I went to 'Bitcoin City'... and it's a lie 

If you enjoyed this video, you should watch our documentary on how Digital Nomads are transforming Central American beach towns: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Q56JeXUoL-w.html

NOW that BITCOIN is at ALL TIME HIGHS, Nobody is talking about Bukele's wise decision to make profits for his country. They are up, 50%,, a bank will pay you 3 to 4.5% for a C.D., BTC for El Salvador; more than 16% per year,and if they bought the dip, which may well be, assuming they had DCA at all time lows, their yearly returns were even higher. Smart country.

It’s not for us to decide what is best for El Salvador. The Salvadorians have made that choice clearly (over 90%) prefer the current situation to the living hell they had under the gang rule.

As a salvadoran i can tell you that not everything you said is true. Compare Bukele's government to Nicaragua and other countries is a big mistake. The people of El salvafor has given Bukele's government the power to do what it is best for us. If Bukele keeps doing things to benefit his people, we will continue to vote for him.

Salvadoran here, I'm extremely happy that you had the opportunity to go and visit!! El Salvador has changed for the better. The country is not where it wants to be, but it is heading into the right direction. The country is a lot safer than what it used to be. Change takes time, but change is taking place slowly! About BTC, seed has been planted. In my opinion future generations will evolve and get to use it more. El Salvador still is a cash based society. Great unbiased journalism!!! Saludos

El Salvador is no danger anymore, now is the most safe country

This is great journalism. The news companies ought to take notes from you. I honestly can't remember the last time I saw such a balanced assessment of any issue in today's news. Congratulations to the whole Slidebean team.

Great video but with all due respect, there are a couple of things I'd like to disagree with. It is easy for you to criticize President Bukele's and his country's response to their gang epidemic. You were born/raised in relatively peaceful, law abiding countries. The US and Costa Rica have not had to endure the hardships of El Salvador. Both countries have enjoyed relative peace, while Salvadorans until recently have had to endure decades of robberies, extortion, kidnapping and murder. These people have been through living hell. Their knee jerk reaction to lock up basically 1% of their population, (criminals) now that they have the upper hand, many would say is totally justifiable. El Salvador has a free press and opposing political parties are free to criticize their president's actions. There is nothing to indicate that journalists or the opposition have been silenced or threatened with imprisonment or that they one day will. The president of El Salvador enjoys a 90% approval ratings because a traumatized nation is grateful that they are finally rid of these monsters and can breath a sigh of relief. Without peace and security, my friend, nothing else matters. It is as simple as that. If that's a dictatorship, I'll take some of that. Viva senor Bukele y que Dios le protega y bendiga, siempre!

It has been a while since the last time a Slidebean video appeared on my YT home page. I'm glad to see the project's growth and this video's quality, but mostly, the approach to a sensitive topic such as this one, a close family member is from there, and my family is planning a trip there, so watching this video in just this right moment, is relevant for me.

Honestly, as a Salvadoran, I have always seen myself close to CR and I consider you my CA brothers (it is sad that apparently the perception is not mutual for some of you who see yourselves as a green island). At the moment, we Salvadorans are people who have suffered a lot, with the hope that for the first time we are on the right path. We have not lost democracy, and we feel that we have won the freedom that the gangs had taken from us. Many organizations (political parties, journalists, businesses, etc.) lost the power they had, the power to decide who lived or who made money or who can be happy. Therefore the criticism is understood, but I think time will have the last word (we do not want to see ourselves subjugated again by those who criticize the current government). For now, I'm just happy you came, and I hope you come back soon. You are always welcome.

The timeline part shot on the table is absolutely stunning! Incredible camera work, presentation & animation. A joy to watch!

He didn’t describe the lighting network correctly. It’s not a coin, it’s a payment network and it’s what the future global financial system will operate on. Lighting is a layer two scaling solution with BTC being the base layer. Take the content of this video grain of salt.

For a bitcoin explainer video, I’m surprised how inaccurately the lightning network is characterized here. Lightning is not a separate cryptocurrency and you can transfer BTC directly to a lightning wallet without converting to a different currency.

So far, it is one of the best documentaries I've seen on RU-vid, and I've watched plenty :)) The historical background added a lot more value to the tech stuff you were discussing. I found your channel last week and have already watched most of your videos. Keep up the good work! Well done, and many thanks.

I disagree that people do not use bitcoin because of the complexity, Africa has also 70% unbanked people and yet mobile money has taken over where the same unbanked people use mobile money with ease. I do believe trust would play a role for sure.

Such a great documentary! You haven't left anything missing! It closed amazing!! Such a great job!

Great work like always. Keep them coming!

Well done balanced look at El Salvador. I would like to welcome you back in a year's time and do a follow up. I truly believe we're about to see a major positive transformation here within the next 12 to 18 months.

Amazing, great job my friend. You were able to tell a very complex story in a easy way to digest. Great work. Subscribed.

Underatted channel. Keep up the great work. Loved the way you laid it out, very engaging.

Amazing video as usual!!! Thank you!

Please keep posting more of these! I love them!

Appreciate the history telling. Every country has to start the clean-up somewhere. Every country steps on its society democracy, look at the US now. There will be ups and downs, and the learning process with its society won't happen overnight. Time will tell, and let's pray for its society to be successful in its journey for a better future.

Re: the bar scene where you’re buying a beer - they’re not using Lightning….?

Please do more videos in HDR, it looks so nice! Another great piece, @Slidebean!

This is a good content. Thank you guys.

Yo! I freaking love the editing style and the amount of love in the music!! It reminds me of those mkbhd videos Do you guys plan on making an ost for all the backround sounds?? There such a beautiful mix with this documentary!! You guys are serious underdogs in the RU-vid community, love y’all Slidebean

I'm from El Salvador and I feel like I'm on an island of peace among so much death. Costa Rica, for example, is today the third most violent country in Central America, only surpassed by Honduras and Guatemala. El Salvador is the safest country in Latin America, I would never go to a violent country like Costa Rica. 🚨

Keep the content coming!

I was wondering why it was that long. 😅thank you nonetheless for all the information and the effort you put into it. Much appreciated

This right here was a top notch video. The quality was great. I honestly wonder and think about El Salvador and their experiment with Bitcoin, their governmental and legal changes, and a lot of what you addressed. I've been curious how something like Bitcoin could work for 95% of the people in such a country, when even in Canada and the United States, it feels like it would take a lot of infrastructure to get the nations fully on board to such a thing. Keep up the amazing work. Thank you for what you do. I only discovered you a couple months ago but quickly blazed through your catelog of work. It does seem like this longer storytelling format is perfect for your style and gives more room to give context, which is always critical and often the first thing people cut out. Thanks again!

Amazing piece. Thank you

Your storytelling is fantastic 🎉

Extremely awesome video. Entertaining, informative, fantastic. Welldone. Learned so much

One of the best takes on the situation of El Salvador that I have yet seen. I applaud you and your team, this is what journalism should look like👏👏👏. What's going on in El Salvador has opened up a debate in a lot of Latin American countries, on whether it is worth the risk repeating our history and descending into dictatorships, in order to finally deal with the crippling insecurity, crime, murder and lawlessness that have chronically plagued our nations. This is a discussion that, because of Bukele, I find myself ever more often discussing with my parents, with my friends and with my co-workers. What is more valuable to us? Are we comfortable giving up political and civic rights for the "promise" (because that's all it is, a promise. In El Salvador it may be working now, but who knows 10 years down the road) of more security? Are we really ready to take that gamble again in the hopes this time it will pay off? It is, however you look at it, a really interesting, nuanced and complicated debate, that I feel you have captured really well in this piece. Greetings from Colombia.

A very smart, well argued video. Well done to you and the whole team.

Great video👍 loved it

Thank you for that great work, with a perspective of a central american guy, and i loved the maps in your animations and the map in the wall.

Thank you for this gut-wrenching watch. I visited ES, my homeland, after 38 years and have been a BTC maxi for some time. The view you presented from the ground floor is spot on. The way you illustrate the tenuous political situation is palpable there. I hope the situation will improve for everyday El Salvadorans, but only time will tell.

I really like how you tell stories!

Caya this is amazing video! So informative, so professional. Well done to the team 👏

I don’t usually comment but I gotta say you beautifully put together this video. Keep up the good work brother

EL SALVADOR has a lot of potential. It could become the next Singapore for Latin America, a corporate capital for Latin America. It is a must that Nayib Bukele has to be re-elected for him to continue his plans for El Salvador.

I loved that you took the time to explain the history. Im Salvadoran born in los Angeles and my family was one of many who fleed to America during the war. My parents dream was to one day return back due to the crime in the 90s&2000s it was impossible. Now it's not perfect but we can at least visit safely.

Mucho respeto. Uno de los mejores videos sobre una situacion muy compleja, gran presentacion del un momento historico. Da mucho campo para analisis politico. Estare todo el dia pensando en esto, si no la semana. Gracias amigo. Respect. One of the best videos bout a very complex situation, an historical moment well presented. It gives a lot of scope for political analysis. I'll be thinking about this all day, if not the week. Thanks my friend.

Really good video, very well done!

Great stuff. Love these vids where you go out to a different country, I'm sure it costs a fortune in both time and currency but it makes for excellent content. Consider going to Rwanda to check out their budding tech scene, it mirrors a lot of the themes you covered in this video and its one of the safest countries in Africa (safer than America), and also has a dictatorial state leader who is responsible for most of the change.

Thank you, this was interesting and informative. Ive heard so much about El Salvador and its use of BTC as a currency and was interested in how it was going.

Bitcoin as a currency is ridiculous. Now as a digital gold that makes more sense. Buy Bitcoin to back your currency I can understand

great work!

Amazing work! As a born Salvadoran now a US citizen I really hope you are wrong. I was able to look past the negative aspect which can become reality and really enjoy your documentary. I don’t think i have ever enjoyed a video/documentary that for the most I don’t agree with. SIMPLY AMAZING!

5:33 This dude is scanning Lightning network scan and trying to pay from Bitcoin Network and went on talk about Blocktime 10 mins... Lol Lighting network is instant and Lighting network is what everybody uses to recieve payments especially for small amounts. Lighting network is Layer 2 sanctioned by main Bitcoin Layer. Lighting network is secure and is as good as main Bitvoin layer as long as Nodes are being monitored.

Appreciate your honest review …..it’s something I had myself pondered how the adaptation was really going

Such an interesting and well-made documentary, thank you for this!

Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Why didn't you talk about the Lightning Network at the 6:00 mark when you're talking about payments?

This is such a well made piece, loved the attention to history, seeing the people’s perspectives, and the phenomenal videography. The thing about journalists being harassed really feels like what’s going on in my home country of Zimbabwe. I flew in last week to see some family and got pulled aside and questioned about my camera…managed to prove I wasn’t a journalist, but something about that didn’t sit well with me especially considering it’s election season. Anyway, keep up the good work guys ✨

Amazing content as always ❤

very sensitive presentation. I love it a lot. more power.

I'm okay with slow adoption. You don't want to rush people into such a drastic change. Over time, as Bitcoin price goes up and USD value goes down, more and more people will gradually adopt it in an organic fashion.

Very informative!

I think it's like if you traveled to England in like 1899 and interviewed a bunch of people on the new automobiles, 90% of the people would be saying "they don"t work, they catch on fire, they breakdown, we don't understand where the oil goes, they get stuck in the mud, we are used to our horse n carts" etc... infrastructure for massive new technologies takes time man

Fantastic work 👏🏾 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

Your conclusion is wrong. President Nayib Bukele is working at the request of salvadoreans. That is democracy.

I am 7 minutes in and I am shocked that you - as a tech nomad - don’t know about the difference between Bitcoin (intentionally slow) and second layer Bitcoin Lightning that does payments for a fraction of the cost and faster than any credit card payment. Sorry, this is a huge difference. Like wanting to drive a Ferrari, but putting Diesel inside and then complaining about the bad performance.

Excelente trabajo Caya y equipo!!! 👏

Props on calling out the government for "pick and choosing" what the international community sees.

This was such a great take on what is going on at El Salvador...Thanks from Argentina!

Interesting episode ❗🔥💯👍

More Documentaries please! Everything is great.

SB this has been one of the most complete videos on El Salvador.....

Wow. I can't believe you guys pulled this off so well! I saw the title and figured there was no way it wouldn't be biased in one direction or another. Instead, you've covered the whole story very fairly from start to finish. This is the kind of journalism the world needs more of! Incredible work.

As Central American living in the past conditions of El Salvador the president Bukele Had to take drastic decisions for drastic problems there was no choice you are free to think what you want but we are better off now and will will 5 years from now you can’t compare other countries history to ours we are in different times, Gob bless Bukele and God bless America (contienrt)

You and your team did a great job on this video. I'm very impressed in this age of poor journalism to see an objective and thoughtful presentation that goes beyond the narratives that tend to control all of our minds. I look forward to future projects and also to look back at previous ones.

Very good journalism...Love it !!

Great documentary

Absolutely mesmerizing video. tbh, I found the section on Bukele more interesting than the portion on bitcoin.

Nice video. I can see your point. I'm from El Salvador I left in 1987 and returned now that the government has got their act together. The difference is night and day from what the 1980s was like talking politics. You mention that other dictatorship started the same way but only time will tell. Let's hope for the best. Thank you

Great video! Impossible to watch with the screen turned off, the way I usually consume most documentaries. N

Caya, tienes un nuevo fan en México... esto es un trabajo excepcional, saludos 8)

Do you attach a manual custom LUT for HDR -> SDR conversion? Surprised how well it looks in both HDR and SDR.

I am also happy that Article 7 of the Bitcoin law was never enforced. Because would force every merchant (basically with a smartphone) to accept digital money. It would be much better if only those merchants already accepting credit cards also would "be forced" to offer Bitcoin as an alternative. Those merchants can afford the extra effort for tourists, while street sellers have nothing to fear.

he is the superhero for El Salvador

What an amazing video… please keep reporting on stories like this 😊

As someone that has a small btc investment i love the idea that a small country like this may just have the biggest turn around.

The good thing about it is this: it isn’t about how YOU feel about régimen de excepción . For millions of US Salvadoreans this is what is working to keep crime from overtaking us again. Salvadoreans are FINALLY learning to respect the right of others to walk free of fear to be a victim of crime in many ways. Re-election is the only way for now. Bitcoin is difficult yes! That I give you

I hope you guys keep making more of these super informative documentary style videos!

I like u final speech ,as a Salvadorian i gonna work hard and Wish the best for my country 🇸🇻

An interesting part about Bitcoin and USD being their currency is the government as effectively seceded its ability to manipulate currency and strongly regulate a banking sector, which are some of the primary tools authoritarian regiems use to control its people. I'm really curious what the future holds and how Bukale will be judgef in 5 and 10 years.

Wow, this was so good.

Your storytelling highlights a struggle with values you guys have, we can feel it. Could you suggest practical changes the Salvadorian government could implement to improve outcomes while ensuring human rights? I feel like solutions are note explored enough and it make this video a quite dramatic.

Wow. Well, this was a different -- and unexpected -- kind of video from Slidebean.

What bukele did was necessary to clean the country there was not option, some people doesn’t understand it because they were not living what exactly was happening there!

This is excellent; hearing about the geopolitical impact of technology decisions, and making the time to listen to local voices makes all of this more real

You did a very good job li bro great info I appreciate it keep up the great job👏

This guy is only mad that El Salvador has change. Incredible, incredible. Think about it people. Where was he when El Salvador was in hell. Now he says we should take bukely as the vilian. This kid has a lot to learn.

Amazing video!!! Thank you for the field trip and the real info!

Now El Salvador 🇸🇻 is safer than Costa Rica. Thanks to presidente Nayib Bukele people is so happy.

CADA FAMILIA TIENE ALGUIEN QUE ROMPE LA CADENA DE POBREZA EN ESA FAMILIA, RUEGO QUE SEAS TÚ

You could also have googled that it is still in the plans, instead of going there