Historical retrospective · Policy
El Salvador’s Bitcoin law made the asset legal tender
El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly approved a law in 2021 that gave Bitcoin legal-tender status alongside the U.S. dollar, under the law’s specified terms.
The policy became a high-profile national experiment in state-supported Bitcoin use and international financial debate.
The episode raised practical questions about adoption, public infrastructure, consumer choice and fiscal risk.
Legal status in one jurisdiction does not automatically translate into broad everyday use or eliminate volatility.
Primary source
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