Which country made Bitcoin legal tender in September 2021?

Which country made Bitcoin legal tender in September 2021? El Salvador made Bitcoin legal tender on 7 September 2021.

The country’s Legislative Assembly passed the Bitcoin Law in June 2021 after President Nayib Bukele promoted the measure. The law took effect 90 days after publication, making El Salvador the first country to give Bitcoin legal-tender status. Bitcoin joined the U.S. dollar, which had already been El Salvador’s official currency.

The government presented the policy as a way to encourage financial inclusion, attract investment, and lower the cost of remittances from Salvadorans abroad. It also launched the Chivo digital wallet and offered incentives for users. The rollout was controversial, however, with protests, technical problems, public skepticism, and criticism from international financial institutions.

The wording matters because this was a historical milestone, not a claim that Bitcoin remains unchanged in law. In January 2025, reforms substantially rolled back its compulsory legal-tender role following an agreement with the International Monetary Fund. The September 2021 answer is nevertheless El Salvador.