SAN SALVADOR — In the main handicraft market of El Salvador’s capital, traders complain that with a week to go before bitcoin becomes legal tender, no officials have come to explain how it will work or what benefits it may bring.
The sense of unease extends beyond San Salvador’s “Excuartel” market well into the Central American country of 6.4 million people that on Tuesday will become the first nation in the world to adopt bitcoin as legal tender.
“We don’t know the currency. We don’t know where it comes from. We don’t know if it’s going to bring us profit or loss,” said Claudia Molina, a 42-year-old seller of T-shirts and souvenirs. “We don’t know anything.”
“They haven’t given us training. They haven’t told us what we’re going to use or how to make the change.”