Nelson Inno is a Salvadoran bitcoin innovator, educator, and relentless advocate for decentralized technologies whose journey embodies the transformative power of bitcoin.
Nelson is driven by a mission to empower individuals globally. As a builder on the Lightning Network, he bridges philosophy, technology, and community—crafting material to onboard the next generation of bitcoiners.
First Steps into Bitcoin and Lightning
- What initially drew you to the world of bitcoin and the Lightning Network?
In 2021, many friends shared links and posts about Nayib Bukele’s bitcoin law announcement with me. Somehow, they all expected me to know about the topic, and I knew that as a Salvadoran, I had to get into bitcoin. 
Even though I started working on some cryptocurrency-related projects, the natural path of progress took me towards a bitcoin-only standard.
- How has your perspective on bitcoin changed since you started building in this space?
Like most, I entered bitcoin to become rich.
Then, I stayed because I liked the bitcoiner’s culture and way of thinking.
Ultimately, I now volunteer for bitcoin because I’m convinced that we can upgrade the world and build that vision of bitcoin that could empower everyone on Earth.
Overcoming Challenges in the Space
- What was the most challenging aspect of getting started in this space?
I started in Germany, and the German government, other founders, and my general network have been treating me as a dumb person or criminal (depending on who you ask) for openly supporting BTC. This took an emotional toll on me initially, but I became more stoic about it with time.
Building on Bitcoin
- What’s one thing about being a builder that most people wouldn’t expect?
It takes constant, ordinary efforts for an extraordinary amount of time to start making a dent. Enjoying the journey daily is imperative because reaching any goal is a temporary motivational boost. Once you get your goal, you should know what comes next.
You should understand what motivates you because the entrepreneurial journey is arduous, lengthy, and humbling. If you genuinely want to solve a problem, you will. If you just have an idea of what you want to build without knowing why you want to build it, then life will break you and shatter you into pieces.
- What are the most exciting use cases for the Lightning Network that you’ve seen or worked on?
I’m a big fan of crowdfunding projects through Geyser and rewarding excellent content on NOSTR. Sending Sats is somehow as satisfying as receiving them! Don’t believe me? Just try!
- What advice would you give to someone looking to start their project in this space?
First, it’s possible if you truly believe in solving a painful problem! And it would be better if this problem were close to you. But before starting, make sure you put in the effort to understand bitcoin properly, at least 40-100 hours.
As an ecosystem of startups, bitcoin is very welcoming as long as you follow the bitcoin ethos. However, you are unlikely to succeed if you don’t share the same sound incentives and principles.
Influences and Community Engagement
- Who or what has been your biggest influence in the bitcoin community?
Adam Nili is by far the person who guided me in the bitcoin journey the most. Adam exposed me to philosophy, sound food, health, contacts, and other experiences that shaped me into the bitcoiner I am today.
- Are there any lesser-known builders or projects in this space that deserve more recognition?
Yes, Sequentia’s tokenization project deserves more attention! It is a bitcoin-based tokenization layer that does not pollute the bitcoin blockchain yet allows the creation of any financial instrument based on a bitcoin standard.
Personal Projects & Recommendations
- Can you share a memorable story from your journey as a builder that stands out to you?
One of my projects involved creating a decentralized marketing platform. The incentives that we generated through the platform changed several lives.
One user even managed to save for his first house in the Philippines. It’s always highly moving when someone tells you how your products and services empower them.
- Can you walk us through a recent project you’ve completed on the Lightning Network?
We are building a bitcoin-only decentralized engagement platform for engaging and rewarding project contributors to sats. We believe our platform will soon start putting sats into the next generation of bitcoiners’ hands.
- Can you tell us more on how you conduct your bitcoin education?
I recently published a book to help me onboard new bitcoiners: Unstable Innovation is a philosophy book disguised as an entrepreneurship and innovation guide.
It helps readers navigate uncertainty, embrace rapid change, and rethink their approach to life. For many, it also serves as their first light introduction to bitcoin and its underlying principles—decentralization, incentives, and the power of open innovation.
- What makes your approach to bitcoin education different from the rest?
I focus on making bitcoin education SIMPLE and VISUAL. Those two criteria are the hardest to get right, allowing us to offer an educational product that is more effective in orange-pilling newcomers.
- What material do you believe works best when it comes to educating newbies on bitcoin?
Kickstarting someone’s bitcoin journey is challenging. Many get angry or defensive the moment you mention bitcoin. Therefore, I wrote my first book, Unstable Innovation, which opens the readers’ minds to new topics before introducing bitcoin.
After reading Unstable Innovation, readers can continue with one of my favorite books, The Little Bitcoin Book. However, my partners and I will soon have the easiest and most visual bitcoin onboarding course out in the market!
What Next?
- Finally, what’s next, and how can we support your journey moving forward?
We are making a few strategic partnership announcements, developing a new BTC Decentralized Engagement platform, and designing a fresh bitcoin next-gen educational course.
The best way anyone could support any of my projects is by reading Unstable Innovation. This book will improve your life and align us towards a shared vision. I’m convinced that together, we can spark immense change!
