El Salvador has launched a historic initiative to register official documents on the Bitcoin blockchain, in partnership with the U.S.-based company Simple Proof and led by the National Bitcoin Office (ONBTC). This program uses the OpenTimestamps protocol to create cryptographic hashes of documents, ensuring their authenticity and permanence without uploading full files or compromising citizen privacy.
The system leverages Bitcoin's immutable nature as a digital timestamp server, where each document's hash is linked to a specific block, providing verifiable evidence that cannot be altered. Carlos Toriello, CEO of Simple Proof, explained, "Bitcoin is not just the money nobody controls, it is also the only clock that nobody can manipulate. That allows for the recording of any digital event with a timestamp that is impossible to alter." This method uses only 32 bytes per hash, enabling millions of documents to be secured with a single transaction without congesting the network.
The first official application involved certificates from the CUBO+ educational program, a diploma focused on Bitcoin and financial technology. Graduates can verify their diplomas through a public hash on bitcoin.gob.sv, choosing to include their name or remain anonymous. Simple Proof is already developing pilot projects with other government ministries to extend this technology to administrative and legal documents, aiming to prevent manipulation, falsification, and disinformation, while promoting transparency and citizen trust.
Additionally, El Salvador is hosting a series of Bitcoin events throughout November 2025, including "Bitcoin Histórico" on November 12-13, "Adopting Bitcoin" on November 14-15, the Bitcoin Beach gathering from November 18-20, and the "Economía Bitcoin" conference on November 22-23. These events feature speakers like Ricardo Salinas Pliego and focus on adoption, circular economies, and community development.
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