How to survive on crypto in 2025 as a digital nomad

Opportunist.Global

LaBitconf, Buenos Aires, 2025

Life on fiat is becoming more difficult.

Make an easy experiment in 2025:

Try to send more than 10.000 USD to any non-EU bank from your EU bank account

Using fiat is a way more complicated

Problems:

• There is a lot of KYC/AML bureaucracy (so many stupid questions about small transactions, especially out of the SEPA system)
• Transaction tax (available in Slovakia, Hungary, Venezuela)
• Cash is not welcome - Cash limits & Cash restrictions
• Risk of seizure or freezing transactions
• Complete surveillance

Privacy pyramide of crypto

1. Ideal privacy: Anonymous cash (Monero, ZCash, Bitcoin Lightning, Cashu)

2. Semi-ideal privacy: Pseudo-anonymous, decentralized crypto (Bitcoin, Ethereum, DAI, LUSD, etc.)

3. Less privacy & More centralization: Pseudo-anonymous, centralized crypto (USDT / USDC stablecoins).

Direct crypto payments require high crypto adoption and (ideally, non-KYC) crypto/fiat exchanges.

Privacy pyramide of fiat

1. Ideal privacy: Cash (is the king)

2. Better privacy: Bank account and (crypto) payment cards from the financial institution in the non-CRS country (Paraguay, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Serbia)

3. Acceptable privacy: Bank account in (crypto payments) cards from the CRS country where it is possible to register your non-CRS tax residency (e.g., open your Bank of Georgia bank account or XAPO account with your Paraguayan Tax ID).

4. No privacy: Bank/fiat account in the CRS country (most countries including the EU), e.g., complete reporting of all transactions inside of the EU

If you fear governments / third parties, you should always care about your privacy!

Advantages of crypto over fiat

• Full self-custody = Full Control, cannot be seized (must use non-custodial wallets, decentralized stablecoins)
• Better privacy, cannot be tracked (Monero, ZCash, Bitcoin Lightning, Cashu)
• Permissionless (no need for third party)

• Global by default (one wallet = entire planet, no IBAN's, no SWIFT codes)

• Resistant to Censorship, Freezing

If it is possible, prefer always crypto

(more privacy = usually less potential problems)

Anonymous crypto cash - Monero

• Monero is still alive and improving (FCMP++)
• Always prefer non-KYC services; check KYCNotMe
• Change your non-anonymous crypto to XMR - Trocador.app, BasicSwapDEX, Exolix, SeraiDEX)
• Change your fiat to XMR (always prefer non-KYC services; check Haveno or a trusted OTC service)
• XMR is pretty well accepted (many VPN and web/server hosting providers accept it - check monerica.com; even PornHub Premium can be bought using XMR :-)
• Check the biggest Monero bazaar, XMRBazaar

Anonymous crypto cash - ZCash

• ZCash is still alive and improving (Zashi wallet, Keystone 3 Pro hardware wallet)
• Always prefer non-KYC services; check KYCNotMe
• You can swap Zcash (ZEC) near other cryptocurrencies using platforms that integrate with the NEAR Protocol, such as ThorSwap and SimpleSwap
• Zcash is just going
• to the moon!

Anonymous crypto - Bitcoin Lightning

• Unlike Bitcoin, it provides you with a significant privacy upgrade.
• Always prefer non-KYC services; check KYCNotMe.
• Use anonymous crypto ATMs, Bisq, Vexl.it, private Signal/Session/SimpleX/Threema vexl groups to buy or change your BTC using Boltz.Exchange
• Prefer your own LN node, LND, CLN (I use AlbyHub), and use a non-custodial wallet (Phoenix, Zeus, Breez)
• Use BitRefill everywhere where it's possible
• Many KYC fiat services now accept LN deposits (XAPO, ZEN, Strike)

BitRefill is an underrated crypto service.

Their offer is just in Argentina

Pseudo-anonymous decentralized crypto Bitcoin and shitcoins

• Travala.com  - probably the best portal to buy flight tickets, accommodation, and activities for crypto
• For professional travelers, I recommend Platinum for AVA token staking or the Diamond AVA Smart program, which additionally requires the NFT.
• With Platinum / Diamond Smart programs and cashback, you can achieve better prices than booking.com, but it has a smaller coverage than booking.com
• Check also Destinia, Wirex Travel, XcelTrip
• ShopinBit - Buy anything with Bitcoin, Monero and Crypto

Crypto-friendly services you can open on your cedula (not passport) with SEPA transfers

• Crypto-friendly, SEPA-friendly, easy to open
• KYC with PY/UY/PA cedula
• No tax reporting out of PY/UY/PA
• Jeton.com (the best rates for SEPA transfers, limit 2000 EUR/monthly)
• Uglycash (proof of address)
• Meru (Latin American bills)
• Ether.fi (high limits with better plans, 3% cashback)
• Decaf wallet (Moneygram cash withdrawal support)

Pseudo-anonymous centralized crypto (stablecoin) cards

• Crypto card issuers are often located in the CRS countries; therefore, it is HIGHLY recommended to use always your non-CRS tax residency (Paraguay)
• Recommended crypto cards that work perfectly with Paraguayan residency
  • XAPO
  • Redotpay
  • Cypher HQ card
  • crypto.com
• With Panamanian residency
  • Lulubit
• With Argentinian residency
  • Lemon.me (with Mercado Pago integration)

Pay any bill by SEPA using Bitcoin Lightning or Onchain

• https://bringin.xyz/
• Minimum 15 EUR per transaction
• Can be paid immediately using Bitcoin Lightning & SEPA payment
• KYC requires the EU address + passport
• 2 Tiers
  • Up to 10k (default tier)
  • Up to 100k (proof of address is required + source of funds)

Cash payments

• Cash is king, but it is always hard to bring a lot of cash (limits 10k USD when crossing borders, ATM cash limits, etc.)
• In many countries, Bitcoin/crypto ATMs still offer cash (with no KYC for transactions less than 1000 USD), so always check CoinATMRadar. OTC providers / local crypto dealers can also provide some cash.
• Check Vexl, especially in Central Europe; it may work well
• Or use Western Union (it requires KYC) to send/receive money anywhere

Non-CRS bank account

• Non-CRS means more privacy = no automatic reporting out of the country - if you care about your privacy, a non-CRS bank account is necessary.
   
• Kyrgyzstan's Bakai.kg with VISA Infinite — we can help you open it remotely on your passport and apostilled PoA.
• All Paraguay bank accounts - can be easily opened on the Paraguayan cedula (Paraguayan residency is required) unless you have an official income in Paraguay; these bank accounts are basic with 1000 USD monthly limits :(
• Serbia bank accounts - can be opened using the PoA, foreign transactions are 30 days delayed, up to 500.000 transfers with no proof of income
• Cambodia - remotely using Relocatify, but for VISA/Mastercard cards, a physical visit is necessary

Binance P2P

• This is the reason why it is a good idea to have residency in every country where you spend some time (I have it in Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and now I am asking for Argentina and Mexico)
• You can now open Binance with the Paraguayan cedula (strongly recommended) and do KYC with Paraguayan documents.
• It works perfectly with all Paraguayan banks (instead of cards, you can pay with the QR code), Panamanian, and Georgian banks.
• Be aware -> you can always receive the crypto/fiat from a criminal subject, and the bank can close your bank account -> this happened and happens all the time.`

Don't want to pay taxes/healthcare/social insurance:

Live from the (crypto) loan!

• Full decentralized
  • AAVE.com, liquity.org, and also check aggregators Summer.fi, Defillama
• Decentralized contract / one trusted  company
  • Firefish.io
• Fully centralized
  • nexo.com
• Great online course - How to harness the value of Bitcoin without having to sell it (ebook, mini-course)

My personal setup

My personal setup II

• For travel bookings, I use Travala.com
• I use BitRefill wherever possible
• I use a Paraguayan Personal SIM card and anonymous eSIM via mobimatter.com (Spark eSIM)
• In each country, I am trying to use the local crypto services/crypto exchanges and local bank accounts & cards (topped up by crypto)
• I am avoiding international fiat transactions, which are considered suspicious and often inspected by banks - for international transfers, crypto is always better.

Become a member of Liberation Travel community

Thanks for your attention!

iam@opportunist.global