Lago Bitcoin & Renewable Bitcoin Mining

Bioenergy Technology Company, Inc. (BTC) is a company focused on finding and using renewable energy sources for off-grid Bitcoin validation in developing countries. BTC, Inc. is a Guatemalan company with offices in Guatemala City and Panajachel, Solola, Guatemala. BTC is the result of the work of Lago Bitcoin (Bitcoin Lake) also based in Panajachel (Twitter @lakebitcoin www.bitcoinlake.io). The below will be a collaborative effort between the for profit BTC and the not-for profit Lago Bitcoin. Current milestones in Panajachel have been achieved by Lago Bitcoin.

Background: Legacy energy production and waste collection are centralized activities. Bitcoin is inherently a decentralized technology providing the impetus for an energy generation renaissance that will decentralize energy production and waste management by bringing these activities closer to the user and consumer, respectively. The inventor of Bitcoin and its early adopters could not have foreseen the true technological breakthrough Bitcoin is outside of its promise of to usher in a new peer-to-peer monetary system. This is a reality in energy (see below). Heating applications are emerging from greenhouses, commercial and residential heating.

As a Bitcoin non-profit community program, Lago Bitcoin has the goal of creating a circular Bitcoin economy, providing Bitcoin education, promoting economic and business development. The last goal of economic and business development is focused around the use of the abundant natural resources available in the Atitlan lake basin with a population of about 300,000 in the western highlands of Guatemala. Every available renewable energy source is available in the region from legacy green energy of solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal. However, new forms of energy production to include capturing waste water treatment plant methane, landfill methane, and organic waste (bioenergy) allow us to, for the first time, create the most decentralized waste managment AND energy production closed loop system in the world. At the same time, the production of bitcoin allows us to introduce this new revolutionary monetary asset into the local economy. This novel approach also allows us to solve one of the regions most challenging environmental disasters: the slow pollution and resulting death of beautiful lake Atitlan. Bitcoin can now provide the economic incentive for the 15+ communities around the lake to work towards proper waste management and land reclamation using the output product of our waste-to-energy solution to preserve this national treasure. Further, this will also allow us to provide sustainable funding of community infrastructure, community education and community health with direction of a portion of the bitcoin profits to these endeavors.

CRITICAL PROBLEM: Panajachel’s main “clean water supply” is contaminated by municipal waste. This water supply is expected to last only for an additional year (into 2023).

Thesis: BTC inc. and Lago Bitcoin will create a virtuous cycle of taking wasted/trapped energy and using recycled e-waste (Bitcoin validators) and wasted machinery (unused diesel engines and turbines) to create bitcoin. A portion of this bitcoin will go back into the community for community development/health and infrastructure development. This will incentivize and change the local population’s behavior to participate in cleaning the environment/lake while introducing new technology, new innovation, a new monetary system, and jobs into the local economy.

In El Salvador alone, the use of the Bitcoin lightning network can save Salvadorans nearly $400 Million in remittance fees.

Once we demonstrate the viability and operation of this concept, this can be the model for decentralized energy production/Bitcoin validation in any community around the world with waste (virtually any community).

Business and Technology: Our plan is to implement a “sliding scale” bioenergy and technology company utilizing small microbiodigesters for home and small business use to larger more capital intensive waste-to-energy technology solutions and legacy green energy solutions.

We have started a pilot program called Kaboom energy that takes old cooking oil, an old diesel engine and out-dated Bitcoin validators (S9) to create bitcoin. This is the first time in history that cooking oil has been turned into bitcoin. Our intent is to use the energy production for Bitcoin validation and the revenue for microgrid construction in the communities we operate. We have secured exclusive rights to a new proprietary energy generation technology that will beat $0.04/kwh energy production. At this price, we can achieve scale of efficiencies that are reserved for large scale Bitcoin operations in western/developed countries. We will be the de facto bioenergy technology company for central and south America. We will leverage our technology and expertise to implement our systems in hundreds, if not thousands, of wasted energy communities with the goal to profit share (initially via community development) in each community using smart contracting (likely based on Bitcoin 3rd layer tech).

Our proprietary technology approach accomplishes several goals:

After initial plant startup, energy production and consumption is completely off grid and 100% sustainable. (Within the first 24 hours of operation)
Unsorted waste (organic and inorganic) is processed/sterilized, sorted and converted into energy without greenhouse gas emissions or the use of fossil fuels.
Sterilized recycletes can be sorted and sold.
Energy produced in this process can be used for:
1. Energy for micro-grids or sold back into the power grid with PowerShare agreements.
2. Used for Bitcoin validation on validation computers.
3. The net effect is the Bitcoin validators can act as load balances that can stabilize any electrical grid to ensure stable, abundant energy is available at all times. This is now a reality in the US’ largest energy grid.
4. The pure organic mass produced from this process has two uses:
  1. If organic mass is not used for energy production (stove/cooking fires), the entire process is CARBON negative. Revenue can be captured via the carbon credit market (see below). This organic mass can help remediate landfills.
  2. If the organic mass is used for energy production, carbon credits can not be captured but the process remains Carbon Neutral. The needs of the community would dictate the ultimate use of the final organic mass. With increasing energy production, the use of organic feed stock for fuel should lessen.
5. All of the solid waste that would have made its way into the landfill is removed from the cycle of waste mismanagement that is contributing to the destruction of the environment.

Revenue opportunities: 1) Site selection, construction and management. 2) Waste management, energy production, Bitcoin validation, landfill remediation. 3) Consulting and program managment 4) BTC collateralized loan program and micro loans for community development 5) Selling carbon credits - (access to market secured)

Innovation and job creation:

Despite the heavy use of the internet for Bitcoin validation, Bitcoin validation can occur with limited bandwidth and in remote locations using special purpose satellite relays at a nominal cost.
We have already deployed the FIRST Bitcoin node and validator in a school in Central and South America in Panajachel, Guatemala.
We have already deployed the FIRST Bitcoin validator in the Americas in a municipality in Panajachel.
We have developed the FIRST of its kind biodiesel generator using used cooking oil to validate Bitcoin. This inexpensive concept can be implemented anywhere in the world.
Any job that is currently involved in waste managment can be translated into work at the BTC facility. With infrastructure development, we expect many, many more jobs to be created.
Further, we have already seen an influx of curious Bitcoiners coming to see the work. It is our hope these digital nomads will find a home in Panajachel and join our work at Bitcoin Lake. In neighboring El Salvador, there has been a 20% increase in tourism (primarily BTC related) since the adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender.
As the project expands, we plan to move to the waste water treatment facility and improve methane capture from the damaged biodigester. Thereby mitigating methane escape into the environment and improve the infrastructure of the facility to improve the local water quality.

Community Development and education:

As part of our vision and current partnerships, we wish to initiate community health initiatives or even a community health hub once we start distribution of BTC funds. (See attached monograph)
1. We will initiate a micro-loan program to help with local business development and entrepreneurship.
2. Develop community gardens for food security
We are currently teaching children at Centro Educativo Josue about Bitcoin as a monetary system and technology. We have also started teaching English in the school and in a local barrio.
Our work here in the western highlands of Guatemala is primarily with the indigenous community. Over 80% of the population in this region identify as indigenous. Bringing energy, technology and education to this region will help equalize the disparity between regions like this and the more urban regions of Guatemala City.

Team: Cesar Tanchez, Mario Salguero, Victor Tzorin, Marco Reyes, Bill Whittaker, Patrick C. Melder, MD (Founder Bitcoin lake/Lago Bitcoin)

Milestones: 1) Achieved political support of municipality/mayor and securing support of indigenous communities. 2) Identified private land owner who is interested in opportunity in Panajachel. His land is adjacent to the municipal landfill. 3) Secured feedstock for project. 4) Identified crucial technology for full scale operations. 5) Identified key personal to start venture. 6) In July 2022 - started proof of concept waste to energy Bitcoin validation using used cooking oil. Zero cost energy used to validate Bitcoin. 7) Secured key partnerships for this project to start and will grow our partnerships as we build out our project. 8) We have onboarded over 200 businesses in Guatemala to accept bitcoin and helped introduce new applications into the community (Bitcoin Beach Wallet and OSHI).

Our initial proof of concept: Kaboom energy. Using used cooking oil to validate Bitcoin/ generate revenue with a resource that would have been discarded in the streets or found its way to the landfill and ultimately into the lake. A video of our work went viral.

Strengths

First BTC only company focused on the renewable energy sector in Guatemala. Waste to energy alone as a market is expected to grow at 7.4% (CAGR). The current market opportunity is valued at $25.7Bn and is expected to exceed $94Bn by 2025.
Focused on land remediation in Central America used now by land fills. The largest landfill in central America is in Guatemala City. Our company plans to use the old waste from these site(s) to convert waste into energy to validate Bitcoin AND remediate the land so it can be settled again.
We are committed to providing distributed income back into the communities we serve by funding infrastructure build-out and community development.
Our first project in the lake Atitlan basin will provide the impetus and incentives to clean this national treasure that is at risk of becoming a dead lake which would severely affect the indigenous communities around the lake that rely on the lake and the tourism it attracts.
Our work began in January 2022 (Bitcoin Lake/Lago Bitcoin) in Panajachel, Guatemala as a boot strap/self funded effort.