The Times podcast: El Salvador wants to be a bitcoin paradise

A man in Tamanique, El Salvador, makes a purchase at a small store that accepts bitcoin.
(Salvador Melendez / Associated Press)
Listen to this episode of The Times:
This year, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele made his country the first in the world to embrace bitcoin as legal tender. That means that come September, Salvadorans will be able to pay bills and taxes in bitcoin and that all businesses will be required to accept the digital currency — from McDonald’s to the fruit vendor on the corner.
Today, L.A. Times Latin America correspondent Kate Linthicum explains how El Salvador got into the cryptocurrency game.
Host: L.A. Times Latin America correspondent Kate Linthicum
More reading:
How a California surfer helped bring bitcoin to El Salvador
El Salvador makes bitcoin legal tender
A look at El Salvador’s meme-loving, press-hating autocratic president
About The Times
“The Times” is made by columnist Gustavo Arellano, producer Shannon Lin, senior producer Denise Guerra, executive producer Abbie Fentress Swanson and editors Lauren Raab, Shani O. Hilton and Julia Turner. Our intern is Ashlea Brown. Our engineer is Mario Diaz and our theme song was composed by Andrew Eapen.