Crypto

Erik Alvarez | What Can You Build with Bitcoin? - Lightning Talk @ Vision Weekend Puerto Rico 2026

Foresight Institute
Foresight Institute•Apr 1, 2026

Why It Matters

By merging Bitcoin’s trust‑less payments with AI agents, businesses can launch borderless, low‑cost services, challenging traditional fintech and advertising‑driven models.

Key Takeaways

  • •Bitcoin enables permissionless AI agents to transact without banks.
  • •Micro‑payments on Bitcoin unlock new revenue models for chatbots.
  • •Open‑source Bitcoin tools are free and globally accessible for developers.
  • •Decentralized identity and communication prevent censorship of machine interactions.
  • •San Juan Bitdevs meet offers hands‑on learning for Bitcoin commerce.

Summary

At Vision Weekend Puerto Rico 2026, Erik Alvarez delivered a lightning talk titled “What Can You Build with Bitcoin?” while promoting his local meetup, San Juan Bitdevs, and his Bitcoin‑focused commerce startup, Vellis Commerce.

Alvarez argued that Bitcoin’s permission‑less, open‑source protocol lets AI agents operate in the economy without banks, IDs, or geographic restrictions. He contrasted this with the permissioned stacks used by companies like Google, which still rely on Stripe and traditional banking.

He coined the phrase “internet of money,” describing a future where chat‑bots charge micro‑payments for answers, creating a new revenue model that bypasses ads. He emphasized that all Bitcoin tools are free, support native micro‑payments, and are being combined with decentralized identity and communication layers to enable censorship‑resistant machine‑to‑machine interactions.

If adopted, these capabilities could reshape e‑commerce, lower entry barriers for global entrepreneurs, and accelerate decentralized finance integration with AI, making it easier for developers to monetize services without intermediaries.

Original Description

This talk is part of Vision Weekend Puerto Rico 2026, a three-day gathering of researchers and builders in Old San Juan.
The program featured 30+ presentations, along with keynotes, lightning talks, office hours, and discussions focused on “AI for X” — exploring how AI is advancing fields like neurotech, biotech, energy, and beyond.
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