Among his proposals, Quiroga includes a strategic reserve of BTC.
Paz proposes using a digital accounting book in contracting for fiscal transparency.
Just five days before the second round of elections in Bolivia, which will take place on October 19, the South American country is experiencing rapid growth in the adoption of bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrencies. A movement with which he is leaving marks on the electoral landscape.
Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, the experienced conservative ex-president of the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy, and Rodrigo Paz Pereira, the senator of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), are competing for the Government Palace in a runoff that promises to redefine the economic future of the Andean nation.
But, whatever happens at the polls, there is a clear winner already crowned and that’s bitcoin. The pioneering digital currency, along with its ecosystem (including stablecoins), has permeated the proposals of both candidates. Cryptocurrencies have thus become a transversal axis of their visions to combat the currency crisis, inflation and financial exclusion that currently affects the country.
It is not a coincidence; is the evidence that bitcoin It is no longer a speculative nichebut an unstoppable tool of economic sovereignty in a context in which the State has failed to provide stability to citizens.
This adoption does not come out of nowhere. In a country where international reserves are close to the critical limit and the dollar is scarce in the streets, Both candidates have incorporated the potential of bitcoin into their government plansrecognizing its role in economic diversification and public transparency.
Bitcoin reserve: Quiroga’s proposal
Quiroga, who leads the polls with a liberal approach, has been the most explicit. In a July 2025 interview on the “Una Gran Escuela” podcast, proposed the creation of a “strategic bitcoin reserve of value” for Bolivia, inspired in the El Salvador model.
“A strategic reserve of value for Bitcoin in Bolivia would be possible,” he stated, arguing that “digital gold” could diversify the reserves of the Central Bank of Bolivia (BCB), depleted by Movement towards Socialism (MAS) policies, and protect against the devaluation of the Bolivian.
However, Quiroga does not include this proposal for a bitcoin reserve for Bolivia in his Government Plan 2025-2030although under the “Digital Bolivia” pillar it details the regulation of the digital assets sector to facilitate transactions and access to dollars. The legislation is cited along with the use of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), better known as blockchain. The objective is to record all operations governments, promoting data centers and digital mining.
Paz Pereira talks about tax plan for cryptocurrencies
Paz Pereira, for her part, adopts a more technocratic tone in her «50/50 Agenda»a program focused on fiscal redistribution and economic stabilization. Although less vocal in interviews about bitcoin specifically, your plan includes digital assets as a pillar for “heritage honesty.”
The candidate proposes that non-formalized goods, such as crypto assets, be declared to generate resources that finance an Exchange Stabilization Fund, unifying the exchange rate and alleviating the outflow of foreign currency.
In addition, it proposes DLT to eliminate discretion in public procurement through smart contracts. His idea is a mechanism that ensures traceability and combats endemic corruption.
In it debate Recently, both candidates agree on the need to digitize the State and incorporate digital assets, although Paz emphasizes social equity in its implementation.
In general, the proposals, vague in operational details, reflect an unprecedented consensus where the narrative around bitcoin and cryptocurrencies It does not revolve around risks. The emphasis is placed in the possibility of establishing a practical solution to Bolivian stagflation.
Bitcoin, the invisible winner of the polls
The truth is that the true triumph of bitcoin lies in the fact that it transcends electoral campaigns, and therefore It is already unstoppable in Bolivia. With more than 63 businesses accepting BTC as payment—from pizzerias in El Alto to the innovative ArteFlow on the shores of Lake Titicaca—the adoption map is expanding like a benign virus.
As CriptoNoticias has reported, the use of digital currency stands out in communities such as Bitcoin Research. Founded in July 2022 by Juan Pablo and Alfredo, this network of more than 2,000 members prioritizes inclusive education, bringing the “orange pill”—the Bitcoiner term for BTC initiation—to remote corners such as the Salar de Uyuni and Copacabana.
Its innovative seal shines with initiatives such as the translation of Satoshi Nakamoto’s White Paper into Braille, allowing people with visual disabilities to access knowledge. There are also adapted workshops that They emphasize self-custodyto.
Soon, they will extend these efforts to hearing-impaired communities through sign language, breaking down barriers to genuine financial sovereignty. This boom, which multiplied operations in bitcoin and cryptocurrencies by 630% in one year, responds to economic instability.
This momentum Bolivia is part of a broader regional wave, where bitcoin communities emerge as an antidote to government failure in Latin America. In a region where 49% of the population remains without banking access, trust in governments is weak (only 36.3%), and inflation is galloping — 108% in Argentina in 2024, projected to 36% in 2025, even surpassing Bolivia — these networks weave resilient economies.
Bitcoin and USDT mining emerge as a refuge in Bolivia
The transformation of the Andean country is also accelerating with Bitcoin mining and the use of tether (USDT) as a lifeline in the face of inflation that is close to 23% and minimum salaries of BOB 2,750—equivalent to less than 200 dollars—that have been devalued three times their real value.
While the official boliviano is trading at 6.96 per dollar, in the parallel market it reaches 16.50, reflecting a depreciation of 137%. In this void, local miners like Carlos relate how digital mining has become profitable despite high energy costs (72 kWh per BOB 100 generated, with net margins of just BOB 10), driven by the need to protect themselves from a devaluation that exceeded 50% in 2025.
The rise of Bitcoin mining in Bolivia appears reflected in the Hashrate Index heat map for Q4 2025showing the country as an “emerging player.” Its global share jumped from 0.08% to 0.29%, a growth of 0.21 points that places it among the five countries with the greatest absolute progress.
For all these reasons, whether Quiroga wins with his strategic reserve or Paz with his stabilizing fund, bitcoin has already won by infiltrating the national and regional debate. It is a sign that Bolivia and Latin America do not ask for permission, they just build. Faced with governments that issue empty promises, communities celebrate other people’s victories as their own, weaving a future of inclusion and autonomy.
In any case, on October 19, the polls will decide a president; although the real change, sovereign and digital, is already underway.