In a bold move to cement its identity as the world's premier "Bitcoin Nation," El Salvador officially launched the "Bitcoin Diploma 2.0" on February 24, 2026. This initiative marks a comprehensive reform of the national public education system's financial literacy curriculum, spearheaded by the National Bitcoin Office (ONBTC) and its Director, Stacy Herbert.
The program represents a significant upgrade from the 2024 pilot projects, introducing high-quality, printed textbooks to every public school in the country. The 2026 curriculum is designed to teach students not only the technical mechanics of Bitcoin and the Lightning Network but also the fundamental nature of money, the history of central banking, and free-market economic principles. Integrated into the national Social Studies and Mathematics frameworks, the program mandates three hours of Bitcoin education per week.
The pedagogical approach features advanced visual tools, including 3D diagrams, to explain complex concepts like hash rates and the UTXO model to students as young as seven. Director Herbert emphasized the goal is to "solidify the youth’s understanding of the nature of money," aiming to create a generation immune to predatory lending and currency devaluation. The curriculum also includes training on interacting with AI agents and decentralized payment rails.
This educational push coincides with the broader "Bitcoin and AI" strategy, which includes deploying "Grok" AI tutors in 5,000 schools. The government views a financially literate, tech-savvy population as key to attracting global talent and reducing dependence on foreign remittances.
The rollout occurs amidst ongoing economic tensions, particularly concerning El Salvador's $1.4 billion financing agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Despite IMF pressure, the Bukele administration has doubled down on its Bitcoin strategy. Official data shows the country's Bitcoin reserves have grown to approximately 7,474 BTC, though recent purchases have drawn scrutiny and conflicting statements from officials regarding the source of the increase.
The National Bitcoin Office positions this education program as a core pillar of "monetary sovereignty," betting that a population trained in decentralized finance is the best defense against external economic shocks. As the first graduates of this state-mandated program enter the economy later in 2026, El Salvador's experiment in creating a "Bitcoin Generation" will be closely watched by the global community.
