News

Panama City mayor Mayer Mizrachi appeared at the 2025 Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas to promote the future of cryptocurrency in Panama.

“Bitcoin is not just safe. It’s prosperous,” said Mizrachi, who said he hoped to make Panama City a hub for bitcoin in the model of El Salvador.

Panama City already accepts Bitcoin, Ether, and select stablecoins as payment for a wide variety of municipal services, from taxes to parking fees. Legislation and the creation of a Bitcoin Office have helped establish the infrastructure for doing business in crypto in Panama City, the mayor 

 “We accept Bitcoin,” he told the group during a panel discussion, “Is Panama Next? El Salvador Leading the Region for Bitcoin Adoption. “The city gets paid in Bitcoin, but it receives in dollars through an intermediary processing, payments processor.”

Bitcoin is already taking hold in the real estate industry. PPR can facilitate Bitcoin transactions with several local developers. 

Mizrachi went a step further, suggesting many innovations can help unlock the potential for Bitcoin in the region. The city might establish a crypto reserve, the mayor said. He also floated the idea that ships using the Panama Canal could accept Bitcoin for payments, and provide ships with faster access for using crypto.