St. Kitts-Nevis Bitcoin News Release — Monday 21st March 2022
During the last few years, Saint Kitts and Nevis has become a hotspot for Bitcoin Cash (BCH) adoption, with other islands like Antigua and Sint Maarten also seeing growing crypto acceptance. Data from map.bitcoin.com indicates that there are several hundred merchants throughout a number of Caribbean islands that accept Bitcoin Cash. Saint Kitts and Nevis has 129 BCH-accepting merchants with a population of just over 53,000 residents, including establishments such as Sharkies Souvenirs, Kings Mini Mart, The Perfume Shop, Food Centre, and Cocoplums Garden Bar & Grill. Sint Maarten has 123 BCH-accepting businesses with a population of 41,000, and Antigua has 69 merchants accepting BCH.
On March 19, Rolando Brison, leader of the United People’s Party and member of Sint Maarten’s Parliament, announced he requested his entire salary to be paid in Bitcoin Cash. “By having my entire salary paid in BCH, I hope to signal my belief that it represents a viable additional means of commerce, transacting, and savings in St. Maarten,” Brison said. He is also exploring possibilities to legislate BCH and make it a national currency. Following Brison’s announcement, businessman Sunny Gehani of Saint Kitts and Nevis said that employees from several businesses — including Square Duty Free, Asian Voyage restaurant, RK Gems, Beauty Inside Out spa and Frigate Bay’s Buddha Bar — have also requested to be paid in Bitcoin Cash. “The number of merchants in Saint Kitts and Nevis accepting Bitcoin Cash is rising on a daily basis,” Gehani noted.