He Grew Up With Gang Members in El Salvador. Now He Runs a Car Shop That Takes Bitcoin. | Byron Espinoza of Taller Automotriz Express

Is El Salvador safe enough to run a business that takes Bitcoin and go running at night? This Salvadoran entrepreneur says yes! Mike sits down with Byron Espinoza, a young Salvadoran who opened a car repair shop with his cousin at 23. He grew up in a neighborhood where the gang members were his childhood friends, and he's had guns pointed at him more than once. So when neighbors warned him that drug dealers would show up at his new shop and pressure him to sell for them, he was afraid. It never happened. The crackdown on El Salvador gangs was underway, the extortion payments that drove many businesses under came to an end, and Byron says business owners finally keep what they earn. Today he feels comfortable running his shop anywhere. That freedom let the shop grow in a direction he didn't expect. About three months after opening, a Bitcoiner named Richard started bringing him cars to check, on one condition. Byron had to accept Bitcoin. He was nervous, studied it, and said yes. Customers pay him in Bitcoin today, he decides whether to keep it or move it to dollars, and he's encouraging his friends to start accepting it in their businesses too. Taking Bitcoin brought him customers most local shops never see. For expats living in El Salvador who don't speak Spanish, a mechanic who speaks English and accepts Bitcoin is a big benefit, and 20 to 25% of Byron's customers are foreigners. For anyone browsing cars in El Salvador for sale, his used car inspection checks the VIN history for hidden damage and mileage before they commit. He tells the story of an American couple who skipped a car agency because so few accept Bitcoin, and says that if he ran one, he'd take it without thinking twice. Byron is honest about what the change has cost. El Salvador crime hasn't disappeared, he has noticed theft that didn't happen before, and two of his friends were arrested without evidence and have spent two years in jail. He sees all of it as a process the country is still working through. He calls himself a survivor of the old El Salvador who can go out at 11 at night, and Mike calls him one of the success stories of the new one! If you're thinking about opening a business here or accepting Bitcoin, listen to this one first. —Bitcoin Beach Team **Learn more about Byron Espinoza:** Mobile #: +503 6863 2519 IG: https://www.instagram.com/tallerexpressx/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/p/Taller-Automotriz-Express-61555288906787/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tallerautomotrizexpress **Support and follow Bitcoin Beach:** X: https://www.twitter.com/BitcoinBeach IG: https://www.instagram.com/bitcoinbeach\_sv TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livefrombitcoinbeach Web: https://www.bitcoinbeach.com **STAY AT BITCOIN BEACH:** https://www.stayatbitcoinbeach.com/punta-mango-villas **Browse through this quick guide to learn more about the episode:** 00:00 Intro 01:44 How did a young Salvadoran start a repair shop in El Salvador? 03:39 Why do expats living in El Salvador do car preventive maintenance? 06:50 What's it like starting a business in El Salvador at 23? 10:42 How did a Salvadoran mechanic start accepting Bitcoin payments? 13:39 Can you buy a car with Bitcoin in El Salvador? 15:36 Buying cars in El Salvador, imported used car or agency car? 19:11 Can a used car inspection and VIN check spot odometer fraud? 21:40 Is El Salvador safe after the crackdown on El Salvador gangs? 36:59 Where to find a mechanic in El Salvador that accepts Bitcoin?  Live From Bitcoin Beach