The Bitcoin Evidence Base
Common claims about Bitcoin — and what peer-reviewed research actually shows. Verified evidence from Cambridge University, ERCOT, and 22+ academic studies.
Built on Daniel Batten's communication playbook — designed to inform, not persuade.
Methodology
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Research Highlights
What the evidence shows
Key findings from peer-reviewed research on Bitcoin — energy, environment, security, adoption and more.
The Federation of Bitcoin Circular Economies (FBCE) maintains a public, clickable directory of 79+ Bitcoin Circular Economies across six continents. A circular economy means Bitcoin moves through every level of the local economy: workers earn it, vendors receive it, suppliers accept it — not just "one merchant accepts Bitcoin as a payment option.
Source: Federation of Bitcoin Circular Economies (FBCE), 2025
Most Bitcoin Circular Economies run on Lightning Network for everyday transactions. Bitcoin Beach pioneered Lightning-based local payments via the Bitcoin Beach Wallet (later evolved into Blink).
Source: Bitcoin Jungle / Bitcoin Beach Wallet (Blink) / FBCE directory, 2024
The Federation of Bitcoin Circular Economies registers 37+ active community projects across at least 12 African countries — Kenya (Afribit Kibra, Bitcoin Nairobi, Bitcoin Chama, Bitcoin Kitui, Bitcoin Githurai), South Africa (Bitcoin Ekasi, Bitcoin Loxion, Bitcoin Karoo, Bitcoin Plett, Bitcoin Sedgefield, Bitcoin Sisonke, Bitcoin Ubuntu, Bitcoin Witsand, Soweto BTC), Nigeria (Bitcoin Anambra, Bitcoin Edo, Bitcoin Ekiti, Bitcoin Ikorodu, Bitcoin Kwara, Calabar Bitcoin), Ghana (Bitcoin Aves, Bitcoin Dua, Bitfiasi, College BTC), Tanzania (Bitcoin Arusha), Uganda (Bitcoin Kampala), Zambia (Bitcoin Campus, Bitcoin Victoria Falls), Mozambique (Bitcoin Famba), Botswana (Ola Bitcoin), Burundi (Bitcoin Shule), DRC (Kiveclair), Malawi (Women of Satoshi Cooperative). Each project has its own merchants, users, and verifiable activity.
Source: FBCE African community directory, 2025
Bitcoin Ekasi in Mossel Bay, South Africa explicitly pays 100% of staff salaries in Bitcoin. Coaches and workers receive their wages in BTC and spend it locally without converting to South African Rand — completing the circular-economy loop.
Source: Bitcoin Ekasi (bitcoinekasi.com) / Bitcoin Beach (bitcoinbeach.com), 2024
Counter-examples are extensive and documented. La IslaBTC operates in Cuba's Isla de la Juventud.
Source: FBCE community profiles, 2025
Bitcoin Beach (El Zonte, El Salvador) was launched in 2019 by Mike Peterson, Roman Martínez (Chimbera) and Peter DeSoto, seeded by an anonymous early Bitcoin donor. Far from being isolated, it became the prototype that directly inspired El Salvador's 2021 Legal Tender Law making Bitcoin official currency — the first nation-state adoption in history.
Source: Bitcoin Beach (bitcoinbeach.com) / FBCE registry, 2024
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