In a significant move that could shape the future of international cryptocurrency policy, Bo Hines, the newly appointed White House advisor on digital assets, traveled to San Salvador this week to meet with President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador. The high-profile meeting underscores a growing willingness from the United States to engage directly with nations that have embraced Bitcoin and blockchain technology as part of their national strategy.
Held on June 5, 2025, the meeting centered around deepening cooperation between the United States and El Salvador on matters related to digital assets, including Bitcoin adoption, stablecoin innovation, and the creation of regulatory frameworks that could support cross-border financial innovation.
Stacy Herbert, the director of El Salvador’s National Bitcoin Office, characterized the meeting as a groundbreaking dialogue between what she called “the aspiring Bitcoin Superpower” — a reference to the U.S. — and “the OG Bitcoin Country,” referring to El Salvador, which became the first nation to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021. According to Herbert, both parties were enthusiastic about exploring shared goals in building a more open, decentralized financial system.
The timing of this diplomatic engagement is notable. Just weeks earlier, El Salvador secured a new agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which reportedly included provisions encouraging the country to temper its Bitcoin-related initiatives. However, President Bukele has remained undeterred, reaffirming his commitment to cryptocurrency as a cornerstone of El Salvador’s economic future. “It won’t stop now, and it won’t stop in the future,” Bukele said recently, doubling down on his administration’s Bitcoin accumulation strategy.
Sources familiar with the meeting say that one of the key topics discussed was the establishment of a joint regulatory sandbox. This initiative would allow both nations to test and refine new digital asset regulations in a controlled environment. The proposed sandbox would be overseen collaboratively by El Salvador’s crypto regulatory bodies and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), with input from both governments’ financial and technology advisors.
This strategic partnership could allow the U.S. to leverage El Salvador’s hands-on experience in managing a Bitcoin-based economy — something no other country can claim. In turn, El Salvador could benefit from access to broader U.S. financial expertise and regulatory support, potentially attracting more international investment and innovation into its crypto-friendly ecosystem.
President Bukele has been on a campaign to position El Salvador as a regional hub for technology and digital finance. He has recently met with several influential figures in the tech and crypto world, including Michael Saylor, executive chairman of MicroStrategy, and venture capitalists Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). These engagements have helped cement El Salvador’s reputation as a serious player in the global crypto space, despite criticism and skepticism from traditional financial institutions.
While no formal agreements have yet been announced, both the U.S. delegation and Salvadoran officials have expressed optimism about future collaboration. “Some extraordinary things may come from this,” Herbert hinted in a statement, suggesting that this initial meeting could lay the groundwork for deeper cooperation in the months ahead.
For the United States, the visit represents a potential pivot in its crypto strategy — from reactive regulation to proactive global partnership. As more countries explore integrating blockchain into their economies, the White House may be signaling that it is ready to lead — or at least not be left behind — in the rapidly evolving world of digital finance.
Can El Salvador’s hands-on experience with Bitcoin offer practical lessons to larger economies, or is its model too unique to scale?