Digital assets
Bitcoin and Digital Assets Rules in El Salvador
The 2021 Bitcoin Law required businesses to accept Bitcoin. Decree 199 of 29 January 2025 made acceptance voluntary and ended tax payments in Bitcoin. The Digital Assets Issuance Law of 2023 covers other digital assets, is supervised by the CNAD and exempts income and gains on regulated digital assets from all taxes.
- Year Bitcoin acceptance became voluntary (Decree 199)
- 20251,2
- Year Bitcoin acceptance became voluntary (Decree 199)
- Digital asset service providers in force on the CNAD register
- 893
- Digital asset service providers in force on the CNAD register
- Tax on income and gains from regulated digital assets
- 0%4
- Tax on income and gains from regulated digital assets
The Bitcoin Law after 2025
- Accepting Bitcoin is voluntary for private parties, and nobody is required to accept it.
- The US dollar remains legal tender under the Monetary Integration Law.
- The State no longer accepts taxes in Bitcoin.
Source: Bitcoin Law, Decree No. 57 of 2021, text with the 2025 reforms (Judicial Documentation Centre, PDF, in Spanish); Reuters: Lawmakers in El Salvador rush new bitcoin reform after IMF deal, 30 January 20251,2
Sources disagree on whether Bitcoin is still legal tender, so treat it as a voluntary means of payment and ask a Salvadoran lawyer how the current text applies to your contracts.1,5
Digital Assets Issuance Law
- Income, returns and capital gains from regulated digital assets are exempt from every tax (Art. 36).
- Every digital asset service provider must register with the National Digital Assets Commission (CNAD).
Source: INVEST: Digital Assets Issuance Law, English translation; PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: El Salvador, tax credits and incentives4,6
The registers
| Register | Kept by | Entries |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin service providers | BCR | 305 entries, 31 shown as operating |
| Digital asset service providers | CNAD | 101 entries, 89 in force |
Source: Central Reserve Bank: registered Bitcoin service providers; CNAD: register of digital asset service providers7,3
The BCR states that registration is not an authorisation or a guarantee.7
The IMF programme
- Ownership and control of the government Chivo wallet passed to a private operator.
- In October 2026 the IMF granted waivers for missed Bitcoin accumulation criteria.
Source: IMF: El Salvador, Executive Board concludes the second and third reviews under the EFF, 1 October 20268
Sources
- Bitcoin Law, Decree No. 57 of 2021, text with the 2025 reforms (Judicial Documentation Centre, PDF, in Spanish)
- Reuters: Lawmakers in El Salvador rush new bitcoin reform after IMF deal, 30 January 2025
- CNAD: register of digital asset service providers (in Spanish)
- INVEST: Digital Assets Issuance Law, English translation (PDF)
- Latin Counsel: major changes to El Salvador's Bitcoin Law
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: El Salvador, tax credits and incentives
- Central Reserve Bank: registered Bitcoin service providers (in Spanish)
- IMF: El Salvador, Executive Board concludes the second and third reviews under the EFF, 1 October 2026
Figures checked 9 November 2026. Prepared by InvestSalvador.com for general information. It is not investment, tax or legal advice; please confirm details with a qualified adviser before acting.