Key points

  • This is a true story of how cryptocurrency through Binance Pay helped an expat couple celebrate their dream wedding with their loved ones. All names and locations in this story have been anonymized to protect the privacy of all contributors. 

  • Over the last decade, country X has been continuously embroiled in a series of serious political, economic and humanitarian crises. 

  • For many people in country X struggling with socio-economic crises, like the couple in our spotlight today, cryptocurrency and Binance have become indispensable game-changers, improving their livelihoods and giving them access to finance to build a better future. 

Bram, a digital marketing director and UX/UI specialist, met his wife-to-be, Zenia, ten years his junior, at a co-working space in his hometown in country X in 2019, just before the start of Covid-19. 

By 2019, Bram had built a solid career as a technology marketer. He began delving deeper into the world of cryptocurrencies, using Binance to strengthen his financial position through a combination of trading, long-term investing and cryptocurrency savings products. Resourceful and visionary, Bram was very attracted to the cheerful and cheerful personality of Xenia, who had just graduated from university. At a time when the socio-economic and political crisis in country X has destroyed lives and created so much instability and anxiety among its people, Xenia's optimistic and positive outlook on life was exceptional and even courageous.

When they first met in a co-working space, they were both working remotely for overseas companies, as the local job market was pretty bleak. Along with the spread of the Covid-19 virus, there were blackouts and mass protests across the country every other day. Reports of death, starvation and riots were a daily topic on television and in newspapers. It was almost a miracle that, despite this chaotic background, Bram and Xenia found love in each other's arms. 

As the political tension in Country X deepened and intensified, so did their love story. After nearly two years of dating and surviving crises together, on February 14, 2021, as a Valentine's Day gift for Xenia, Bram arranged for them to escape to the neighboring country of Y. 

The tragedy of X

For more than ten years, country X has been suffering from one of the most severe economic and humanitarian crises in the world. Economic mismanagement combined with falling world prices for its staple commodity, as well as brutal political infighting, accelerated the country's downward spiral. 

The results were catastrophic: hyperinflation, massive food and medicine shortages, and a health care system on the verge of collapse. Millions of citizens in X country now struggle to access basic necessities, and malnutrition and preventable diseases have increased in some regions, leaving the country struggling with a humanitarian disaster. Millions of others left the country as migrant workers and asylum seekers. 

Country X experienced one of the most extreme cases of hyperinflation in modern history. This led to an almost complete collapse of the national currency, making daily life unaffordable for many. In practice, the country's currency has lost almost all of its value. Many people started using the US dollar in everyday transactions to cope with the devaluation of the national currency. 

Love against everything

For those who escaped, life is still full of difficulties. While security and stability may have improved, these refugees face new challenges: finding work, navigating foreign legal systems and, perhaps worst of all, being separated from loved ones who remain in their home country. Dreams of reuniting with family, especially during important events such as a wedding or the birth of a child, are often hampered by financial and bureaucratic barriers, and many find it difficult to return home or move family members across borders.

Bram and Zenia were no exception. In the capital of country Y, Bram got a job selling solar panels for an international company, and Zenia also joined a large multinational corporation. Although they enjoyed greater peace and stability, they were plagued by daily worries and anxieties about the situation of their loved ones at home. Bram's father suffered from a serious illness and Xenia's mother died of Covid-19, but they were unable to return to Country X to care for their parents. 

Traveling to and from country X is a grueling ordeal with the risks of changing regulations and restrictions. According to Bram, air tickets in country X are now about three to five times more expensive than the market price due to inconsistent border regulations, economic sanctions and the fuel crisis. 

Conducting financial transactions in and out of the country has also become a problem. In addition to the constant devaluation of the currency, the government introduced all kinds of bans and restrictions on the movement of capital, which was part of a hyper-populist political program aimed at protecting country X from "foreign influence".

At Y, Bram has doubled down on his cryptocurrency activities and investments. He has fully immersed himself in the field as he has experienced first-hand how cryptocurrency can be used as a powerful tool to promote financial inclusion and freedom for many people, especially those living under unstable governments and unstable economies. 

Bram and Zenia used Binance products to preserve and grow their capital, and came to rely on Binance Pay for many financial transactions, trusting it more than local banks as cryptocurrency and fintech platforms quickly gained traction in Country X and the rest of the region. 

"People may say that cryptocurrency is unstable, but for the people of X, whose currency has already lost all its value in a decade, cryptocurrency is a safe haven, a life saver, a hedge in times of crisis," Bram explained. He also joined the Binance Angels program, supporting cryptocurrency education through public events.

An unusual wedding with Binance Pay

On February 14, 2023, to celebrate the second anniversary of starting a new life in Country Y, Bram proposed to Xenia, to which she said yes. They wanted to have a wedding where all their family and friends could attend, but how could they do that with all the transportation and economic constraints? That's when Binance Pay came to the rescue, providing an efficient way for the couple to manage their wedding finances. 

They tabulated their budget and listed all the vendors and wedding planners they wanted to hire in country X. They trained everyone they worked with – all vendors and planners – on how to open a Binance account and how to use Binance Pay. 

With Binance Pay, Bram and Zenia were able to quickly and easily transfer crypto assets from abroad. Each transaction was settled within seconds, not days, without the risk of frequent lockouts that they would be exposed to if they used traditional banking services. They could also pay in USDT, and this stablecoin was widely accepted in country X, becoming a welcome alternative to their highly volatile currency. 

Bram and Zenia paid for their wedding venue remotely via Binance Pay. Note: This image was created using artificial intelligence based on real photo sources.

"We kind of started this trend of using Binance Pay, and everyone we talked to at the wedding was excited about the platform. They said, 'How have we never heard of this before?' This is a real lifesaver!" - Bram said happily . 

"We hired about ten different vendors and trained everyone to use Binance Pay, including our liquor vendor, a family business run by an elderly couple. We paid the deposit for the venue using Binance Pay. The venue provider agreed it was best to use Binance Pay and wanted , so that the second tranche is also paid through this service." 

Bram and Zenia traveled to their wedding with airline tickets purchased using Binance Pay. Note: This image was created using artificial intelligence based on real photo sources. 

In addition, Bram and Xenia's wedding guests traveled to country X and purchased their tickets and accommodation via Binance Pay. Some of them also sent wedding gifts through Pay. 

"Our wedding is officially a Binance Pay wedding," Bram jokes. "We couldn't have done it without Binance Pay. Our friends and family members who attended became Binance Pay users." 

Then came the difficult part: the trip to the country. The couple used Binance Pay to buy tickets to fly to the border between Y and X, and then crossed the border to their hometown by ground vehicle. 

A beautiful wedding became the dream of a couple in emigration. Everything went perfectly. Zenia was glowing with her orange hair studded with pearls and a long flowing white dress. Bram was dressed in a smart yellow turtleneck, jacket and jeans and was teary-eyed for most of the ceremony. They were so happy to be able to celebrate and sanctify their love at home, in front of all their family members, relatives and old friends. 

The couple's first kiss on their wedding night. Note: This image was created using artificial intelligence based on real photo sources.  

"You just don't understand how precious these moments are to us in the times of crisis we've been through," Bram said with visible emotion. "It really hurts to face so many obstacles to do things that other people take for granted in other parts of the world, just to spend a wonderful day with the people you love the most. If it wasn't for Binance Pay, we wouldn't be able to celebrate this life event together. I can't thank Binance enough for giving us new opportunities." 

Bram and Zenia celebrated their love in the circle of family and close relatives. Note: This image was created using artificial intelligence based on real photo sources. 

Bram was happy to see Binance Pay gaining traction in their hometown and the rest of Country X. They were able to use the service to pay for many things during their trip, including transportation, food, and medical care. Bram believes that cryptocurrency is the solution to many of X's problems, and he is determined to help achieve this by educating more people about cryptocurrency through Binance's angel programs and initiatives. 

Recently, a beautiful daughter was born to the lovers. They opened a Binance Earn account for the girl to save for her university education. 

"For people like us, Binance and cryptocurrency are more than just a fad. We truly believe in the revolutionary power of this technology. Binance and cryptocurrency represent financial freedom, a tool that can empower us to build a better future for ourselves and our future generation." 

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