Bitcoin Faces Biggest Test As El Salvador Makes It Official Currency

El Salvador bought 400 bitcoins ahead of the roll-out, with a market value of about $20 million at current prices, and plans to buy "a lot more" of them

Bitcoin is undergoing the biggest test in its 12-year history as El Salvador becomes the first country to adopt it as legal tender Tuesday. Both enthusiasts and detractors of crytocurrencies will be monitoring the experiment to see if a significant number of people want to transact with Bitcoin when it circulates alongside the U.S. dollar, and whether it brings any benefits to the violent, impoverished Central American nation. El Salvador just bought 200 new coins.We now hold 400 #bitcoin#BitcoinDay 🇸🇻 The country bought 400 bitcoins ahead of the roll-out, with a market value of about $20 million at current prices. The country plans to buy "a lot more" of them, President Nayib Bukele said via Twitter, after buying the first batch of 200. If the experiment is a success, other countries may follow El Salvador's lead. Its adoption will get an initial boost from the government's Bitcoin wallet Chivo, which comes pre-loaded with $30 worth of the currency for users who register with a Salvadoran national ID number.