KEY POINTS
- The MPB program was launched about a year after El Salvador became the first country to adopt $BTC as legal tender
- Dennehy expressed joy over the program's milestone, considering its conception during bearish times in the crypto space
- El Salvador has agreed with the program to integrate Bitcoin education into the public school curriculum by 2024
El Salvador under President Nayib Bukele has been in the news in recent years due to the stunning crime drop in the country and controversies surrounding the current administration's mass incarceration of alleged Salvadoran criminals – some without charges.
While Bukele's widespread gang crackdown has become a divisive topic due to concerns about Salvadoran democracy from rights groups, the modern leader has also become wildly popular in the cryptocurrency space due to his maximalist stance on Bitcoin.
Bitcoin education for all
As part of his efforts to encourage wider $BTC adoption among the Salvadoran public, Bukele's administration supported the launch of "Mi Primer Bitcoin" (My First Bitcoin) in 2022, with the goal of providing "open-source Bitcoin education" for all. The program, launched by American activist John Dennehy, is backed by El Salvador's Ministry of Education.
The launch came about a year after El Salvador became the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. The said move earned the ire of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Just this year, the IMF said it wants to address economic issues and risks related with $BTC as legal tender with El Salvador first before it moves forward with a potential "IMF supported program" for the central American nation.
Navigating a bear market
The MPB program marked three years of educating Salvadorans on Friday. Dennehy wrote on X Saturday that he is "overwhelmed at the success of the project" over the past three years, "much of which was spent building in a bear market."
Today is @MyfirstBitcoin_'s birthday!
— John Dennehy (@jdennehy_writes) August 9, 2024
Three years ago today the website was registered, marking the first public record of the organization
I am overwhelmed at the success of the project in three short years--much of which was spent building in a bear market. In three short… pic.twitter.com/q6kaIHS7he
Indeed, Bitcoin and the overall crypto market was going through rough times in the second half of 2022, with the collapse of crypto exchange giant FTX that dragged other exposed firms down. At the time, $BTC prices shed as much as $15,000 from May through December 2022.
According to Dennehy, the Bitcoin education program was able to reach "tens of thousands of students" and "inspired front-line Bitcoin educators in 25+ countries" to help move El Salvador's vision forward within a span of three years.
Wider adoption through education
Aside from spearheading $BTC education in El Salvador, one of the main accomplishments of the program was the translation of the Bitcoin Diploma program into nine languages. The diploma program has a new edition wherein work is underway to translate it into 26 languages.
Probably the key milestone in the MPB's journey is the agreement between the El Salvador government and the organization to integrate $BTC and crypto education into the public school curriculum by 2024.
It has begun!
— Mi Primer Bitcoin (@MyfirstBitcoin_) September 7, 2023
The first public school teachers of a historic pilot program that will bring #BitcoinEducation to El Salvador are in the classroom being trained RIGHT NOW
Thank you @EducacionSV and @JMauricioPineda for your vision and this wonderful project. Thank you… pic.twitter.com/MF378HKWQw
The first step of the said Bitcoin curriculum incorporation is teacher education, which kicked off in September. The new curriculum was developed by MPB and is expected to be taught across more than 5,000 public schools.
3 years and beyond
Mi Primer Bitcoin has also been expanding beyond its office in El Salvador, bringing its curriculum to other nations such as Canada, Zambia and Guatemala. Just last week, the program launched in Bandung, Indonesia.
Open Source Education for the World 🌍
— Mi Primer Bitcoin (@MyfirstBitcoin_) August 7, 2024
That's our mission!
When you see it, you cannot unsee it. It's an unstoppable movement!
Just look at these 9️⃣ tweets of Bitcoin Diploma Classes happening all over the world, in one week!
This is powerful, this is empowerment!
🧵👇🏼 1/12 pic.twitter.com/vqm5sbpsM1
✈️ 🌏 @MyfirstBitcoin_ has arrived in #Indonesia! All the way from El Salvador. Last week we started our first cohort in #Bandung. Lots of happy faces that are excited to learn about #Bitcoin. ☺️ pic.twitter.com/7nNEWPVlrU
— Bitcoin Indonesia (@bitcoinindo21) August 7, 2024
The organization is holding a third anniversary get-together at a popular local restaurant on Tuesday. It will also host the Bitcoin Educators Unconference in San Salvador in mid-November.
