El Salvador Introduces Bitcoin Certification for Civil Servants

• El Salvador, the first nation to adopt Bitcoin, has launched a Bitcoin certification program for 80,000 civil servants.
• El Salvador’s bold adoption of Bitcoin has caught the attention of countries like Argentina, which want to follow suit.

El Salvador, the first nation to adopt Bitcoin as a legal tender, has launched a comprehensive Bitcoin certificate program for its civil servants. The initiative, spearheaded by the National Bitcoin Office (ONBTC), aims to equip 80,000 government employees with knowledge of Bitcoin and its application in public administration.

🇸🇻EL SALVADOR CONTINUES TO TRAILBLAZE!

El Salvador will soon begin providing #Bitcoin instruction and certification to 80,000 public servants. https://t.co/gG9tMPvnPa

— The Bitcoin Office (@bitcoinofficesv) August 20, 2024

According to ONBTC, this training program, dubbed “Certification in Public Administration 1,” is a 160-hour virtual and Asynchronous course that will be used to “strengthen the standard of excellence in governance and public administration in El Salvador.” Additionally, the course is divided into seven modules that offer detailed concepts like law, skills, and management practices related to the use case of Bitcoin as a legal tender.

The program isn’t just teaching government employees how to navigate the new money system but is laying the groundwork for a bigger revolution. This was emphasized by Stacy Herbert, the director of ONBTC, who believes that by training civil servants, the country will create a “compounding effect” that will further bolster El Salvador’s economy. Herbart has shown great confidence that the program will contribute to the Central American nation’s success in Its Bitcoin and technology roadmap. Herbert said:

These education projects are very low time preference commitments to the long-term success of El Salvador and its Bitcoin (and tech) policy,

The Higher School of Innovation in Public Administration is responsible for conducting this educative program. It is also worth noting that this is the same place where El Salvador’s pro-Bitcoin president, Nayib Bukele, was inaugurated in August 2021. 

Argentina and El Salvador in Talks Over Bitcoin Adoption

El Salvador’s enthusiastic move towards Bitcoin hasn’t gone unnoticed; their crypto crusade has attracted international attention. Argentina, an economically- ailing country, has reached out to El Salvador to learn from their experience. Having a diplomatic relationship that stems from history books, representatives from Argentina’s National Securities Commission (CNV) met with their counterparts at El Salvador’s National Commission of Digital Assets (CNAD) to discuss Bitcoin adoption and crypto regulation.

Roberto Silva, the president of Argentina’s CNV, showed great interest in the idea of building ties with El Salvador, noticing the potential benefits of such a partnership.

We want to strengthen ties with the Republic of El Salvador, and therefore, we are going to explore the possibility of signing collaboration agreements with them. Silva stated.

Argentina’s interest in the new asset class has grown significantly, especially after Bitcoin-friendly president Javier Milei entered office in 2023. Already walking the talk, As CNF earlier reported, Argentina underwent a few regulatory changes that would accommodate cryptocurrency. True to its words, late July saw Argentina register its first cryptocurrency-funded company.