Bitcoin and Digital Assets in El Salvador
The rules in brief
- Bitcoin Law: since the 2025 reform only individuals and wholly private companies may accept Bitcoin, when it is offered; nobody is required to accept it, and the US dollar remains legal tender under the Monetary Integration Law.
- Digital Assets Issuance Law (2023): covers other digital assets and stablecoins, supervised by the CNAD.
- Two registers: Bitcoin service providers appear on a BCR register, and the authorisation to operate is issued by the CNAD. Check both before you use a provider.
Source: Bitcoin Law, Decree No. 57 of 2021, text with the 2025 reforms (Supreme Court legal documentation centre, PDF, in Spanish); CNAD: register of digital asset service providers; Central Reserve Bank: registered Bitcoin service providers4,1,3
Sources disagree on whether Bitcoin is still legal tender after the reform. Treat it as a voluntary means of payment and ask a Salvadoran lawyer how the current text applies to your contracts.4,5
The IMF programme
The IMF completed its second and third reviews of El Salvador’s Extended Fund Facility in October 2026. It asked for more disclosure of public crypto holdings, stronger supervision of crypto providers and amendments to the Digital Assets Issuance Law, and said no further Bitcoin accumulation is envisaged beyond documented private donations.6
Business lines INVEST is promoting
- Blockchain infrastructure: smart contract audits, security and private networks.
- Tokenisation and custody: real estate, commodities, digitised securities and institutional custody.
- Digital financial services: exchanges, trading systems and links to traditional payments.
- Compliance: KYC and anti-money-laundering systems and regulatory advice.
Source: INVEST: BTC and digital assets sector7
INVEST counts more than 70 companies providing digital asset services and more than 250 registered as Bitcoin service providers in 2025. These promotional figures differ from the registers above, which show the current status of each entry.7,1,3
Frequently Asked Questions
Is accepting Bitcoin compulsory in El Salvador?
No longer. The 2021 Bitcoin Law made accepting Bitcoin compulsory; Decree No. 199 of January 2025 made it voluntary, after an agreement with the IMF. The US dollar remains legal tender under the Monetary Integration Law.
How many digital asset providers are registered?
The register of the National Digital Assets Commission (CNAD) lists 89 digital asset service providers in force out of 101 entries, and 54 issuers of public offerings.
What is the role of the State in Bitcoin?
Under the IMF programme, the State is reducing its role in Bitcoin-related activities.
Sources
- CNAD: register of digital asset service providers (in Spanish)
- CNAD: list of issuers (in Spanish)
- Central Reserve Bank: registered Bitcoin service providers (in Spanish)
- Bitcoin Law, Decree No. 57 of 2021, text with the 2025 reforms (Supreme Court legal documentation centre, PDF, in Spanish)
- Reuters: Lawmakers in El Salvador rush new bitcoin reform after IMF deal (30 January 2025)
- IMF: Executive Board concludes the second and third reviews under the EFF for El Salvador (1 October 2026)
- INVEST: BTC and digital assets sector
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.
