~snip~
This shows El Salvador is treating Bitcoin as an investment asset (store of value). Not as a currency. The whole purpose of making BTC legal tender was to spread its use as a currency within the country. But so far, El Salvador's government has failed in doing so. I think the main cause was a lack of user experience. People only claimed the reward from the Chivo Wallet and forgot about the rest. The reward should've been issued gradually subject to usage of the network. Sort of how like NEM's PoI (Proof of Importance) algorithm works. You need to use XEM regularly to be able to qualify for "staking".
Another thing that may have prevented the masses from adopting Bitcoin was market price volatility. Not to mention, the BTC blockchain's limited transaction capacity. Is there still hope? I'd say, yes. But it's going to take quite some time before the world gets used to BTC as an alternative currency. El Salvador might need to wait until the deal with the IMF comes to an end, to continue with its Bitcoin agenda. Patience is a virtue.
Would you use Bitcoin as a means of payment when using cash dollars allows you to maintain complete confidentiality, avoid volatility, pay no commission fees, avoid technical barriers, and pay anywhere in El Salvador? I think I would choose to use cash dollars. Most Salvadorans do the same because it is safer and more convenient. The Salvadoran authorities have given their citizens the opportunity to use Bitcoin. If someone does not want to use Bitcoin for payments for some reason, that is their choice. But I don't think El Salvador's ideas have failed. They are simply still in the early stages of adopting Bitcoin, and El Salvador's investment program only shows citizens that the government fully trusts Bitcoin not only as a store of value but also as a technology.