After educating over 27,000 Salvadoran students, the Bitcoin nonprofit is closing its local office to focus on training global educators and supporting community-led initiatives.
My First Bitcoin, a pioneering Bitcoin education initiative launched in El Salvador, has announced the end of its local operations and partnership with the Ministry of Education, shifting its focus toward global Bitcoin education. The move marks a new chapter for the organization, which aims to empower educators worldwide through open-source learning tools and digital training programs.
From Local Classrooms to Global Outreach
Founded in 2021 by American activist and journalist John Dennehy, the nonprofit taught more than 27,000 students across El Salvador, offering free education on Bitcoin’s technology, economy, and philosophy. The program gained national prominence in 2023 after being integrated into the public school curriculum through a government partnership.
In a recent statement, My First Bitcoin confirmed the closure of its physical office in El Salvador and a transition to a fully remote work model.
“Our ambition was always to change the world, but we had to start with a single student, then a single nation. Now we are ready to raise the potential impact from 6 million people to 8 billion,” said Dennehy.
The organization plans to expand globally by developing open-source Bitcoin education materials, training instructors, and collaborating with community-driven initiatives across multiple countries.
The shift comes amid El Salvador’s changing stance on Bitcoin, influenced by its $1.4 billion financing agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which reportedly required the government to scale back Bitcoin-related commitments.
According to Arnold Hubach, the organization’s communications director, the partnership with the Ministry of Education concluded in April 2025 “without any specific reason being shared.” No new government programs are expected to replace the initiative at this stage.
El Salvador’s Bitcoin Policy Reassessment
El Salvador made history in 2021 by adopting Bitcoin as legal tender, encouraging nationwide BTC transactions and accumulation. However, following the IMF deal, the government amended its Bitcoin law in early 2025 to make BTC acceptance optional for businesses.
The IMF’s July 2025 report noted that the country had paused new Bitcoin purchases since December 2024, although official records still list 6,374 BTC holdings, valued at roughly $654.8 million.
As My First Bitcoin ends its El Salvador program, the organization’s new global mission signals a shift from national adoption to grassroots education and empowerment. With a growing library of open resources and international outreach, the initiative now seeks to build the next generation of Bitcoin educators, turning a local experiment into a worldwide movement for digital financial literacy.
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