Bitcoin officially becomes legal tender in El Salvador

El Salvador has become the first country to accept Bitcoin as legal tender, to be used alongside the US dollar.

The government has argued the move would increase financial inclusion and investment in El Salvador, one of the poorest nations in the Americas.

But polls have shown that most Salvadorans are opposed to the adoption of the controversial cryptocurrency, while regulators are concerned about the risks associated with its anonymity.

“The worry is that El Salvador turns into a fiscal paradise for those who want to launder money from drugs or corruption,” former central bank chief Carlos Acevedo tells Al Jazeera.