Bitcoin Takes Root in Peru Through Grassroots Humanitarian Initiative

Across Peru's varied terrain—spanning Andean mountain villages, Pacific coastal communities, and remote Amazon settlements—Bitcoin adoption is growing organically through humanitarian work rather than institutional mandates or corporate investment.

Leading this movement is Motiv Peru, a non-profit organization co-founded by Rich Swisher and Valentin Popescu, which has dedicated years to helping underserved and financially excluded populations integrate Bitcoin into daily commerce, education, and community trade networks. What started as a modest footwear donation effort in 2019 has expanded into approximately 10 active operational zones, with primary centers in Lima, Cusco, and Huanchaco, plus additional programs in Tarapoto and Iquitos. The organization now supports more than 750 families each week.

With a team of 50 members plus volunteers, Motiv is proving Bitcoin's viability as a long-term empowerment tool in developing regions rather than simply another short-term aid solution. The organization has pioneered a non-profit model that generates meaningful social impact while simultaneously bootstrapping Bitcoin circular economies—fulfilling the cryptocurrency's original promise of "banking the unbanked."

Peru's Historic Bitcoin Connection

Peru's relationship with Bitcoin stretches back further than most realize. Among the earliest documented real-world Bitcoin transactions involved Peruvian alpaca socks. In early 2011, merchants like Grass Hill Alpacas accepted Bitcoin for wool products shipped from South America to the United States, as documented in Bitcoin Wiki entries and Bitcointalk forum discussions. This occurred shortly after the legendary Laszlo Hanyecz pizza purchase in May 2010.

By 2025, Peru's cryptocurrency ecosystem had matured significantly. Chainalysis data shows Peru recorded approximately $28 billion in crypto transaction value, positioning it as one of Latin America's largest Bitcoin adoption hubs. This regional growth has been fueled by remittance flows, inflation hedging strategies, and widespread smartphone access enabling digital wallet usage.

From One Orphan to a Movement

Motiv's founding story began in 2019 when Swisher—a retired U.S. military and police officer with international business experience—met Valentin, a Romanian expatriate who had lived in Peru since 2007 and worked in non-profit logistics. They connected while constructing a playground in a remote Cusco highland village.

There, Valentin encountered Jonathan, a seven-year-old orphan living in extreme poverty within a mud hut. His mother had recently died, and his father struggled with alcoholism. Despite his own malnourishment, when offered a granola bar, Jonathan immediately began sharing it with other children. "This is the orphan of the village, the most looked-down-on kid… and he's thinking about others. My mind, my heart exploded," Valentin told Bitcoin Magazine in an exclusive interview.

Recognizing Jonathan's desperate circumstances, the pair mobilized donors to purchase him essential cold-weather clothing—a jacket, shoes, pants, and hat. However, when other village children saw these gifts, jealousy emerged, revealing the broader community need.

Valentin promised those children they would receive quality footwear too. In the harsh Andean terrain, proper shoes can determine whether children attend school, as many face treacherous journeys to reach classrooms. This commitment birthed the Happy Steps program and essentially defined Motiv's mission.

Two months later, they returned with shoes for the entire village, purchased through Swisher's donor network, establishing an annual footwear support program. The Motiv team and volunteers wash children's feet—often damaged by harsh elements and rugged landscapes—before providing new shoes. This experience taught Valentin a crucial lesson: "The story isn't me, a foreigner, coming to feel good about doing this. But what we are trying to do is push so that Peruvians can serve and be leaders in the community."

The Bitcoin Pivot During COVID-19

When 2020 arrived, Motiv prepared for another shoe distribution, but COVID-19 lockdowns devastated Peru's health system and economy. Valentin approached Swisher with a proposal: convert shoe funding into food purchases to help communities survive the pandemic.

However, charitable donations typically cannot be redirected from their designated purpose—the donors refused. Then Swisher mentioned an alternative: a Bitcoin holder willing to fund both shoes and food supplies, with one condition—everything had to be purchased using Bitcoin.

"This isn't the time for jokes, Rich," Valentin recalled responding. But the offer was genuine.

Valentin searched for Bitcoin-accepting vendors but initially found only a small kiosk with limited inventory—insufficient for the hundreds of people across 50 families requiring assistance. The kiosk merchant helped with immediate supplies, but scaling required onboarding new merchants.

The second merchant was Olger, a shoemaker who had previously supplied Motiv. COVID had devastated him—he lost his wife and job while left alone to care for three children. Rather than succumbing to despair, Olger intensified his craft, teaching others shoemaking while accepting Bitcoin from Motiv, becoming a vital Happy Steps program partner.

From there, Motiv began systematically educating merchants about Bitcoin. Facing initial resistance due to Peru's history with financial scams including cryptocurrency fraud, Valentin adopted a simple approach: rather than promising financial independence or promoting ideological visions, he presented Bitcoin purely as a payment tool, teaching merchants to use it however they wished. This pragmatic strategy proved successful.

Motiv Peru in 2026

Today, Motiv Peru operates as a sophisticated organization teaching Bitcoin fundamentals Monday through Saturday across 15 locations, reaching over 750 families. In 2025 alone, Motiv events engaged more than 6,000 participants across all age groups through initiatives including the Copa Bitcoin soccer tournament, Christmas celebrations, and various educational fairs.

The total number of individual Bitcoin transactions resulting from these efforts ranges between 25,000 and 30,000, with Blink serving as the entry-level wallet for new users.

As merchants initially adopted Bitcoin as a payment method, many developed deeper interest in the underlying technology, prompting Motiv to establish comprehensive Bitcoin and financial literacy education programs at its major centers throughout Peru.

Coinasity's Take

Motiv Peru demonstrates that meaningful Bitcoin adoption in developing nations emerges not from speculation or institutional investment, but through solving real human problems. By combining humanitarian aid with practical Bitcoin education, the organization has created sustainable circular economies that provide genuine financial access to unbanked populations. This grassroots model proves more effective than traditional NGO approaches by empowering local leadership and creating lasting infrastructure rather than dependency on foreign aid. Motiv's success suggests that Bitcoin's most profound impact may ultimately come from its utility in underserved communities rather than its performance as a financial asset.