El Salvador Crypto Remittances Reach $35.4 Million in First Half of 2026

Highlights:

• Crypto remittances rose in El Salvador early this year, but they still made up less than 1%.
• Families received $5.06 billion from abroad, while banks and money-transfer firms handled almost all of it.
• Crypto channels handled $35.4 million in six months, up sharply from the same period last year.

El Salvador received $35.4 million through cryptocurrency remittance channels during the first six months of 2026. However, digital assets accounted for only about 0.7% of the country’s total family remittances. The figures come from the Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador’s monthly remittance data, cited in a report published on July 26.

Total remittances reached about $5.06 billion between January and June. Therefore, banks, money-transfer companies and other traditional services remained the main way Salvadorans abroad sent funds to their families. These established channels processed more than 84% of the total amount received during the period.

El Salvador Sees $35.4M in Crypto Remittances During First Half of 2026

El Salvador received over $5 billion in remittances during the first half of 2026, with just $35.4 million settled through cryptocurrency. That represented only 0.7% of total transfers, despite a 39.1%… pic.twitter.com/ZT52UowRKU

— BABA CRYPTO (@babacryptoio) July 26, 2026

Crypto Remittances Grow From a Small Base

Although crypto’s share remained below 1%, the amount sent through digital currencies increased from a year earlier. El Salvador recorded about $25.4 million in crypto remittances during the first half of last year. The 2026 total was around 39.1% higher.

The increase shows stronger use of cryptocurrency for cross-border transfers. Still, its market share remains small because El Salvador’s overall remittance sector is much larger. Family remittances rose to about $5.06 billion in the first half of 2026, up from roughly $4.84 billion a year earlier. That represents annual growth of about 4.5%.

Cash deliveries also remained more common than crypto transfers. People personally carrying money into El Salvador accounted for about 3.8% of total remittances. As a result, even this method held a much larger share than digital currency channels.

Many Salvadoran families rely on money sent home by relatives living or working abroad. Most receive these payments through banks or international transfer companies, which allow them to collect U.S. dollars without using a crypto wallet.

Sending money through crypto can sometimes be faster and cheaper. However, the process is less familiar for many people. Users need to understand wallet addresses, protect their private keys and deal with possible price changes. In some cases, they must also exchange the crypto for dollars before they can use the money.

Bitcoin Policy Changes Affect the Market

El Salvador introduced its Bitcoin Law in 2021 and promoted Bitcoin as an option for payments and international remittances. The government also launched the Chivo wallet to support Bitcoin and U.S. dollar transactions. However, the country later agreed to reduce public-sector involvement in Bitcoin-related activities under a financing program with the International Monetary Fund. The IMF said private companies would not be required to accept Bitcoin. It also stated that the government’s involvement in the Chivo wallet would be gradually unwound.

The latest figures show that crypto still plays only a small role in El Salvador’s remittance market. Its use is growing, but most families continue to receive money through banks and traditional transfer companies.