The United States is echoing a playbook first written in El Salvador, as former President Donald Trump prepares to legalize new cryptocurrency legislation and present a national AI strategy. The move reflects growing U.S. interest in the “Bukele Model,” which has combined economic freedom, Bitcoin adoption, and tech innovation as engines for national development.
Stacy Herbert, Director of The Bitcoin Office in El Salvador, reacted to the news: “President Trump will sign several ‘crypto’ bills into law today. And next week, he will announce his AI policy vision. All countries will inevitably follow El Salvador’s path and adopt the Bukele Model.”
Trump’s upcoming executive order could allow Americans to invest 401(k) retirement savings in crypto and other alternative assets. The Financial Times reports the plan would direct regulators to clear the path for digital assets in pension portfolios, a concept already put into practice by Fidelity and other financial institutions.
As countries like Japan and the UK experiment with Bitcoin in pension schemes, El Salvador’s early adoption appears less like an outlier and more like a roadmap. What was once bold is becoming mainstream.