San Salvador
city Trusted third party
El Salvador's capital, where bitcoin has been legal tender since 2021. Big chains, malls, and many restaurants accept Lightning, though everyday use among locals stays modest and dollars dominate. Mandatory merchant acceptance ended in January 2025 under IMF loan terms, so a shop taking bitcoin today signals genuine choice rather than compliance.
On the ground
- Acceptance: hundreds of accepting merchants, concentrated in malls and tourist zones
- Cost: Noticeably cheaper than US cities, though the safer central districts command a premium.
- Last updated: 2026-06-12
The legal layer: El Salvador
No capital gains tax on bitcoin or other digital assets, a policy maintained through mid-2026 despite the IMF agreement. The January 2025 Bitcoin Law amendment made private-sector acceptance voluntary and ended tax payments in BTC, but did not introduce any crypto tax.
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