Crypto-friendly govt incurs first crypto losses
The Central American country was world’s first to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender
The recent slide of the largest crypto, Bitcoin, has not only affected retail and institutional investors but one tiny nation as well – El Salvador – which had embraced the digital asset as a way to boost its impoverished economy.
The country has bought at least 1,391 bitcoins using public funds, according to a Bloomberg report, which estimated the holdings based on the tweets of El Salvador’s Bitcoin-loving president Nayib Bukele. The media calculated that the purchase would have cost El Salvador about $71 million based on an average acquisition price of $51,056 per coin. Assuming the government has held the digital coins, they’re now worth around $61 million, a 14% loss.
Bitcoin’s price has fallen about 40% since reaching its all-time high in November. Last week, the crypto briefly plummeted below $40,000 to its lowest since September, with declines spilling over into the whole cryptocurrency market. On Thursday, Bitcoin was trading at $43,765 per token.
El Salvador’s congress approved the adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender in June 2021. Later in September, President Bukele announced that his government had purchased its first 400 bitcoin. The nation plans to use multiple renewable-energy sources to power its crypto-mining sites.
The country has bought at least 1,391 bitcoins using public funds, according to a Bloomberg report, which estimated the holdings based on the tweets of El Salvador’s Bitcoin-loving president Nayib Bukele. The media calculated that the purchase would have cost El Salvador about $71 million based on an average acquisition price of $51,056 per coin. Assuming the government has held the digital coins, they’re now worth around $61 million, a 14% loss.
Bitcoin’s price has fallen about 40% since reaching its all-time high in November. Last week, the crypto briefly plummeted below $40,000 to its lowest since September, with declines spilling over into the whole cryptocurrency market. On Thursday, Bitcoin was trading at $43,765 per token.
El Salvador’s congress approved the adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender in June 2021. Later in September, President Bukele announced that his government had purchased its first 400 bitcoin. The nation plans to use multiple renewable-energy sources to power its crypto-mining sites.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
