Bitcoin is booming, which means it's a great time to reflect on how blockchain technology stands to benefit small businesses around the globe!

With Bitcoin back in the headlines, strategic Bitcoin reserves in the works, and the price climbing by the day, it feels like the world is finally waking up to what Bitcoin can really do. But for us at Compass Coffee, Bitcoin isn’t just some abstract investment or digital gold—it’s a real, practical tool that’s transforming how we do business and how we source coffee. So let me tell you the story of how Compass Coffee uses Bitcoin to power the global coffee trade and how this all came to life at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference in Nashville.

Cutting Out the Middlemen: A New Kind of Direct Trade

Let’s start with Jorge, one of our longtime coffee partners in El Salvador. Jorge grows incredible coffee at his farm Tierra Bendita in Santa Tecla, La Libertad, El Salvador, and he’s as committed to quality as we are. El Salvador’s coffee is world-renowned, and in 2021, the country has taken on another title as the first nation to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. While this might seem like just another news headline, it actually opens up some incredible possibilities for the coffee trade—and Jorge is right at the heart of it. 

See, traditionally, getting coffee from Jorge’s farm to our roastery in Washington, DC, involves a whole string of middlemen—processors, exporters, importers, distributors. By the time a bag of coffee lands in the U.S., it’s passed through so many hands that everyone’s taking a cut, and the farmer, who’s doing the hardest work of all, ends up with less of the value.

But with Bitcoin, we’ve been able to cut out most of these middlemen, strengthening the direct, personal relationships we’ve cultivated with farmers like Jorge to ensure the highest quality coffee. In the past, Jorge had to sacrifice a full day of work traveling to the capital, just to pay a 20% conversion fee to access his earnings. Now, we can pay Jorge directly, almost instantly, and in a currency that works for him. No wire transfers with high fees. No waiting weeks for payments to clear. Just a clean, direct transaction on the Bitcoin blockchain that puts more of the value back into Jorge’s hands. That’s what Direct Trade really means to us—empowering farmers and creating real, tangible connections between the people who grow the coffee and the people who drink it.

Bringing Bitcoin Coffee to Bitcoiners: The Nashville Conference 

Now, with that background, let’s talk about the Bitcoin 2024 Conference in Nashville, where we got to put our philosophy to the test in the real world. Picture this: 20,000 Bitcoin fanatics packed into 2.1 million square feet of convention center space at the largest gathering of Bitcoiners ever—all there to celebrate, debate, and dive headfirst into the world of Bitcoin. It was like stepping into a parallel universe—crypto-anarchists, investors, techies, and artists, all together under one roof. And there we were, Compass Coffee, in the middle of it all, serving up thousands of cups of coffee and sharing our story.

Our team went all-in for this event. Back in DC, our head of operations, Chas, spent weeks preparing—sourcing, roasting, and packing everything we’d need to fuel the Bitcoin masses. Once we got to Nashville, our setup was like a Pit crew at a Formula 1 Race. We had two espresso bars, four cold brew stations, and a team of 20 volunteers we’d flown in from DC who learned how to barista on the spot. Our two marketing interns, Gabby and Sophie, ran the cold brew production line in the back, literally wearing trash bags over their outfits to keep them clean. It was exhausting, messy, and completely nonstop—but it was an absolute blast.

By the end of the weekend, we’d served tens of thousands of cold brews and espresso drinks. The response was incredible. Bitcoiners may be there for the tech, but let me tell you, they really love coffee. In fact, by the end of each day, people were practically begging us to keep the stations open so they could get one last hit of caffeine.

The Moment of Connection: Jorge in the Flesh

One of the best parts of the conference was having Jorge himself there with us. He had his own booth a few steps away, and it was an amazing feeling to be able to point over to him and say to people, “The coffee you’re drinking right now? It comes from that man’s farm.” People were fascinated to learn that their cup of coffee was a direct product of the future we’re working toward—no middlemen, just a direct connection from farm to cup, powered by Bitcoin. And you should’ve seen their faces when we told them we paid Jorge in Bitcoin, too. 

It was the perfect way to drive home the point that this wasn’t just some one-off gimmick for the conference. This is real, and it’s happening right now. We’re not just talking about the potential of Bitcoin; we’re actually using it to change how coffee is traded globally.

Cappuccinos, B12 Shots, and Bitcoin History: My Conference Highlights

For me, the conference was full of surreal, unforgettable moments that you’d only experience at an event like this. Here are a few highlights that really stuck with me: 

Serving RFK Jr. a Cappuccino Before He Went On Stage:

As someone who’s passionate about health and wellness, meeting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was an incredible experience. Here’s a guy who’s dedicated his life to standing up for what he believes in, and he’s a big inspiration to me. So when I got to serve him a cappuccino right before he went on stage, it felt like everything came full circle. Turns out, RFK Jr. is a cappuccino guy, and it was a great moment to share that quick connection over coffee before he dove into the energy of the conference.

Recharging with a B12 Shot and IV Drip:

Let’s just say the days at the conference were intense. Between the early mornings, the non-stop coffee brewing, and keeping up with the demand from 35,000 caffeine-fueled Bitcoiners, I was running on fumes by the end of the day. Luckily, this was a Bitcoin conference, where "self-care" takes on a whole new meaning. I found myself getting a B12 shot while making drinks one day just to keep the energy up. And by the end of the weekend, I even treated myself to an IV drip to replenish all the vitamins I’d burned through. Only at a Bitcoin conference can you go from pouring espresso shots to getting actual vitamin shots within a few feet of each other.

Watching President Trump Announce the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve:

One of the wildest moments of the conference was seeing President Trump take the stage and announce plans for a strategic Bitcoin reserve. There were tons of people that filled the room eager to hear about the role Bitcoin could play in America’s future. Here we were, serving coffee, navigating Secret Service checkpoints, and rolling kegs of cold brew past bomb-sniffing dogs, all while history was unfolding around us. It felt like we were part of something way bigger than just a coffee operation—we were witnessing a turning point in how the world sees Bitcoin, and by extension, how it can change industries like coffee.

A New Kind of Partnership

This is only the beginning. The coffee we sourced from Jorge’s farm isn’t just for one event. We’re continuing to use his beans in a number of our blends, both in our cafes and in our e-commerce store. It’s the start of a long-term partnership that goes beyond just one bag of beans. We’re working directly with Jorge and other farmers to make sure that more of the value of coffee stays with the people who grow it.

In a way, what we’re doing with Bitcoin is just a new evolution of our mission at Compass Coffee: to make your day better, while supporting communities and building connections across the globe. Bitcoin gives us a tool to do that on an even bigger scale, in a way that’s faster, more efficient, and more equitable for everyone involved.

The Future is Brewing

So, as Bitcoin continues to make headlines and people debate its future, we’re already putting it to work—making real-world connections, building sustainable partnerships, and bringing you the best coffee we can, all while using technology to create a more direct and fair supply chain. Because at Compass Coffee We’re here to rethink how it gets from farm to cup, to connect with people who share our values, and to embrace new ways of making a difference.