But really...how much could they have earned if they invested it elsewhere instead? It seems silly for any country to invest in crypto. Nations should use their money to invest in themselves and build their economy, not to park it in crypto.
This argument works for anything. Not even any asset, any literal thing.
There is a laundry list of better reserve assets between U.S. dollars, Euros and gold, on one hand, and Bitcoin, on the other hand. Particularly for an economy as small as El Salvador’s.
Bitcoin makes paying off gangs and cronies simpler for San Salvador. That’s the benefit of this boondoggle.
Does it? Surely it's easier to hand someone bags of cash or gold bars if he doesn't want to leave a trail. Everyone in the world can see the moment he withdraws some BTC from the country's wallets.