Bitcoin City will rise in El Salvador and will be almost free of taxes - Crypto DeFinance (2024)

The Bitcoin City will be round, with a plaza in the center and a giant carved “B,” one of the main objectives of attracting foreign investors and tourists. The City will be provided with geothermal energy and almost free of taxes (except local VAT).

El Salvador President, Nayib Bukele, announced that in 2022 the construction of what they have called “Bitcoin City” would begin.It will be a bitcoiner city, with geothermal energy and almost tax-free.

Nayib Bukele stated thattherewouldbenoproperty,income,ormunicipaltaxes and that the City would emit zerocarbondioxide. The only tax levied will be the value-added tax, half of which will be used to pay municipal bonds and the other half to fund municipal infrastructure and maintenance.

Although only preliminary information is available, the Presidential House of El Salvador, via itsTwitteraccount, has provided some hints and advancements on what the City will look like.

Al ser la primera #BitcoinCity en el mundo, será el lugar perfecto para que los inversores de criptomonedas y las empresas de ecosistemas formen parte del mundo y la billetera de #Bitcoin. pic.twitter.com/bhETFRBGhA

— Casa Presidencial 🇸🇻 (@PresidenciaSV) November 21, 2021

The City will be located in southeastern Salvadoran, near the towns of La Unión and Conchagua. It is an area near the Gulf of Fonseca, on which both El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua have coasts.

Initially, there are plans for the City to be supplied with geothermal electrical energy from the Tecapa volcano,located almost halfway between the new City and San Salvador, the country’s capital.

Later, it will become utterly reliant on the nearby Conchagua volcano. The City will be located in southeastern Salvadoran, near the towns of Conchagua and La Unión.

“The change from a global economy to a more balanced one at the local level incorporates innovative technologies,” indicates the Presidential House.

They add that they will be “based on a healthy circulation of resources and natural geothermal engineering.” All this, to develop “an environmental city.”

Bitcoin City is a circular city with a large “B” at the center.

Bitcoin City will rise in El Salvador and will be almost free of taxes - Crypto DeFinance (1)

Something that stands out about the new City is its circular design.In the center, there will be a square with a large ‘B’ ofBitcoincarved out.

Perhaps underground – the Museum of Bitcoin will also be installed there.

The Presidency explains that this “B” will be used to “allow light to enter the exhibition rooms” of the museum. In that institution, “people will learn about the evolution of money,” from stones to cryptocurrencies.

Fifty percent of the City will be allocated to residential regions, 20 percent to social leisure sectors, 10 percent to green spaces, and 8 percent to businesses and offices. Seven percent will be allocated to installing digital equipment, 3 percent to “eco-infrastructure,” and the remaining 2 percent to transportation infrastructure.

Although it will occupy only 2% of the City’s space, this transport infrastructure will be advanced and includes an airport.

According to government plans, it “will grow over time to accommodate not only the hardworking inhabitants of the East of the country but also tourists who will be interested in visiting the Bitcoin City.”

“It will promote the new needs of the cities of the microcosm, with a sense of community-based on public spaces as the center of social life, which will encourage new investments,” indicates the El Salvadorian Presidency.

They define city design as “a holistic approach to urban planning.”

This attractive investment is quite present in everything that concerns bitcoin in El Salvador.

During the closure of LaBitConf, the project was made by Bukele in English and not in the local language, Spanish.

The same is observed in many tweets of the president concerning bitcoin.Also, the City’s name seems more intended to attract foreigners than to relocate Salvadoran citizens.

“Being the Worlds first Bitcoin City in the world, it will be the perfect place for cryptocurrency investors and ecosystem companies to become part of the world and Bitcoin Wallet.”

– Presidency of El Salvador.

El cambio de una economía global a una más equilibrada a nivel local incorpora tecnologías innovadoras basadas en una circulación saludable de recursos e ingeniería geotérmica natural que desarrolla el proceso resiliente de una ciudad medioambiental.#BitcoinCity pic.twitter.com/Sx5ShTxJaF

— Casa Presidencial 🇸🇻 (@PresidenciaSV) November 21, 2021

El Savadorian Bitcoin Government Bonds and “the Singapore of Latin America.”

Bukele also made other announcements during his LaBitConf closing presentation.

One of the announcements was made with Blockstream’s chief strategy officer, Samson Mow:the first bitcoin government bond.

It will be called Volcán and will be distributed on Liquid, a Bitcoin sidechain.

«Volcán intends to raise liquidity for USD 1 billion, asannouncedby Blockstream.

This money would be divided in half: USD 500 million will be added to the country’s bitcoin reserves, currently 1,120 bitcoins, and the other USD 500 million for infrastructure for energy and mining.

Samson Mow predicts that other countries will want to replicate the bitcoin bond launch.

The coming digital securities laws in El Salvador will make it the new center of the financial world. @Bitfinex will be the first exchange to be issued a license ahead of the #BitcoinBond offering. 🌋🇸🇻 pic.twitter.com/IhCvJavfhv

— Samson Mow (@Excellion) November 21, 2021

For Blockstream’s CSO, the launch of these bonds initiates the “nation-state level FOMO,” as countries will compete to launch their version of this new type of financial instrument, whichwould have substantial implications on the adoption and price of Bitcoin.

Anyone can buy the bond for up to a minimum of one hundred dollars.

The Presidential House of El SalvadorcelebratedBukele’s bitcoin news and announcements.

The evening of Saturday, November 20, was described by the Government as “a night full of great announcements for the country.”

According to the Presidency, El Salvador aspires to be the Singapore of Latin America.

Bitcoin City will rise in El Salvador and will be almost free of taxes - Crypto DeFinance (2024)

FAQs

Bitcoin City will rise in El Salvador and will be almost free of taxes - Crypto DeFinance? ›

Bukele

Bukele
He is the first Salvadoran president since 1989 who was not elected as a candidate of one of the country's two major political parties: the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) and the left-wing Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), of which Bukele was formerly a member.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Nayib_Bukele
said his planned city will be totally ecological and that it will have almost total exemption from taxes: Only a value-added tax will be charged — 13 percent — of which 6.5 percent will go to issue bonds to build the city, and the rest of which will be managed by the municipality for public services and other ...

What is the El Salvador experiment with Bitcoin? ›

In an effort to boost financial inclusion, El Salvador made Bitcoin an official currency and offered incentives for adopting it. A new study co-authored by Yale SOM's David Argente and Diana Van Patten found that a lack of trust caused use of the cryptocurrency to fall off quickly.

Is crypto taxed in El Salvador? ›

In addition to its cryptocurrency endeavors, El Salvador has eliminated income tax for international investments and money transfers, cutting the tax rate from 30% to 0%.

How much is El Salvador bitcoin worth? ›

The nation currently holds 5,748 BTC, valued at approximately $360 million, with Bitcoin trading around $63,000. Over the past week, El Salvador purchased seven BTC worth over $438,000, and in the last 30 days, it added a total of 31 BTC worth $1.94 million, according to the website.

Which country owns the most bitcoin? ›

U.S. Note that if we were to rank countries based on their actual number of crypto owners, India would rank first at 93 million people, China would rank second at 59 million people, and the U.S. would rank third at 52 million people.

How much money has El Salvador lost on bitcoin? ›

The volatile bitcoin price resulted in El Salvador's bitcoin investments having lost approximately US$45 million with a bitcoin balance worth about US$76.5 million by September 2023. Mass adoption has been slowed by the absence of a coherent educational process across the country.

Is El Salvador still using crypto? ›

Despite criticisms and warnings from international bodies like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), El Salvador's commitment to its bitcoin strategy remains steadfast, with the nation showing no signs of divesting from the cryptocurrency.

Do I need to pay taxes on crypto? ›

The IRS treats cryptocurrencies as property for tax purposes, which means: You pay taxes on cryptocurrency if you sell or use your crypto in a transaction, and it is worth more than it was when you purchased it. This is because you trigger capital gains or losses if its market value has changed.

How to cash out crypto tax free? ›

There is no way to legally avoid taxes when cashing out cryptocurrency. However, strategies like tax-loss harvesting can help you reduce your tax bill legally.

Is El Salvador tax free? ›

El Salvador taxes its citizens, residents, and non-residents on their income earned in the country and on other Salvadoran-source income.

How much is El Salvador in debt? ›

The economy of El Salvador is offically reported as having a debt-to-GDP ratio of 84.0%, indicating El Salvador's debt level is $24 Billion.

Who is currently buying bitcoin? ›

Any talk of billionaires buying Bitcoin has to start with Michael Saylor, executive chairman and co-founder of MicroStrategy (MSTR 9.01%). The billionaire started aggressively buying Bitcoin back in mid-2020, and has been continually ramping up his company's Bitcoin holdings since then.

Does El Salvador offer citizenship to bitcoin holders? ›

The program, aimed at attracting wealthy individuals, requires a significant donation of one million US dollars in Bitcoin or USDT. This investment grants Salvadorian residency, eventually leading to citizenship. However, the specifics of this transition from residency to citizenship remain vague.

Does the US government own Bitcoin? ›

The federal government's relationship with bitcoin has generated numerous headlines over the years, which is surprising, considering that the U.S. government is one of the largest holders of bitcoins.

Which government holds the most Bitcoin? ›

Last year, the U.S. held 69,640 bitcoins according to the research a doctoral thesis by Sachin Jaitly, a general partner at investment advisor Morgan Creek Capital. That's 94% of the bitcoin in global government coffers at the time.

How many people own 1 Bitcoin? ›

However, some estimates can be made based on blockchain data and surveys of Bitcoin holders. According to data from Bitinfocharts, as of March 2023, there are approximately 827,000 addresses that hold 1 bitcoin or more, representing around 4.5% of all addresses on the Bitcoin network.

How does El Salvador mine bitcoin? ›

The government of El Salvador has used geothermal power from a volcano to mine $29m in Bitcoin. El Salvador has mined almost 474 Bitcoin thanks to a volcano-fuelled geothermal power plant, Reuters reported this week, citing official data from the country's “Bitcoin Office”.

How did El Salvador react to bitcoin? ›

They worry about the cryptocurrency's volatility in a cash-based economy where many live hand-to-mouth. Some 88% of Salvadorans did not use it in 2023, according to a survey by the University of Central America's public opinion institute. Just 1% of remittances were sent in bitcoin.

Did El Salvador have a bitcoin revolution? ›

In a bold step that caught the eye of the world, El Salvador became the first country to roll out the red carpet for Bitcoin, elevating it to the status of legal tender. This historic move was officially announced in the nation's gazette on the 9th of June, 2021, and came into effect on the 7th of September, 2021.

How much bitcoin does the government of El Salvador have? ›

El Salvador's holdings were accumulated at an average price of $44,292. In total, the country has 2,381 bitcoins in its treasury. The country has also seen its bonds surge in the last year, with a debt due in 2052 trading above 80 cents on the dollar, according to FactSet data.

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