For Mónica Taher, director of International Technological Affairs for the Secretariat of the Presidency of El Salvador, the massive adoption of bitcoin (BTC) in the Central American country depends on education. An issue that is not only the task of the government, but also of academia and the private sector.
Taher presented, during his conference at the Blockchain Summit Latam that takes place in Panama, a balance of the progress made in El Salvador from the approval of the Bitcoin Law a year ago.
He highlighted the work carried out by the private sector, thanks to the creation of a crypto hub of companies operating in El Salvador, «something unthinkable 5 or 10 years ago». This, considering that large companies generally prefer to invest in countries with the largest economies in the Latin American region, such as Mexico, for example.
These companies have come to the country not only to offer their services and sell their products, according to Taher, but also to carry out “strong social responsibility work aimed at the Salvadoran population.”
In this regard, the support offered by academia and private companies for education on Bitcoin stands out.
In this sense, the businesswoman questions the data published in the media, highlighting the little use of cryptocurrency as a means of payment in salvadoran businesses.
“The adoption goes way beyond that,” he observes, adding that the educational process that will help more people use BTC it is gradual, it does not depend only on the enactment of a law. “Barely a year has passed, although we already have progress.”
Companies that revolve around bitcoin diversify
Among the advances, the speaker mentions ventures such as La Casa del Bitcoin, where people are taught for free to use the cryptocurrency and trade, among other aspects related to the marketing of bitcoin.
It is not only about people coming to the site to learn, but also about companies that they go to the farthest villages to teach the people. Even charities like the Built wtih Bitcoin Foundation receive donations and use the resources to remodel schoolsTaher recounts.
He also cites the experience of Athena Bitcoin, an ATM company that has diversified its activities and is now also selling properties that are paid for with bitcoin.
All this, while in San Bartolomé Perulapía, a municipality in the center of the country, goods are being tokenized; while business groups like OGGO create new projects related to water, health and food security services that allow people to pay with BTC.
“Maybe It still seems little that so far in 2022 only USD 52 million have been received in remittances through the Chivo Wallet,” he said, referring to the data shown this week by the Central Reserve Bank, a fact reported by CriptoNoticias.
“But a year ago we had nothing and surely next year we will have many more achievements to show”, concludes Taher to close his dissertation.