薩爾瓦多的比特幣實驗：改變金融部門和公民的生活

比特幣是市值最大的加密貨幣，由於其能夠降低交易成本並促進金融包容性，近年來已被廣泛採用了。全球多個國家現已承認比特幣是一種投資，薩爾瓦多等一些國家已將比特幣視為法定貨幣。

Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has seen increasing adoption in recent years due to its ability to lower transaction costs and promote financial inclusion. Several countries now recognize Bitcoin as an investment, with some, like El Salvador, adopting it as legal tender.

比特幣是全球市值最大的加密貨幣，由於其能夠降低交易成本並促進金融包容性，近年來也得到越來越多的採用。現在有幾個國家承認比特幣是一種投資，薩爾瓦多等一些國家將其視為法定貨幣。

This article focuses on El Salvador. Read on to learn how Bitcoin is transforming the financial sector of this Central American country and how it’s changing citizens’ lives.

本文重點介紹薩爾瓦多。繼續閱讀，了解比特幣如何改變這個中美洲國家的金融部門以及如何改變公民的生活。

El Salvador’s Bold Move to Recognize Bitcoin as Legal Tender

薩爾瓦多承認比特幣為法定貨幣的大膽舉措

El Salvador sent shockwaves around the globe in September 2021 when it announced that it had adopted Bitcoin as a legal tender. According to the country’s President Nayib Bukele, the move was intended to address several national problems, such as remittance fees and financial inclusion.

2021 年 9 月，薩爾瓦多宣布採用比特幣作為法定貨幣，震驚全球。該國總統納伊布·布克萊表示，此舉旨在解決一些國家問題，例如匯款費用和金融包容性。

At the time, he revealed that over 60% of El Salvador’s citizens had no access to conventional banking services. Therefore, his government aimed to use Bitcoin to onboard more people into the country’s financial system.

當時，他透露超過 60% 的薩爾瓦多公民無法獲得傳統銀行服務。因此，他的政府旨在利用比特幣讓更多人進入該國的金融體系。

Furthermore, Bukele noted that traditional financial institutions charged high fees and took days to process transactions. So, by integrating Bitcoin into El Salvador’s financial system, citizens would be able to transact quickly and cheaply.

此外，布克萊指出，傳統金融機構收取高額費用，並且需要數天時間來處理交易。因此，透過將比特幣整合到薩爾瓦多的金融系統中，公民將能夠快速且廉價地進行交易。

To ensure seamless integration of Bitcoin, Bukele’s administration launched the Chivo wallet, allowing citizens to store their BTC and make daily transactions.

為了確保比特幣的無縫整合，布克萊政府推出了 Chivo 錢包，允許公民儲存比特幣並進行日常交易。

The move to adopt Bitcoin wasn’t welcomed by all El Salvador people. Some protested against it as they feared the coin’s price volatility. Also, global institutions like the IMF warned Bukele’s government against the risks associated with Bitcoin.

採用比特幣的舉動並未受到所有薩爾瓦多人民的歡迎。有些人抗議，因為他們擔心代幣的價格波動。此外，國際貨幣基金組織等全球機構警告布克萊政府警惕與比特幣相關的風險。

However, the El Salvador President remained unmoved. Instead, he vowed to continue buying one Bitcoin daily, arguing that the digital asset could help propel his country into becoming a hub for blockchain innovation.

然而，薩爾瓦多總統依然不為所動。相反，他發誓要繼續每天購買一個比特幣，認為這種數位資產可以幫助推動他的國家成為區塊鏈創新中心。

Bitcoin’s Impact on Various Sectors in El Salvador

比特幣對薩爾瓦多各產業的影響

While many small businesses in El Salvador are still struggling to integrate Bitcoin into their payment systems, large companies like Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Pizza Hut now allow customers to pay their bills in BTC.

雖然薩爾瓦多的許多小型企業仍在努力將比特幣整合到他們的支付系統中，但星巴克、麥當勞和必勝客等大公司現在允許客戶用比特幣支付帳單。

Regarding remittances, Salvadorans can now send and receive funds within seconds via Bitcoin. Moreover, the transaction fees incurred are 90% lower than those imposed by financial institutions.

關於匯款，薩爾瓦多人現在可以透過比特幣在幾秒鐘內發送和接收資金。此外，所產生的交易費用比金融機構收取的費用低90%。

Speaking of financial institutions, numerous banks in El Salvador have embraced Bitcoin in recent months. For example, Banco Hipotecario has started offering Bitcoin-backed loans. Banco Agricola, on the other hand, permits customers to make payments toward credit cards or loans with Bitcoin. Meanwhile, Banco Davivienda is exploring blockchain technology to improve its transaction speeds.

說到金融機構，薩爾瓦多的許多銀行近幾個月都接受了比特幣。例如，Banco Hipotecario 已開始提供比特幣支援的貸款。另一方面，農業銀行允許客戶用比特幣支付信用卡或貸款。同時，Banco Davivienda 正在探索區塊鏈技術以提高其交易速度。

The Chivo Wallet

奇沃錢包

As mentioned, the government of El Salvador has its own Bitcoin wallet, Chivo, which allows people to convert their BTC coins to US dollars instantly. Furthermore, it supports cash withdrawals via Bitcoin ATMs. Notably, El Salvador hosts over 220 Bitcoin ATMs installed countrywide to facilitate easy access for citizens.

如前所述，薩爾瓦多政府有自己的比特幣錢包 Chivo，它允許人們立即將比特幣兌換成美元。此外，它還支援透過比特幣 ATM 提取現金。值得注意的是，薩爾瓦多在全國安裝了 220 多台比特幣 ATM 機，以方便公民輕鬆存取。

Although faced with technical problems during its early stages, the Chivo wallet now functions as expected. Salvadorans use it to pay for various bills, from school fees to meals at their favorite restaurants. As stated, the wallet comes with an auto-conversion feature, enabling quick swaps from BTC to USD. This shields merchants against Bitcoin’s high price volatility.

儘管在早期階段面臨技術問題，Chivo 錢包現在的功能符合預期。薩爾瓦多人用它來支付各種帳單，從學費到他們最喜歡的餐廳的餐費。如上所述，該錢包具有自動轉換功能，可以快速從 BTC 轉換為美元。這可以保護商家免受比特幣價格高波動的影響。

The Nayib Tracker

納伊布追蹤者

El Salvador is one of the countries with the largest Bitcoin treasuries. And since Bukele bought the coins using public funds, he has launched a portfolio monitoring platform, the Nayib Tracker, to allow all Salvadorans to monitor the country’s Bitcoin holdings. As of October 2024, data on the platform (nayibtracker.com) shows that El Salvador holds 6,136 BTC valued at $385.15 million. The investment has generated an all-time profit of $72.67 million.

薩爾瓦多是擁有最大比特幣國庫的國家之一。自從 Bukele 使用公共資金購買比特幣以來，他推出了一個投資組合監控平台 Nayib Tracker，以允許所有薩爾瓦多人監控該國的比特幣持有量。截至 2024 年 10 月，平台（nayibtracker.com）數據顯示，薩爾瓦多持有 6,136 個 BTC，價值 3.8515 億美元。這項投資創造了歷史最高利潤 7,267 萬美元。