El Salvador’s Relentless Obsession with Bitcoin… Planting Crypto in Children’s Minds After Legal Tender Failure

▲ El Salvador Bitcoin © CoinReaders

El Salvador, once a pioneer in adopting virtual assets as legal tender but ultimately forced to retreat, is now seeking a new breakthrough by overhauling its public education system and introducing comprehensive Bitcoin (BTC) education.

According to DL News on February 24 (local time), El Salvador’s National Bitcoin Office officially launched “Bitcoin Diploma 2.0” on Sunday, a significantly upgraded version of its existing education program. Local outlet Diario El Salvador reported that textbooks for the new curriculum have already been printed and will be fully integrated into the national public school curriculum starting in 2026.

National Bitcoin Office Director Stacy Herbert explained that the campaign is an extension of the “What Is Money” program, which aimed to teach younger generations about Bitcoin and basic financial concepts. In particular, Bitcoin Diploma 2.0 is designed to make complex financial concepts easier to understand by actively incorporating visual tools such as animation and various real-world case studies. The government is also expanding infrastructure by opening new offline learning centers across the country, including in Apopa following Panchimalco.

In 2021, under the leadership of President Nayib Bukele, El Salvador became the first country in the world to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender, aiming to expand financial inclusion and attract foreign investment. In 2022, government-led adoption was so active that more citizens reportedly held Bitcoin Lightning wallets than traditional bank accounts. The country also introduced a bold visa program granting citizenship to investors who invested $1 million worth of Bitcoin or Tether (USDT).

However, facing intense domestic and international criticism over extreme price volatility, environmental concerns, and opaque national fiscal exposure, El Salvador’s cryptocurrency experiment encountered significant limitations. In 2024, the country reached a $1.4 billion agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), pledging to scale back its Bitcoin-related policies. The following year, in 2025, it officially withdrew Bitcoin’s legal tender status, citing low public usage, in a painful reversal. Nevertheless, the Salvadoran government appears determined to sustain the virtual asset ecosystem through a long-term educational strategy.

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