South Carolina treasurer goes on Bitcoin 'fact-finding trip' to El Salvador

The state representative allegedly used his own funds to pay for the trip, which included discussions about Bitcoin with government officials and the exploring financial education programs. New

Curtis Loftis, the US State Treasurer of South Carolina, spent five days in El Salvador as part of a cryptocurrency “exploratory trip”.

According to an Oct. 5 announcement, Loftis was part of a delegation that included South Carolina business leaders, rural health officials, and people "interested in expanding cryptocurrency technologies and blockchain" who met with Salvadoran government officials in an effort to understand the country's efforts to embrace Bitcoin (BTC). The cryptocurrency has been legal tender alongside the US dollar in the Central American nation since El Salvador's Bitcoin Law came into effect in September 2021.

Loftis reportedly used his own funds to pay for the trip, which included discussions about Bitcoin with government officials and exploring the country's financial education programs. According to the Treasurer, the visit to El Salvador was prompted by the South Carolina Legislature exploring ways to support crypto and blockchain adoption in the state.

Speaking to Cointelegraph, Loftis, a self-proclaimed Luddite, said he was not a "promoter or opponent" of crypto, but wanted to know how the South Carolina government could use effectively technology in addition to promoting financial literacy among residents. The treasurer said the group attempted to use Bitcoin "maybe four times" during the trip to El Salvador, to pay street vendors and local businesses.

"We were at a nicer restaurant, and the tab was around $300-400 - we were a group - and they paid with bitcoin," Loftis said. "I signed up for Lightning beforehand [...] it was interesting...people living very low to the ground using bitcoin and some of them are really enjoying it — they were really glad they did ."

South Carolina t...