El Salvador marks three years of Bitcoin adoption with $31M profit

El Salvador is celebrating its Bitcoin anniversary, marking three years since the country adopted Bitcoin as legal tender.

El Salvador became the world’s first country to adopt Bitcoin ( BTC ) as legal tender three years ago, on Sept. 7, 2021. The country aims to promote financial inclusion, facilitate more efficient remittance payments, and attract financial innovation.

President Bukele’s decision to adopt Bitcoin made the country a historical digital asset pioneer, according to Alex Momot, founder and CEO of Peanut Trade crypto trading platform.

He told Cointelegraph:

“El Salvador’s experiment with Bitcoin can be seen as a success. The country acted as a pioneer, taking risks and trying something radically new. While it’s too early to declare whether all aspects of the reform were successful, it’s clear that El Salvador has reaped some benefits.”

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El Salvador in profit

El Salvador has been dollar-cost-averaging into Bitcoin since 2021, buying 1 Bitcoin per day, as part of its adoption plans.

The country’s wallet is currently sitting on over $31 million worth of profit, according to the Nayib Bukele Portfolio Tracker website.

El Salvador BTC holdings. Source: Nayibtracker

El Salvador bought its Bitcoin holdings at an average buying price of $43,877 per BTC, which is trading at $54,300 as of 10:55 am UTC, Sept. 7.

According to Momot, El Salvador’s $31 million Bitcoin profit makes the decision a net positive in economic terms despite the initial criticism. 

The CEO told Cointelegraph:

“This financial gain further strengthens Bukele’s position, as the initiative now appears to be yielding tangible benefits, adding another layer of validation to his bold cryptocurrency experiment.”

El Salvador currently holds a total of 5,865 Bitcoin worth over $318 million, according to the country’s treasury website.

El Salvador Treasury Bitcoin holdings. Source: Bitcoin.gob.sv

President Nayib Bukele’s decision received widespread criticism after Bitcoin fell from its previous all-time high of $69,000 in November 2021 after the collapse of the FTX exchange . El Salvador’s Bitcoin holdings fell deeply in the red after Bitcoin fell as low as $16,000 during the bear market.

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Why haven’t major economies followed suit?

Since Bitcoin's economic model benefits early adopters, crypto investors anticipated a wave of countries following El Salvador's bold decision to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender.

However, only one additional country has since adopted Bitcoin as legal tender, while major economies remain hesitant.

In April 2022, the Central African Republic became the second country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender and legalized the use of cryptocurrencies — to bolster the economy and financial inclusion.

Larger economies will likely stray away from Bitcoin adoption due to their dependence on relations with international creditors, explained Momot:

“The bigger the country, the less likely it is to take such risks. This is because larger economies often depend on relationships with international creditors, who are strongly opposed to such moves…”

Brazilian lawmakers have expressed interest in establishing a legal framework for Bitcoin adoption, but concrete regulations have yet to be developed.

Bitcoin in El Salvador: 1 year later | Major success or failed experiment? Source: YouTube

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