Key Highlights
- A Bitcoin Core developer reported that a restaurant in El Zonte received its first Bitcoin payment of the month and described local use as “practically nonexistent.”
- A 2024 national survey found only 8.1% of respondents had used Bitcoin for payments, the lowest figure since legal-tender status began in 2021.
- El Salvador’s government held 7,754 BTC, worth approximately $608.94 million, as of late August 2026, up 238 BTC year to date.
A Bitcoin Core developer reported this week that Bitcoin payments have become rare at a restaurant in El Zonte, the coastal area known as Bitcoin Beach. The observation aligns with national survey data showing the lowest reported use of Bitcoin for payments since the country adopted it as legal tender in 2021.
Jon Atack, a long-time contributor and BIP (Bitcoin Improvement Proposal) maintainer for Bitcoin Core, wrote on X that after paying for lunch in El Zonte, he was told it was the first Bitcoin payment the establishment had received all month. Staff said Bitcoin payments had previously been common but were now “practically nonexistent.”
When asked whether most customers paid in cash, staff said almost all customers at the beach paid by card. An offer of a tip in satoshis was declined, with the server saying she had forgotten how to use her Bitcoin application and described the currency as “dead.”
National survey results on usage
National surveys have also indicated declining Bitcoin use in the country. According to elsalvador.com, a local media outlet, a survey released by the University Institute of Public Opinion of the Central American University in 2025 found that 8.1% of the population reported using Bitcoin as a payment method in 2024.
That was the lowest reported usage rate since Bitcoin became legal tender. The same survey found that 91.8% of respondents had not used the cryptocurrency, including 76.2% who said they had never used it.
Historical figures from the institute showed higher reported usage rates in earlier years: 25.7% in 2021, 21% in 2022, and 12% in 2023. The 2024 non-use rate was also consistent with a separate survey by the Center for Citizen Studies of Francisco Gavidia University, which recorded approximately 92% non-use in October of the previous year.
Laura Andrade, director of the University Institute of Public Opinion, said at a conference that the end of 2024 marked the lowest proportion of people reporting that they used Bitcoin to buy or pay for goods and services.
Government Bitcoin holdings continue to rise
While retail use has declined according to the surveys and the developer’s account, government holdings of Bitcoin have continued to rise.
Data from BitcoinTreasuries.net listed El Salvador’s holdings at 7,754 BTC as of August 25, 2026, valued at approximately $608.94 million. Year-to-date net change stood at an increase of 238 BTC, or 3.16%.
Earlier reporting by CryptoTimes, from January 8, 2026, placed holdings at about 7,525 BTC, then valued at roughly $684.5 million. That figure reflected a pattern of daily purchases of one Bitcoin that began in November 2022 and continued regardless of market price, according to blockchain analytics data cited by Arkham Intelligence.
The holdings chart on BitcoinTreasuries.net shows fluctuations in both the number of coins and their U.S. dollar value over the preceding year, with the most recent reading showing 7,754 BTC.
Context of El Salvador’s Bitcoin policy
El Salvador made Bitcoin legal tender in 2021. The policy was accompanied by government efforts to promote adoption, including the distribution of wallets and the accumulation of Bitcoin for national reserves.
The decline in reported retail usage and the increase in government holdings represent separate trends. Government reserve accumulation does not indicate how frequently Bitcoin is used for everyday payments, while survey data on payment usage does not measure government holdings.
The observation from El Zonte provides a single merchant-level account and should not be treated as a nationwide measure. However, it is consistent with survey data showing that reported Bitcoin payment use has declined since the cryptocurrency was adopted as legal tender.
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