A July 15 report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggests that El Salvador’s growing Bitcoin holdings are not the result of recent purchases, but rather a reorganization of existing assets. According to a footnote in the document: “Increases in [El Salvador’s] Bitcoin holdings in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Fund reflect the consolidation of Bitcoin […]
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A group of US Democratic senators has introduced a new bill to sanction El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele and members of his administration. The legislation, titled the El Salvador Accountability Act (S.2058), was put forward by Senators Chris Van Hollen, Tim Kaine, and Alex Padilla. If passed, the bill would require President Donald Trump to […]
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He was released after an hour and described the officers as professional and friendly.
"Extraordinary things" could happen for the United States and El Salvador as a result of the meeting, said Salvadoran Bitcoin Office Director Stacy Herbert.
Bo Hines, who leads President Donald Trump’s advisory council on digital assets, recently met with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele to discuss potential partnerships in the crypto space. In a post shared on June 5, Hines revealed that the meeting centered around digital asset development and a shared ambition to reshape global finance. He also […]
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Panama City’s mayor, Mayer Mizrachi, put forward an unusual plan at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas on May 29. He suggested that cargo ships could speed up their transit through the Panama Canal if they paid in Bitcoin. It was a brief comment, but it set off a flurry of questions about how it might work in practice. Related Reading: Tether’s 2-Year, $5 Billion Investment Blitz Fuels US Companies: CEO Bitcoin Payments For Priority Passage According to reports from the panel, Mizrachi spoke alongside El Salvador’s Bitcoin policy leaders, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert. He said that ships could “cut the line” by paying tolls in Bitcoin. He offered the idea as a way to reward early adopters. It was presented in a casual tone, but it touched on a serious topic: how fast payments could tie into a long-standing shipping process. Ships Could Pay Panama Canal Transit Fees in Bitcoin The mayor of Panama City, Mayer Mizrachi, said he is exploring bitcoin payment options for ships passing Panama Canals. “What if you have a perk for paying in bitcoin?” Mizrachi mused. “You’d get to go faster.” ???????????? pic.twitter.com/zciROaSGjM — Ray (@ray4tesla) May 30, 2025 Questions Over Fees And Fairness Based on what was discussed, the Canal’s current rule is first-come, first-served. Changing that would need approval from the Panama Canal Authority and Panama’s national government. Shipping companies might push back if they feel smaller carriers are priced out. US President Donald Trump weighed in late last year, arguing that US ships faced “unfair tolls” and hinting at reclaiming the Canal in December 2024. That episode showed how sensitive Canal changes can be. Handling A $5 Billion Business According to the Panama Canal website, the waterway brought in around $5 billion in revenue between October 2023 and September 2024. Nearly 10,000 ships passed through, carrying about 423 million tons of goods. That’s about 5% of global maritime commerce. If Bitcoin payments were allowed, the Authority would need a plan to deal with price swings. One day’s checkout could be 50 BTC, the next it might jump to 60 BTC. Panama would likely need a quick exchange system to turn BTC into dollars or other stable currencies. Related Reading: $400K Bitcoin? Analyst Says It’s Not A Dream—It’s ‘Coded’ A Push For City-Level Crypto Mizrachi has also backed letting people pay city fees—taxes, fines and permits—in Bitcoin, Ether and USDC. He raised the idea of a Bitcoin reserve for Panama City, which produces over half of the nation’s GDP. He noted he wouldn’t need more laws to start one. But real steps will depend on lawmakers and officials at the national level. For now, it remains a mayoral proposal, rather than a binding plan. Mizrachi claimed over $5 billion in Bitcoin transactions happen in Panama every year, though much of it is “behind closed doors,” he said. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
The mayor of Panama City, Mayer Mizrachi, said the city could potentially establish a bitcoin reserve.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has again called on El Salvador to keep its Bitcoin holdings unchanged. In a statement released on May 27, the IMF said government-owned wallets must not increase their BTC reserves and also urged the country to fully exit its role in the Chivo wallet by the end of July. According […]
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El Salvador has kept purchasing bitcoin, but the IMF seems unfazed.
El Salvador’s CNAD met up with the SEC’s Crypto Task Force on April 22.
El Salvador is taking a significant step toward establishing itself as a regional hub for artificial intelligence (AI). On April 21, the country’s Bitcoin Office announced that the Central American country had signed a letter of intent (LOI) with leading AI firm NVIDIA to develop sovereign AI capabilities. The agreement will pave the way for […]
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President Donald Trump has formally invited El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele for an official meeting at the White House on April 14. Bukele confirmed the development in an April 3 post on X, formerly Twitter, where he revealed that the invitation came directly from the US President on April 1. According to details of the […]
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“From my perspective, Paraguay seems to have the groundwork laid for supervision, regulation, and taxation regimes," said CNAD President Juan Carlos Reyes.
El Salvador had previously entered an agreement with Argentina.
El Salvador has reinforced its commitment to Bitcoin despite repeated cautions from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). On March 9, El Salvador’s Bitcoin Office confirmed that the country acquired six BTC for around $500,000. According to the statement, the Nayib Bukele-led country added five BTC to its reserves while purchasing one BTC daily. Following this […]
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El Salvador will continue acquiring Bitcoin despite its agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to President Nayib Bukele. On March 5, Bukele dismissed conjecture that the country would halt Bitcoin purchases and reaffirmed that El Salvador would continue acquiring BTC, regardless of external pressures. He stated: “[Our Bitcoin purchases] is not stopping. If […]
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A clause in the country's recently-completed IMF financing deal suggested a prohibition against El Salvador accumulating any additional bitcoin.
The IMF said bitcoin usage remains marginal in El Salvador, with minimal circulation as a payment method due to its high price volatility and low public trust.
El Salvador has introduced a new artificial intelligence (AI) law to foster innovation while ensuring responsible development and regulatory oversight. On Feb. 28, the country’s National Bitcoin Office confirmed the legislation’s approval, highlighting its role in integrating AI into key sectors while maintaining data security and ethical standards. This new legal framework establishes clear guidelines […]
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El Salvador and Tokyo-listed Bitcoin treasury firm Metaplanet have taken advantage of BTC’s recent price drop to expand their investments in the leading crypto. This move comes as Bitcoin’s value fell to a three-month low below $90,000 due to a broader market downturn that resulted in over $1 billion in liquidation. El Salvador boosts Bitcoin […]
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The Central American nation is on a roll. This year’s Plan B conference was electric, featuring famous speakers from abroad as well as native Spanish content.
El Zonte inspired Bukele to make bitcoin legal tender in El Salvador. CoinDesk visited the surfing village to see how it’s developing.
President Nayib Bukele vowed to build Bitcoin City on the Conchagua volcano. CoinDesk went looking for signs of construction.
Berlín, a city of 20,000 people, is home to El Salvador’s second Bitcoin circular economy. “Bitcoin City already exists. It’s called Berlín,” said one resident.
Menendez is a former senator from New Jersey and a Democrat.
El Salvador started accumulating BTC under Bukele's leadership, fueling speculation about Trump's strategic reserve promises.
A positive feedback loop is being created between El Salvador’s bitcoin education programs and crypto companies looking for a friendly jurisdiction.
“For the moment we need regulatory clarity and guidance,” says Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino.
Tether, the leading stablecoin issuer, is finalizing its plans to move its global headquarters to El Salvador after obtaining a Digital Asset Service Provider (DASP) license, according to a Jan. 13 statement. Tether explained that El Salvador, the first nation to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender, has positioned itself as a global hub for digital […]
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The stablecoin behemoth is setting up shop for the group and its companies in the nascent crypto hub.