The world's boldest crypto experiment delivered global fame but fell short on financial inclusion back homeFive years ago, El Salvador became the first country on Earth to make Bitcoin legal tender. The Bitcoin Law took effect on September 7, 2021, requiring every merchant in the country to accept Bitcoin as payment. What the government keptDespite walking back the legal tender mandate, El Salvador’s central government still holds approximately 7,400 to 7,700 BTC, valued at roughly $480 million to $500 million as of mid-2026. Lessons for other nationsThe IMF’s role in forcing the rollback carries implications beyond El Salvador’s borders. That’s meaningful for a national budget of El Salvador’s size, making this one of the more concentrated sovereign bets on a single asset class anywhere in the world.