☰
HomeLiving Beyond BordersGZERO WorldSignalIn 60 SecondsPuppet RegimeGZERO World PodcastContact UsAbout UsCareersPrivacy PolicyTerms

Hard Numbers: Salvadorans snub crypto, Chinese heart QR codes, Nigerians go cashless, Europeans shop online

October 28, 2022
Carlos Santamaria
A woman holds a black cross with a sign against Bitcon during a protest against President Bukele's government in El Salvador.
A woman holds a black cross with a sign against Bitcon during a protest against President Bukele's government in El Salvador.
Reuters

2: El Salvador's crypto bro President Nayib Bukele has gone all in on Bitcoin, but his citizens are not yet sold on crypto for remittances, a lifeline for the economy. So far this year, only 2% of the money from Salvadorans working abroad was sent to their families using digital currencies.

3.5 trillion: The value of digital payments in China will reach a whopping $3.5 trillion by the end of the year, almost double the figure in the US. China is fast becoming a mobile-first economy, in part because sellers are allowed to make their own QR codes without purchasing fancy tech.

29 billion: Move over, Canada — Nigeria (!) now wants to become the world's first 100% cashless economy by embracing the eNaira. A year after launching the digital currency, the government says that full use of it will increase GDP by $29 billion over the next decade.

67: Two-thirds (67%) of the EU's adult population purchased stuff over the internet in 2021, according to a new survey. The highest adoption of online e-commerce was reported in the Netherlands and the lowest in Bulgaria.

More from GZERO Media

The risks of reckless AI rollout with Tristan Harris

Tristan Harris, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, joins Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World Podcast to talk about the risks of recklessly rolling out powerful AI tools without guardrails as big tech firms race to build “god in a box.”

Is the future of AI physical?

- YouTube

youtu.be

The next leap in artificial intelligence is physical. On Ian Explains, Ian Bremmer breaks down how robots and autonomous machines will transform daily life, if we can manage the risks that come with them.

Hard Numbers: Zelensky stumps for Ukraine in London, Iceland is no longer mosquito-free, US releases inflation data during shutdown, Ecuadorian president targeted with chocolate and jam

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is flanked by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof as he hosts a 'Coalition of the Willing' meeting of international partners on Ukraine at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) in London, Britain, October 24, 2025.
Henry Nicholls/Pool via REUTERS

Election season is here

As we race toward the end of 2025, voters in over a dozen countries will head to the polls for elections that have major implications for their populations and political movements globally.

About UsCareers PressContact Us Privacy PolicyTerms of Use
© 2025 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.