El Salvador, which recognizes the crypto currency Bitcoin as the official currency, has recently made it a necessity for businesses to accept Bitcoin as a payment method. The aforementioned situation was criticized by Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin.
Writing on the Reddit platform, “Unpopular opinion: The crypto community should not praise El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele,” Buterin said, “Requiring businesses to accept a particular cryptocurrency goes against the ideals of freedom that should be so important to the cryptocurrency space. ”
‘Lots of innocent people can be hacked’
“Additionally, the tactic of forcing millions of Salvadorans to use BTC at the same time, with almost no prior training, is irresponsible. Lots of innocent people can be hacked or scammed. Anyone who praises him uncritically should be ashamed. ” he said.
According to article 7 of the Bitcoin Law, which was enacted by the government of El Salvador on September 7, 2021, Bitcoin is required to be accepted as a form of payment by “every economic actor”.
In a statement on Twitter, President Bukele stated that the adoption of Bitcoin will be completely optional and the government will not force it. “If someone wants to continue carrying cash and not use it for Bitcoin, they can continue to do so,” Bukele said. ” he said. Bukele’s legal adviser, Javier Argueta, contrary to this statement, openly said that those who do not accept Bitcoin will be punished.