Sunny

Written by Sunny

Modified & Updated: 08 Oct 2023

Jessica Corbett

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

man holding bitcoin

Developing countries face numerous problems, including the lack of jobs, poverty, hyperinflation, lack of capital, poor access to markets, and lack of access to conventional banking services. Satoshi Nakamoto created Bitcoin, knowing the traditional financial system suits only a few people. The goal was to establish a system that would empower the people. This cryptocurrency is accessible to anybody with a device that connects to the internet. As we delve into digital currencies, innovative technologies such as Immediate Edge emerge, revolutionizing cryptocurrency trading with its automated bot.

Over a decade after its launch, Bitcoin’s popularity has sparked the establishment of platforms where people can purchase, sell, and invest. Today, many people live by engaging in Bitcoin-related activities, such as trading, investing, and writing about it. This blog post explains how Bitcoin is empowering economies in developing countries.

Bitcoin Serves as a Lifeboat

In developing nations where economic turmoil has significantly ruined lives, Bitcoin provides a means of survival. In countries like Nigeria, Afghanistan, Cuba, and Sudan, individuals use Bitcoin to protect the remainder of their wealth after inflation wages its toll. Marginalized communities use Bitcoin to acquire a foothold in the global economic system in less dramatic situations.

Since it’s permissionless, the Bitcoin network doesn’t care who a person is, what they do, and where they are from when they decide to use it. Therefore, this cryptocurrency safeguards the future a person has worked hard to establish. And all a person needs to access and use it is an internet connection.

Payments

Bitcoin presents a secure and faster means of transacting financially. Many individuals in developing nations need access to conventional banking services, but bureaucracies and documentation make them inaccessible. They can’t access banking services and loans or capital. Bitcoin saves people in such circumstances since it’s accessible to anybody with an internet connection.

Since it’s a peer-to-peer system, it functions without intermediaries that bring bureaucracies in financial transactions. Additionally, you don’t incur account opening charges or maintenance fees. Bitcoin reduces transaction costs and time by eliminating intermediaries. Thus, cryptocurrency enhances economic participation and growth in developing countries by improving financial inclusion.

Remittances

The World Bank reports that people sent remittances worth $646 billion in 2020. Some developing nations depend on such payments to build their economies. For instance, almost a quarter of the countries in Central America attribute their gross domestic product to the money their citizens send home from abroad.

Unfortunately, conventional payment networks don’t capture the needs of most developing nations. Going by percentages, remittances cost more than most financial transactions. Since the payment services charge minimum fees, smaller transfers may be costly for some people.

Luckily, Bitcoin is fixing this problem. Individuals living abroad can send money home cheaply and even faster. The Lightning Network enables individuals to send these payments home instantly and cheaply. Thus, a Bitcoin user can set up their Lightning-enabled crypto wallet to send remittances.

Reliable Investment and Currency

Bitcoin is gaining traction in developing nations as more individuals and businesses embrace it as an investment and a currency. Several merchants in developing countries receive payment for services and items in Bitcoin. That’s because Bitcoin facilitates secure, faster, and cheaper cross-border transactions.

Additionally, several crypto exchanges allow individuals to purchase and store Bitcoin in their wallets as an investment. Since its introduction over a decade ago, Bitcoin has continued to gain value despite its volatility. People who invested in this cryptocurrency shortly after its launch and held their coins can now sell them at a higher price and make significant profits. Such information makes more people in developing economies invest in this virtual asset.

Parting Shot

Developing countries face many challenges that hinder their economic development. Restrictive and bureaucratic financial institutions combined with weak currencies leave many people impoverished. However, Bitcoin is fixing this by eliminating intermediaries and enabling individuals to avoid inflation-prone weak currencies and restrictive banking systems.

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