El Salvador to Distribute $30 in Bitcoin to Every Adult

Friday, 25/06/2021 | 07:56 GMT by Arnab Shome
  • The country is estimated to have around 4.5 million adult citizens.
El Salvador to Distribute $30 in Bitcoin to Every Adult
Finance Magnates

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele confirmed on Thursday that the country’s new Bitcoin laws, which make the digital currency a legal tender, will come into effect from September 7.

Additionally, he said that the government will Airdrop $30 worth of Bitcoins to every adult citizen in the Latin American country. But, they have to download the El Salvador government’s official Bitcoin wallet application.

This move has been cheered by the wide cryptocurrency community around the world. Though the official count of El Salvador’s adult citizens is not known, many are estimating that the count could be around 4.5 million. The country has a total population of 6.45 million, according to world bank data.

If all the adults in the country opt-in to receive the free Bitcoins, it will grow the Bitcoin user community by almost 2.5 percent, according to an estimation by on-chain analyst Willy Woo. But, the distribution will cost the El Salvadoran government more than $100 million to procure the Bitcoins.

The Biggest Bet on Bitcoin

El Salvador passed the iconic legislation a couple of weeks earlier, making Bitcoin a legal tender in the country.

“The use of Bitcoin will be optional, nobody will receive Bitcoin if they don’t want it...If someone receives a payment in Bitcoin they can choose to automatically receive it in dollars,” President Bukele said in Thursday’s press conference.

Moreover, he stressed that salaries and pensions will continue to be paid in US dollars. One of the main reasons behind making Bitcoin legal tender, according to the President, is to ease the remittance process. Indeed, the country receives around $6 billion annually as inward remittance, as stated by the World Bank.

The country’s Bitcoin stance has prompted crypto businesses to set up shop there. Recently, Athena Bitcoin said that it will invest around $1 million to install around 1,500 Bitcoin ATMs in El Salvador.

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele confirmed on Thursday that the country’s new Bitcoin laws, which make the digital currency a legal tender, will come into effect from September 7.

Additionally, he said that the government will Airdrop $30 worth of Bitcoins to every adult citizen in the Latin American country. But, they have to download the El Salvador government’s official Bitcoin wallet application.

This move has been cheered by the wide cryptocurrency community around the world. Though the official count of El Salvador’s adult citizens is not known, many are estimating that the count could be around 4.5 million. The country has a total population of 6.45 million, according to world bank data.

If all the adults in the country opt-in to receive the free Bitcoins, it will grow the Bitcoin user community by almost 2.5 percent, according to an estimation by on-chain analyst Willy Woo. But, the distribution will cost the El Salvadoran government more than $100 million to procure the Bitcoins.

The Biggest Bet on Bitcoin

El Salvador passed the iconic legislation a couple of weeks earlier, making Bitcoin a legal tender in the country.

“The use of Bitcoin will be optional, nobody will receive Bitcoin if they don’t want it...If someone receives a payment in Bitcoin they can choose to automatically receive it in dollars,” President Bukele said in Thursday’s press conference.

Moreover, he stressed that salaries and pensions will continue to be paid in US dollars. One of the main reasons behind making Bitcoin legal tender, according to the President, is to ease the remittance process. Indeed, the country receives around $6 billion annually as inward remittance, as stated by the World Bank.

The country’s Bitcoin stance has prompted crypto businesses to set up shop there. Recently, Athena Bitcoin said that it will invest around $1 million to install around 1,500 Bitcoin ATMs in El Salvador.

About the Author: Arnab Shome
Arnab Shome
  • 6599 Articles
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About the Author: Arnab Shome
Arnab is an electronics engineer-turned-financial editor. He entered the industry covering the cryptocurrency market for Finance Magnates and later expanded his reach to forex as well. He is passionate about the changing regulatory landscape on financial markets and keenly follows the disruptions in the industry with new-age technologies.
  • 6599 Articles
  • 94 Followers

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