20 July 2026
Legislative Assembly Of El Salvador Waves Green Signal To $150m BTC Trust
To support the development of Cryptocurrency infrastructure and services across the Latin American Country, the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador has passed a law creating Bitcoin Trust worth $150 million.
The bill was passed on 31st August 2021, comprising 64 officials voting in favor and 14 opposing the Trust’s creation. The Trust is structured to enable the conversion of Bitcoin into U.S. Dollars and then support the launch of vital technological infrastructure allowing the widespread adoption of crypto assets.
The news came before the controversial Bitcoin Law that was set to take effect. Additionally, the impending legislation will recognize Bitcoin as legal tender across the Republic of El Salvador and is dated to take effect on 7th September 2021. Currently, the country uses U.S. dollars as legal tender. Bandesal, the Development Bank of El Salvador, has been appointed to look after the Trust’s operation. Also, $150 million will be redirected from the country’s $500 million loans with the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI). The CABEI loan was initially taken up for economic recovery for small and medium-sized businesses.
Adding further, out of a $150 million Fund trust, $23.3 million is set aside to support the installation of government-backed crypto ATMs by facilitating local citizens to exchange between Bitcoin and USD. Apart from that, $30 is designated to offer incentives to encourage the adoption of the Government’s digital wallet, Chivo.
Previously, Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, had announced that the authorities would airdrop Bitcoin worth $30 to every adult inhabitant of the country who downloads the Chivo wallet. Nevertheless, the country’s current population is 6.5 million, suggesting the Government either believes adoption will be lower or has not allocated enough Bitcoin to go around.
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