called BitSpenda.

With assistance from developed Bitcoin business owners, consisting of Bernard Parah of Bitnob, Kportiklah effectively developed BitSpenda within months, leveraging regional payment facilities in Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria.

“As a small fintech, establishing connections with local financial infrastructures can be daunting,” Kportiklah mentioned.

BitSpenda released on March 7, permitting senders to find receivers through telephone number in Ghana and Kenya, and account numbers in Nigeria, and assisting in instant transactions through predefined Lightning billings or QR codes.

“Transaction completion occurs within 30 seconds, providing users with real-time confirmations on the status of their payments,” Kportiklah kept in mind.

The platform has actually reported a remarkably low failure rate of less than 1%, permitting Kportiklah to deal with any concerns by hand if they emerge.

As of late April 2025, BitSpenda had actually assisted in countless dollars worth of transactions, motivating Ghanaians to embrace bitcoin, mostly due to the beneficial monetary advantages it uses compared to conventional checking account.

Kportiklah highlighted the benefit of making use of bitcoin over cedis because it prevents bank costs, while all at once providing a viewed worth exceptional to that of the regional fiat currency.

His goals extend beyond Ghana, intending to broaden BitSpenda’s services to many African nations within the coming year.

“We anticipate reaching no fewer than 15 African nations,” asserted Kportiklah.

Given the fast advancement of his task, this objective appears achievable; BitSpenda’s release throughout 3 nations within 4 months is a testimony to its capacity.

Kportiklah is presently completing collaborations to widen BitSpenda’s reach throughout the staying preferred nations, however should act promptly, as Tando prepares to broaden into Uganda and brand-new efforts like Senegal’s Banxaas allow comparable transactions.

A Commitment to the Cause

The undertakings of Pouliot, Waithira, Jason, and Kportiklah exhibit an extensive dedication not mostly tailored towards success, however rather towards improving the function of bitcoin within their particular economies.

Pouliot revealed openly relating to Bull’s Bitcoin Costa Rica web app, “This is not a profitable endeavor.”

He elaborated, “The operational costs are significant, and the complexity is substantial. Our primary objective is contributing to the mission of sustaining infrastructure that facilitates Lightning transactions.”

“While achieving profitability is certainly a possibility, the scale poses numerous challenges,” he acknowledged.

Similarly, Tando’s creators, consisting of Jason and Waithira, are yet to develop a money making method.

“At present, our business model is predicated on acquiring bitcoin,” Jason mentioned humorously.

He discussed continuous questions from other wallet suppliers ready to use their Safaricom API, meaning a prospective cost structure; nevertheless, their main focus stays on assisting in bitcoin as an exchange medium.

Kportiklah shares this belief, mentioning that “the primary goal is to create a platform that facilitates straightforward bitcoin transactions.”

In concluding ideas, Pouliot stressed the tough efforts carried out by dedicated Bitcoin supporters to obtain ease of usage in these applications. He promoted the concept that such efforts flourish when led by regional specialists acquainted with the complexities of the conventional monetary systems.

“Grassroots projects often yield optimal outcomes, given their familiarity with local banking structures,” Pouliot asserted.

“While limited, we do not harbor extensive expansion plans, although we remain eager to support other local initiatives both technologically and through advisory services,” he included, also applauding international efforts like NostrPIX’s efforts in Brazil.

Pouliot concluded by revealing appreciation for regional Bitcoin supporters effectively producing such connective services: “Recognizing the dedication and complexity behind these projects is essential.”

Don’t miss out on the chance to get The Lightning Issue — a publication including a special interview with Lightning co-creator Tadge Dryja, checking out Bitcoin’s most powerful scaling system. Supply is restricted.

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