El Salvador Launches 'Bitcoin Country' Passport Program With 10% Merchant Discounts

Source: CryptoTale Original Title: El Salvador Gives “Bitcoin Country” Passports and 10% Savings Original Link: El Salvador unveiled its “Bitcoin Country” passport program this week, extending its Bitcoin strategy into tourism and daily commerce. The initiative offers holders up to 10% discounts at participating vendors. Officials introduced the program to encourage Bitcoin use, attract visitors, and reinforce national branding through everyday incentives.

How the Bitcoin Country Passport Is Designed to Work

Unlike a traditional passport, the Bitcoin Country passport does not enable international travel. Instead, it functions as a branded identification or membership document tied to local benefits. According to details shared online, holders can access discounts at participating businesses across El Salvador.

Notably, those discounts can reach up to 10% when customers transact with merchants supporting Bitcoin payments. The structure aims to reward both consumers and businesses already using crypto-friendly payment systems. As a result, the program connects spending habits directly to Bitcoin adoption.

Officials have not published a complete vendor list so far. However, early participation appears focused on hotels, restaurants, and tourism-related services. These sectors already serve visitors drawn by El Salvador’s Bitcoin policies, creating a natural entry point for the program.

Linking Bitcoin Adoption With Tourism and Identity

Since El Salvador made Bitcoin legal tender in 2021, it has tried different ways to bring it into daily life. At first, the focus was on wallets, remittances, and payment systems. The new passport idea shows a shift toward lifestyle and identity, not just payments.

Instead of only pushing transactions, the passport mixes national branding with everyday perks. Officials say it is both symbolic and practical, giving people a clear way to show they are part of the country’s Bitcoin community. In this way, Bitcoin becomes part of normal, everyday experiences.

Tourism authorities have also been marketing El Salvador to crypto-friendly travelers. Bitcoin conferences and events have already raised the country’s profile. The passport builds on that by adding real benefits for visitors while they are in the country.

For international visitors, the document provides structured access to discounts while indicating El Salvador’s policy experiment. For residents, it reinforces Bitcoin’s role beyond investment. Therefore, the program aligns tourism, commerce and digital finance under a single framework.

Bitcoin Markets React as Global Attention Grows

While El Salvador rolled out the passport program, Bitcoin prices responded to broader macroeconomic developments. Bitcoin briefly climbed above $92,500 after U.S. inflation data met expectations. Markets assessed the Federal Reserve’s outlook alongside political tensions involving the central bank.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, December consumer price index data showed 2.7% annual inflation. That figure matched November levels and economists’ forecasts. Month-over-month headline inflation rose 0.3%, also in line with expectations.

Core CPI, excluding food and energy, increased 2.6% year over year. That reading came slightly below the expected 2.7% and matched the prior month. Core inflation rose 0.2% month over month.

Matt Mena, crypto research strategist at 21Shares, said the data supported a soft-landing narrative. According to Mena, cooling core inflation and recent jobs data align with the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate. He added that markets now price higher odds of additional rate cuts.

Mena also noted Bitcoin’s growing role amid geopolitical uncertainty. He described Bitcoin as increasingly behaving like a macro hedge. According to him, markets reprice Bitcoin as an international reserve asset during periods of political tension.

Those tensions include a Department of Justice investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The probe relates to Powell’s testimony on a Federal Reserve building renovation exceeding $2.5 billion. Powell has called the investigation politically motivated, while the White House denies involvement.

Gold prices also rose during the same period, gaining about 1.3%. Market participants described a partial safe-haven response across assets. However, uncertainty remains over the Federal Reserve’s rate path.

Goldman Sachs pushed expected rate cuts to June and September 2026. Earlier forecasts targeted March and June. Meanwhile, Bitcoin has traded between $88,000 and $94,000 in January, following October 2025 highs above $126,000.

As global attention stays fixed on Bitcoin markets, El Salvador continues expanding its domestic initiatives. The Bitcoin Country passport now sits alongside wallets, education programs, and merchant adoption efforts. These measures frame Bitcoin as part of daily economic life.